VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVI #1765/01 1831307
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021307Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7817
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS VIENNA 001765 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/AGS, INR/EU, AND EUR/PPD FOR YVETTE SAINT-ANDRE 
 
OSD FOR COMMANDER CHAFFEE 
 
WHITEHOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE 
 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: July 02, 2007 
 
 
Fischer on Eurofighter Deal 
 
¶1. Speaking on Austrian television on Sunday, President Heinz 
Fischer described the reduction achieved by Defense Minister Norbert 
Darabos from 18 to 15 Eurofighter jets for Austria's armed forces as 
a "positive result." The President also argued that a complete 
cancellation of the contract with EADS and the process of purchasing 
different jets would not have been a good solution. In addition, 
Fischer urged the coalition partners SPOe and OeVP to stop their 
"war of words" and improve cooperation. 
Speaking on ORF TV's Sunday morning program Meet the Press on July 
1, Austrian President Heinz Fischer criticized the coalition 
partners SPOe and OeVP, stressing he is hoping for a "better 
performance" from the two major parties in the future. While the 
government's accomplishments up to now are "quite notable," he 
expects "a more future-oriented synthesis with less verbal 
jostling," Fischer stressed. The formation of a grand coalition was 
the "logical and sensible consequence of the general election," the 
President added, and harshly criticized the "tone" and at times 
"extreme choice of words" between the government partners. Fischer 
dismissed the idea of early general elections, and underscored that 
all members of a coalition government are "required to focus on what 
unites and not what divides them," which is why he is urging the 
SPOe and the OeVP to "commit themselves to finding a more 
constructive way of cooperating and solving key problems." 
 
 
SPOe and OeVP Pledge Cooperation 
 
¶2. Speaking on Austrian television on Sunday night, the floor 
leaders of the SPOe, Josef Cap, and of the OeVP, Wolfgang Schuessel, 
conceded that the "style" of the government coalition's work was not 
good. There was "definitely room for improvement" regarding the two 
parties' cooperation, Schuessel agreed, and Cap added that conflicts 
of interests should be addressed in a "more cultivated" manner. 
Appearing on ORF television's Sunday night discussion panel Im 
Zentrum, the floor leaders of Austria's coalition government 
partners, Josef Cap of the Social Democrats and Wolfgang Schuessel 
of the People's Party pledged to improve their parties' cooperation. 
The coalition government's style definitely had to improve, 
Schuessel admitted, and tried to dispel allegations he was trying to 
break up the government. Quite the contrary: Had he really been 
opposed to the Conservatives' government cooperation with the Social 
Democrats, he would have found dozens of arguments against the 
formation of the coalition, Schuessel underscored, adding that in 
truth he was not the government's "demolition man," but its "master 
builder." Cap, in turn, proposed to try solving conflicts of 
interests between the two parties in a more cultivated way in the 
future. Despite their show of goodwill, the two floor leaders 
"failed to set a good example" in the discussion, and kept 
criticizing their respective coalition partners, ORF online news 
noted. 
 
 
Portugal Takes Over EU Presidency 
 
¶3. Portugal has taken over the rotating European Union presidency 
from Germany, which held the presidency since the beginning of the 
year. Incoming EU Council President, Portugal's Prime Minister Jos 
Socrates, presented what Austrian media have described as an 
"ambitious program:" He said he the focus of his presidency will be 
on economic reform; progress and details regarding the reform of the 
EU treaty; Europe's role in the world, particularly with regard to 
Africa and Brazil; as well as on keeping talks on Turkey's possible 
accession on track. 
 
 
Britain Remains on Maximum Alert 
 
¶4. Britain remains on maximum security alert as police are 
continuing their hunt for people suspected of involvement in the 
attempted car bombings in London's West End on Friday and an attack 
at Glasgow Airport's main terminal on Saturday. Five people have 
been arrested over the weekend, but police have indicated that at 
least one other suspect remains at large. The bombings in London and 
Glasgow appear to be linked, British terrorism experts say. Prime 
Minister Gordon Brown has suggested that apparently Britain is 
dealing with people associated with the terrorist group al Qaeda. 
All Austrian media continue to report on developments following the 
attempted car bombings in London's West End on Friday and an attack 
at Glasgow Airport's main terminal on Saturday.  Independent 
provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten quotes British Premier 
Gordon Brown's terrorism advisor Lord Stevens as saying the attacks 
were "a new form of terrorism. For the first time, al Qaeda had 
exported to the West the terrorism tactics they employed in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, and had used techniques to build their bombs similar to 
those common among al Qaeda in Baghdad or Bali, Lord Stevens said. 
Circumstances indicate that British-born al Qaeda terrorists had 
returned from Iraq and Afghanistan in order to instruct and train 
British terrorist groups, the advisor warned. Liberal daily Der 
Standard meanwhile quotes Premier Brown as trying to prepare Britons 
for potential future attacks: "We are facing a long-term threat that 
will not go away in the next weeks or months," Brown said. The daily 
also quotes Austrian President Heinz Fischer, who underscored that 
"observant publics and police as well as stable societies might 
provide an effective tool against terrorism." The terrorists "must 
not be allowed the triumph of forcing a country away with threats 
from observing its fundamental rights and freedoms," Fischer added. 
 
 
 
Bush and Putin Meet in Maine 
 
¶5. US President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are 
meeting informally at the Bush family holiday home in Kennebunkport, 
Maine. Ties have been strained between the two countries, 
particularly over US plans to set up parts of a missile defense 
system in eastern European countries, and over Russia's opposition 
to independence for the Kosovo province. The talks are aimed at 
easing tensions, and are also expected to focus on international 
security in the wake of recent developments in London and Glasgow, 
and on concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Russia's Foreign 
Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists yesterday that the two 
leaders "reached a number of agreements." 
Independent provincial daily Salzburger Nachrichten, reporting like 
all major Austrian media on the visit to the Bush family holiday 
home in Maine of Russian President Vladimir Putin, says that 
observers do not believe the meeting of the two leaders will yield 
any substantial results, as Russia and the US are divided on too 
many key issues. The "lobster summit," as the daily has termed the 
meeting, is to improve the tone between the tow major world powers, 
however. Likewise, in an analysis, liberal daily Der Standard 
suggests that it would be "wrong to expect more than damage control" 
from the meeting in Kennebunkport. The fact that the two presidents 
get along reasonably well cannot gloss over the problem that the 
relations between their countries have suffered and their peoples 
have not warmed to each other, the Standard argues. Quite revealing 
in this context is the fact that the Russian-US economic ties have 
not expanded, the daily says and adds that it will be up to the next 
American President to really tackle the United States' relations 
with Russia. 
Kilner