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TAGS: OPRC KPAO AU
 
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: February 08, 2008 
 
 
Deliberate Cover-Ups In Kampusch Case? 
 
¶1. In the controversy over allegations regarding a potential OeVP 
cover-up of shortfalls in the search for kidnap victim Natascha 
Kampusch, which may have prevented an earlier rescue of the girl, 
OeVP Secretary General Hannes Missethon told Austrian radio that 
late Interior Minister Liese Prokop (OeVP) deliberately did not 
follow up on potential mistakes in the kidnap case's investigation 
in 2006, as she did not want to make the matter an issue during the 
general election campaign underway at the time. Prokop had "decided 
wisely," Missethon emphasized, and added that she had "planned to 
launch an investigation" after the 2006 election. 
 
 
 
 
SPOe Blasts Vice-Chancellor over Inflation Subsidies 
 
¶2. SPOe Social Affairs Minister Erwin Buchinger and SPOe State 
Secretary for Finance Christoph Matznetter have harshly attacked 
 
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OeVP Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Wilhelm Molterer for his 
opposition to the proposed once-off payments of 100 Euros to 
Austrians most-affected by high inflation. They said that Molterer 
had had no problem with abolition of the inheritance tax, but was 
refusing to help those most in need. "Money for the rich is 
available, but there is none for the poor," Minister Buchinger 
complained. All Austrian media report on the SPOe's harsh attacks on 
the People's Party and the Vice-Chancellor for their opposition to 
once-off payments to Austrians most-affected by rising inflation. 
After Social Affairs Minister Buchinger complained that apparently, 
only money for the rich was available, OeVP Economy Minister Martin 
"Bartenstein, not to be outdone, called for an examination of 
'home-made' causes of inflation, and Lower Austrian OeVP Governor 
Erwin Proell said that he was very concerned since the Social 
Democratic Chancellor was partially responsible for high inflation," 
semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung notes. Mass-circulation tabloid 
Kronen Zeitung, reporting on what it describes as a "head-on attack" 
by the SPOe on the OeVP leadership, asks whether this time, the 
coalition government might truly be heading for a crash. Meanwhile, 
liberal daily Der Standard says on its front page that the "SPOe 
feels it is being 'systemaically criminalized' by the OeVP." And, 
accordingto semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung, the SPOe-OeP 
coalition has ended up in "conflict at all fronts." 
 
 
Chad Mission to Be Continued 
 
¶3. In a meeting on Thursday, the Austrian National Security Council 
decided that Austria's participation in the EU's humanitarian 
assistance mission in Chad will continue. There is no decision at 
this point, though, when the remainder of the Austrian contingent of 
160 soldiers will be deployed to Africa to team up with the advance 
team. Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer underscored 
that "EUFOR must act only in a neutral manner, independent of French 
interests" in the African state, reported ORF TV's prime time news 
Zeit im Bild I on Thursday. 
 
 
France Passes EU Reform Treaty 
 
¶4. The French Parliament has approved the European Union's Reform 
Treaty. The move is particularly significant, according to Austrian 
media, as it comes three years after voters in France and The 
Netherlands rejected its predecessor, the EU Constitution, in a 
referendum, thus delivering a killing blow to the draft document. 
Reporting on the French Parliament's move to approve the EU Reform 
Treaty, mass-circulation tabloid Kronen Zeitung runs the headline 
"France rushes EU Treaty's ratification through Parliament," and 
says that this move is "all the more remarkable" given France's 
negative referendum three years ago. The tabloid explains that in 
2005, 55 percent of French voters had opted against the draft 
Constitution, and goes on to say: That way, the French "prevented 
the EU from turning into a military alliance, and thus indirectly 
also saved Austria's neutrality." Today, France's President Nicolas 
Sarkozy apparently wanted to avoid a new "setback," which is why the 
Reform Treaty was passed in Parliament, and without a popular 
referendum. This, according to the Kronen Zeitung, will serve as a 
"fine example" for the Austrian government, which is also opposed to 
allowing the people to have their say on the issue. 
 
 
Romney Throws In the Towel 
 
¶5. Senator John McCain's main rival, Mitt Romney, has announced he 
is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential 
nomination. Romney did not endorse McCain, but warned of the 
possibility that the Democratic candidate might win the presidential 
election if his party did not unite around a single candidate. 
Austrian media agree that with this move, McCain looks certain to 
become his party's candidate for November. He has meanwhile called 
on conservative activists to support him and unite the party. All 
Austrian media say that with Mitt Romney having dropped out of the 
race, Republican Senator John McCain looks certain to become his 
party's candidate for the White House. Calling on conservative 
activists to support him and unite the party, McCain was eager to 
emphasize his conservative credentials, ORF radio states in its 
early morning news Morgenjournal, and quotes the Senator: "I am very 
proud to have come to public office in a Reagan revolution and if a 
few of my positions have raised your concern that I have forgotten 
my political heritage, I want to assure you I have not and I am as 
proud of that association today as I was then." ORF radio also 
quotes Mitt Romney as emphasizing the Republican Party needed to 
unite around one candidate: "Now if I fight on my campaign all the 
way to the convention, I forestall the launch of a national campaign 
and frankly I'd be making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to 
win. Frankly, in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign 
be part of evading surrender to terror," said Romney. Centrist daily 
Die Presse runs the headline "The path is clear for McCain." The 
newspaper's Washington correspondent Norbert Rief suggests that his 
decision "not only works in favor of McCain; it also hurts the two 
Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. McCain, 
whose nomination is now virtually a given, can now afford to 
re-distribute his resources, and no longer has to focus on the 
stressful and costly pre-election campaign." And, semi-official 
daily Wiener Zeitung comments on Romney's decision to drop out of 
the race: "The go-getter with the fat bank account is finished." 
 
 
Former US Ambassador Hoping For Improvement Of US Image 
 
¶6. Commenting on the US presidential election process, former US 
Ambassador to Austria Helene von Damm suggests that "presumably, 
John McCain and Hillary Clinton will win their party's nomination 
for the presidential election." However, she believes that "Barack 
Obama would be best suited to repair America's image abroad." In 
mass-circulation weekly NEWS of February 7, former US Ambassador to 
Austria Helene von Damm comments on this year's US presidential 
election campaign: "Presumably, John McCain and Hillary Clinton will 
win their party's nomination for the presidency. She can rely on a 
massive political apparatus, and he has the necessary boost. There 
could still be surprises, but I expect this will be the 'year of the 
Democrats.' As a Republican, I'm more at home with Senator McCain 
and Governor Romney's values and programs. Those two would be a 
particularly good team. Romney knows a lot about the economy, and 
McCain has the necessary international experience. But the person 
best suited to rehabilitate America's battered image in the world is 
- in my opinion - undoubtedly Barack Obama.  He would show the world 
that America is still the country it has always been: open for all 
citizens, independent of their origin or race. He is considered as 
America's great hope - Republican friends, too, have told me that 
they would vote for him, if it became an option." 
Kilner