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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: November 06, 2007 
 
 
Compromise on School Reform 
 
¶1. Education Minister Claudia Schmied from the Social Democrats and 
Science Minister Johannes Hahn from the People's Party have reached 
a "last-minute agreement" on the introduction of comprehensive-type 
"new middle schools" in Austria. The breakthrough was achieved after 
Schmied agreed to a so-called "two-thirds clause" as called for by 
the OeVP. The compromise envisages launching test phases for 
comprehensive schools in several Austrian regions, provided that two 
thirds of the teachers and parents affected agree. In addition, 
regular high schools and secondary schools must also remain 
available to students in all test regions under the proposed model. 
All Austrian media give prominent coverage to the agreement on test 
phases for the introduction of comprehensive schools, which was 
reached after weeks of stalled negotiations between Education 
Minister Schmied and Science Minister Hahn. With this "last-minute 
deal," the SPOe-OeVP coalition government has ended its deadlock in 
a series of reform proposals, says independent provincial daily 
Salzburger Nachrichten. 
Mass-circulation tabloid Kronen Zeitung publishes an outline of the 
"upcoming changes in the school system," and points out the 
necessary support of two-thirds of the teachers and parents in test 
phase areas, and the requirement that test regions give parents the 
opportunity to choose between comprehensive and more traditional 
high or secondary schools. All in all, the deal between Ministers 
Schmied and Hahn is a "typically Austrian compromise," the tabloid 
concludes. 
 
 
New US Ambassador Nominated 
 
¶2. Austrian media report that the White House has nominated 
businessman Charles Gargano to be the next US Ambassador to Austria. 
The 73-year-old, Italian-born Gargano will succeed Ambassador Susan 
McCaw, who arrived in Vienna in 2005. If confirmed by the US Senate, 
which Austrian media consider a given, Mr. Gargano will be the first 
US Ambassador to Austria in many years to have previous diplomatic 
experience: In the late 1980s, Gargano was US Ambassador to Trinidad 
and Tobago, the media point out. Mr. Gargano, who served as Vice 
Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and as 
Chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation of New York 
State, also played a leading role in New York reconstruction 
projects following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 
according to the media. 
Reporting on the nomination by the White House of businessman 
Charles Gargano as new US Ambassador to Austria, Austrian Press 
Agency APA says that Mr. Gargano is considered a close confidante of 
former New York Governor George Pataki. APA also points out that 
Gargano's Senate confirmation, which is still pending, is in all 
likelihood "no more than a formality."  Mr. Gargano is "one of the 
most prominent urban developers in the world," APA says. He also 
"raised campaign funds for Republican politicians," including George 
Pataki, whose "election as Governor of New York in 1994 was also in 
part the result of Gargano's support." In 1995, Gargano was 
nominated Chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation of 
New York State, and the "revitalization of Times Square and a 
Niagara Falls renovation plan" are among his "showcase projects," 
according to APA. 
ORF online news emphasizes Mr. Gargano's "quite colorful biography," 
pointing to his ambassadorship in Trinidad and Tobago, his career in 
the real estate business, and his "part-time" career as a film 
actor. The Italian-born Charles Gargano, who emigrated to the US at 
age four, and over the years worked his way up to the position of 
Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is the 
"embodiment of the American dream," ORF online news writes. 
 
 
OMV Unimpressed by US Pressure 
 
¶3. ... reads the headline of a report on some recent developments in 
the dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, published by a major 
regional daily. According to the newspaper, the conflict, and US 
opposition to international business deals with Iran, is deepening 
the rift between the United States and its allies in Europe. Thus, 
Austrian energy provider OMV's major natural gas deal with Tehran 
may be seen as "a thorn in Washington's side." However, the daily 
points out, OMV has remained unimpressed by Washington stance, 
emphasizing that negotiations on the deal are continuing with 
Tehran. 
Foreign affairs writer Florian Weissmann of regional daily Tiroler 
Tageszeitung publishes a report on how the dispute over Iran's 
nuclear program might be driving a wedge between the United States 
and its European allies. The problem is rooted in the business 
interests of some countries, including Austria, whose biggest energy 
provider OMV is intent on finalizing a major gas deal with Iran. As 
the UN Security Council failed to impose tougher sanctions on 
Tehran, the US is now increasing pressure on Europe, and has imposed 
sanctions of its own outlawing business deals with Iran's elite 
Al-Quds corporation. This move on the part of Washington could also 
indirectly affect a whole range of international companies, 
Weissmann says. But although the planned Austrian OMV deal has 
displeased Washington, spokesperson Thomas Huemer told the Tiroler 
Tageszeitung that the Austrian energy corporation is "completely 
unimpressed" by the harsh tones from the US. Negotiations with 
Tehran on the production, liquefaction and export of natural gas 
from the South Pars site are continuing, Huemer confirmed. However, 
the OMV case is "symptomatic of the tug-of-war between the US and 
Europe," the daily suggests. 
 
 
Bush Backs Turkey 
 
¶4. US President George Bush has promised Turkish Prime Minister 
Recep Tayyip Erdogan help to deal with Kurdish PKK rebels in 
northern Iraq after the two leaders held talks in Washington 
yesterday. President Bush declared the Kurdish PKK as an "enemy of 
Turkey, a free Iraq and the United States." At the same time, the US 
President urged Turkey to show moderation in the matter. Ankara has 
threatened to hit northern Iraqi bases used by the PKK, and 
Washington is concerned Turkish military intervention could lead to 
chaotic conditions in the entire Kurdish region in Iraq, Austrian 
media explain. 
Mass-circulation provincial daily Kleine Zeitung quotes US President 
George Bush as telling Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 
Washington that the "PKK is an enemy of the US." It was a "dicey 
meeting" nonetheless, the daily says, explaining that "while Erdogan 
called on the White House to finally take action against the Kurdish 
rebels in northern Iraq, the US President was trying to appease his 
Turkish ally." The US President offered Erdogan closer intelligence 
cooperation in Turkey's fight against the PKK rebels. However, the 
Kleine Zeitung says, the recent tensions regarding the PKK between 
Washington and Ankara are just another step in the gradual 
deterioration during the past months of the Turkish-US relations, 
which have been strained since Congress voted in favor of a 
resolution describing as genocide the mass-killings of Armenians by 
Turkey. 
 
 
US Calls on Pakistan to End Emergency Rule 
 
¶5. US President George Bush has called on the President of Pakistan, 
Pervez Musharraf, to end the state of emergency imposed three days 
ago. Speaking after Pakistani police clashed with hundreds of 
lawyers and activists protesting emergency rule yesterday, President 
Bush urged Mr. Musharraf to leave his post as army chief and restore 
democracy. The President also emphasized that the US expected 
Pakistan to hold elections as soon as possible, says ORF radio early 
morning news Morgenjournal. 
McCaw