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TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: May 08, 2007 
 
 
Minister Believes Eurofighter Will Fail Major Test 
 
¶1. Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos from the Social 
Democrats says he is convinced that the Eurofighter interceptors for 
the Austrian armed forces will fail a major quality control test, 
which will be carried out by Defense Ministry officials next week. 
Although he did not go into detail, the Minister stressed his 
assessment applied to both the software releases and the quality of 
the product. Darabos also described as "juvenile" the ongoing 
quarrel between Eurofighter producer EADS and the Austrian 
government over Austria's push to cancel the purchase deal. 
ORF online news reports that Defense Minister Norbert Darabos caused 
quite a stir on Monday with his statement before the parliamentary 
investigative committee, which is looking into the Eurofighter deal 
that in his opinion the interceptor will fail a major Defense 
Ministry test regarding the required releases and the quality of the 
jets. This could mean that the first jets will not arrive in Austria 
in late May, the Minister said - a statement that was "met with 
surprise" from the OeVP and the BZOe, according to ORF online news. 
Darabos also admitted the dispute between Austria and EADS had 
reached a "somewhat juvenile level," where neither side is willing 
to take the first step towards reconciliation. Meanwhile, 
mass-circulation tabloid Oesterreich speculates that the 
disagreement between the OeVP, under whose government the jets were 
ordered initially, and the Social Democrat Defense Minister, who has 
said he is pushing for a cancellation of the deal, could seriously 
threaten the SPOe-OeVP coalition government. 
 
 
Truck Tolls to Rise on July 1st 
 
¶2. Toll charges for heavy trucks on Austrian roads are to be raised 
by 4.2 cents per kilometer as of July 1st, in agreement with EU 
authorities. The deal for the increase was announced on Monday by 
Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Transport Minister Werner Faymann 
(SPOe). 
Reporting on the upcoming increase in toll charges for heavy trucks 
on Austrian roads, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung reports that 
the EU Commission had originally resisted a 4-cents-per-kilometer 
rise, quoting uniform road pricing guidelines throughout the EU. The 
rise will bring Asfinag, the company managing Austrian roads, an 
extra 115 million Euros per year. Liberal daily Der Standard in a 
front-page report quotes Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer as emphasizing 
that Brussels had accepted the toll increase in the end. The 
breakthrough on the issue came after difficult and drawn out 
negotiations, and was achieved as a result of "Austria having 
presented a united front in the matter, and because of the ongoing 
climate protection debate," Gusenbauer said. Mass-circulation 
tabloid Kronen Zeitung quotes Transport Minister Werner Faymann as 
saying that the higher toll will hopefully reduce the huge numbers 
of trucks passing through Austria. 
 
 
Political Leaders Welcome Sarkozy's Victory 
 
¶3. Austrian President Heinz Fischer has joined leaders from around 
the world in congratulating France's President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy 
on his election victory. Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Alfred 
Gusenbauer of the Social Democrats said he hoped for new dynamism in 
the EU because of Sarkozy's victory, while Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm 
Molterer, the head of the People's Party, said Sarkozy's decisive 
victory was a basis to overcome the major challenges facing France's 
next leader. 
Like many political leaders from around the world, Austrian 
President Heinz Fischer, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and 
Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer have congratulated Nicolas Sarkozy 
on his victory in the French presidential elections last Sunday. 
Fischer said Austrian-French relations had a long history and that 
the two countries shared an interest in closer EU integration, 
semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung writes. Independent provincial 
daily Salzburger Nachrichten quotes Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula 
Plassnik, who stressed the vote was not only a very important one 
for France, but for all of Europe. France's position remains highly 
significant for the future of the European integration process and 
for Europe's role in the world: "Sarkozy's election paved the way 
for France to address decisive issues with a new dynamism, 
including, first and foremost of all, the EU Constitution, the 
Western Balkans, as well as issues such as growth and employment," 
Plassnik emphasized. She considers it a positive signal that Sarkozy 
is pushing for quick agreement on the matter, the daily quotes the 
Foreign Minister. 
 
France Preparing for New Era 
 
¶4. Frace is preparing to enter a new political era, one ay after 
choosing Conservative UMP candidate Niclas Sarkozy to be the 
country's next President. arkozy has pledged to boost the economyby creating jobs, to liberalize employment laws, be tough on crime 
and control immigration. On Monday, the President-elect revealed 
that his choice of Prime Minister will be Frangois Fillon, currently 
his senior political adviser. Sarkozy is also expected to quickly 
name a new cabinet for the start of his five-year term in office. 
The first key hurdle for the new President, who officially takes 
over from Jacques Chirac on May 16, will be the nationwide 
parliamentary elections in June. Meanwhile, police clashed with 
protesters in Paris and some other cities for a second night in a 
row after Sunday's run-off vote. 
All Austrian media continue to report on the French presidential 
elections. According to centrist daily Die Presse, President-elect 
Nicolas Sarkozy can be expected to push both a conservative as well 
as pragmatic agenda. One of the cornerstones of his policy will 
likely be a radical reform of France job market, adds the daily. The 
Presse does not believe that Sarkozy's victory will necessarily 
bring about a strengthening of the Conservative agenda all over 
Europe, nor kick off new right-wing trends in the EU. Liberal daily 
Der Standard meanwhile saysthe EU institutions appear to be pleased 
with the outcome of the French election, and consider Sarkozy the 
"lesser evil" compared to Sgolhne Royal. His pragmatic approach 
could help solve the EU's constitution crisis. The daily's foreign 
affairs writer Christoph Winder in an analysis says that Sarkozy's 
opponents tried to paint him as "incorrigibly pro-US," and as 
someone who would "unquestioningly submit to Washington. A premature 
diagnosis," according to Winder, who does not think Sarkozy will 
turn out to be a "French George Bush," as some have already 
predicted. It would be "better to wait for the new French 
President's first signals indicating which political course he 
intends to follow regarding the US; given the significance of the 
French-US relations, they can be expected soon enough," Winder 
believes. In contrast, another foreign affairs writer for the 
Standard, Thomas Mayer, harshly criticized Sarkozy: "It is hard to 
believe how many people actually assume that a former Minister of 
the Interior, who acted as a right-wing populist and tough 
law-and-order advocate, will be good for the European Union. Sarkozy 
is an unabashed EU opportunist, whose campaign style does not differ 
from that of Silvio Berlusconi (...)." 
McCaw