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TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: January 24, 2008 
 
 
Bartenstein Unhappy With EU Climate Goals 
 
¶1. Austria's Economics Minister Martin Bartenstein from the OeVP 
says he is committed to clearly defined climate protection goals. 
However, he told Austrian radio, he is opposed to the climate 
guidelines put forward by Brussels, which call for the share of 
renewable energies to be increased to 34 percent in the Union by 
¶2020. That number was far too high, and too unbalanced for Austria, 
Bartenstein complained, although he emphasized that the country 
could reach such a goal if necessary. The Minister's main point of 
criticism, therefore, is that the EU Commission, in setting up these 
guidelines, had failed to take into account what some EU member 
states, including Austria, have already done in the area of climate 
protection. In an interview with ORF radio, Austrian Economics 
Minister Martin Bartenstein (OeVP) stressed that the EU Commission's 
goal of a 34-percent share of renewable energies by 2020 "can be 
done, because it will have to be done, but it is not the goal I'm 
looking to achieve, as it does not appear to be balanced enough for 
[Austria]. The Commission has simply lumped together all EU member 
states, and has failed to take into account the accomplishments of 
some countries in this area, including Austria," the Minister said. 
Despite the fact that the current Austrian government in its 
coalition agreement had pledged to push for a 45-percent share of 
renewable energies, Bartenstein said he would lobby for a reduction 
of the Commission's proposed 34 percent in Brussels. "We will make 
sure our interests are being recognized," he added. Several Austrian 
newspapers meanwhile focus on the expected costs of the EU's 
ambitious climate protection plans: "156 Euros climate taxes to be 
paid by all," reads the front-page headline in mass-circulation 
tabloid Oesterreich, and liberal daily Der Standard clarifies that 
this is the expected amount every EU citizen will likely have to pay 
each year for climate protection measures. Similarly, centrist daily 
Die Presse says that the Commission's climate proposals will "hit 
Austria hard. Even Brussels has said that the price for electricity 
will rise sharply." 
 
 
Austria Announces Legislation Packet on Sex Offenders 
 
¶2. Austria's government announced that it has reached agreement on a 
new package of legislation allowing courts to impose job and leisure 
restrictions on convicted sexual offenders. The government "agreed 
to a comprehensive packet to protect children and youngsters from 
sexual violence," Austrian Minister for Justice Maria Berger from 
the Social Democrats said in a statement. Like several Austrian 
media, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung and centrist daily Die 
Presse report on the coalition government's announcement of 
legislation allowing courts to impose restrictions on convicted 
sexual offenders. The draft legislation, which Parliament is 
expected to pass before summer, will allow courts to bar convicted 
sexual offenders from taking on a job that involves young children 
or restrict their leisure activities, such as banning them from 
playgrounds. In serious cases, such decisions will be compulsory. 
Proposed by Justice Minister Maria Berger (SPOe) and Interior 
Minister Guenther Platter (OeVP), the draft bill also calls for a 
sex offenders database, which will keep track of all convicted 
offenders, recording the charges against them and their current 
place of residence. Only police and youth services will have access 
to the database however and a court order will be required to view 
data on serious offenders, Berger said. The database will classify 
offenders into two color-coded categories according to the 
seriousness of their crime. Minor offenders, such as a 16-year-old 
convicted of having sex with a minor, will be filed in the so-called 
"yellow database," and will have their records erased after they 
have served their sentence. All more serious cases will be entered 
in the "red database," with the files being kept indefinitely, the 
Presse explains. 
 
 
Soldiers to Depart For Chad Next Week 
 
¶3. The Austrian military's humanitarian assistance mission to Chad 
starts next Tuesday, when Defense Minister Norbert Darabos from the 
Social Democrats officially sends the contingent on its way. On 
Wednesday, January 30, an advance team of 15 soldiers departs for 
the African state. It is in charge of monitoring the situation there 
and of carrying out preparations for the arrival of the rest of the 
team. The entire contingent will then be deployed in several phases, 
and by end February all 165 soldiers should be on site for their 
mission, according to ORF TV's prime time news Zeit im Bild I on 
Wednesday. 
Gaza Won't Be Humanitarian Crisis, Olmert Says 
 
¶4. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he will not allow 
people in Gaza to live normal lives as long as southern Israel 
remains under rocket attacks from Palestinian militants. Olmert also 
said he would not let Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip turn into 
a humanitarian crisis. He was speaking after tens of thousands of 
Palestinians had fled into Egypt yesterday to buy essential supplies 
after part of the border wall was blasted open. A senior Hamas 
member has meanwhile called for the border crossing to remain open 
and Egypt has stressed it will not use force to send the Palestinian 
back. "Hamas blew up the border," headlines independent provincial 
daily Salzburger Nachrichten, and says that Egyptian President Hosni 
Mubarak was "under massive pressure from the Arab world to open up 
his country's borders with Gaza, in order not to be perceived as 
Israel's stooge." Jerusalem wants to force Hamas to agree to ac 
ease-fire, but the plan does not appear to be working out, the daily 
explains: "While exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashal emphasized that 
no boycott could force Hamas to agree to a ceasefire, the reputation 
of the more moderate Arab leaders, Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian 
President Mahmoud Abbas included, is suffering continuously - they 
are being branded as Israeli collaborators." The whole affair, 
suggests commentator for the Salzburger Nachrichten Gil Yaron, is 
threatening to turn into a "propaganda victory for Hamas." 
Meanwhile, in mass-circulation tabloid Oestereich, Middle East 
expert Udo Steinbach warns that -- like in 2006 - the situation in 
Gaza "is once again on the brink of escalation." The atmosphere "has 
become more radical. The determination to challenge Israel has 
increased. The Palestinians are increasingly feeling they are being 
marginalized, and the blockage of the past days has resulted in the 
people feeling there is nothing left to do for them but to try and 
open up the borders themselves." According to Steinbach, it is "not 
only Israel that has contributed to this radicalization, but the 
international community, which has been supporting Abbas and Fatah, 
as well." Although the majority of Palestinians is "no doubt fed up 
with the conflict, Gaza is in the hands of radical forces that are 
trying to mobilize other radicals in the entire Middle East," says 
Steinbach. 
 
 
Financial Turmoil Overshadows Davos 
 
¶5. Concerns about a possible global economic downturn remain high on 
the agenda at the annual Economic Forum currently underway in the 
Swiss mountain resort Davos. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 
who tried to quell concerns about a lasting global crisis at the 
opening of the Forum, underscored that the "US economy is resilient, 
and its structures and long-term economic foundations are healthy." 
Austrian media agree, however, that despite her assurances, trust in 
the US financial system appears to have suffered considerably, even 
among leading economic and business representatives. Liberal daily 
Der Standard reports on the World Economic Forum currently underway 
in Davos, Switzerland and points out like all Austrian media that 
the financial markets' crisis and the threatening recession in the 
United States are the topics dominating the agenda at the 
conference. According to the daily it is the "pessimists, who are 
setting the tone in Davos." The daily quotes US investment banker 
George Soros, who predicted the "worst financial crisis since the 
end of WWII," and harshly criticized the central banks, suggesting 
they had "lost control." In an interview with the Standard, German 
business consultant Roland Berger argued the current turmoil will 
"have a marked impact on Austria as well." Austria, he suggests 
"will have to orient its business even more towards the east, and 
also reconsider Western Europe as a key market." However, "it is the 
end of the bonanza years for Austria, no doubt. I don't mean to say 
that Austria is badly off, but the big boost is over." 
 
 
Crucial Vote For Prodi 
 
¶6. Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi won a confidence vote on 
Wednesday in the Italian Lower House of Parliament, but faces an 
apparently insurmountable obstacle in the Upper House, the Senate, 
where a key ally's withdrawal of support for the government kicked 
off the current crisis. Prodi received 326 votes in favor and 275 
against in the Lower House poll, which came a day ahead of the 
Senate vote scheduled for today. Should the Prime Minister lose the 
Senate vote, he would be forced to resign. In view of the likely 
outcome, Austrian media expect Prodi to hand in his resignation 
before the vote, thus avoiding having to face the almost certain 
loss in the Upper House. 
Kilner