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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: April 17, 2008 
 
 
No End Of Price Surge 
 
¶1. There is no end to the price surge that shocks Austrian 
consumers:  According to the latest statistics, the costs of living 
went up by 3.5 percent in March - more than in January or February. 
This price increase was especially noticeable in the costs for food 
products, gasoline, housing, and energy. For the time being, an end 
to the price spiral is nowhere in sight - WIFO expert Markus 
Marterbauer estimates that inflation will decrease only slightly in 
the second half of the year, but will remain at an overall rate of 3 
percent for 2008. This way, consumer purchasing power will stagnate 
since the latest salary raises are outweighed by the fast-increasing 
prices. [Neue Kronenzeitung, p. 5; other Austrian media] 
 
"Democrats Eager For The White House" 
 
¶2. In a PAS-facilitated interview with independent daily "Salzburger 
Nachrichten," Charg d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Vienna Scott F. 
Kilner gave his assessment of the upcoming US elections and of 
transatlantic relations after the irritations following the Iraq 
war. Kilner sees strong indications that the US could be ready for 
either a woman president or an African-American president in 
November and believes that the Democrats are "so eager for victory" 
that they will be "ready to close the ranks" and rally behind one 
candidate once the primary contest is over. However, he cautions 
against the idea that a Democratic victory will lead to a quick 
withdrawal from Iraq. "Even if Clinton or Obama win, they will 
inherit a certain situation. Whoever moves into the White House will 
have to deal with the current situation." On the issue of 
transatlantic relations, the Charg refers to a rapprochement that 
has taken place during the second term of the Bush presidency. In 
the interview with "Salzbuger Nachrichten," the Charg d' Affaires 
of the US Embassy Scott Kilner expressly makes a case for the US 
being ready to elect either a woman or an African American to the 
White House. "I have long believed that we are ready for a female 
President. After all, there are plenty of model cases 
internationally for strong female leadership personalities." While 
he concedes that in the case of an African-American the 
"psychological obstacles are higher" and that he would not have 
believed it possible a year ago, he points out that "now, there is 
an overwhelming readiness in the US":  "As a US citizens, I find it 
very encouraging that we have come this far. Obama gets support from 
all segments of the population:  White men, women, young and old 
people." Asked about speculations that the presumptive Republican 
candidate John McCain will pick Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 
as his running mate, thus also playing the female and 
African-American card, Scott Kilner dismisses this as unlikely to 
happen:  "McCain is more likely to choose someone who has political 
qualities that complement his own. Condoleezza Rice may just go back 
to academic life." According to Kilner, the frequently observed 
crossing of lines between politics, economy or academia "brings 
expert knowledge and fresh air into the system." "Professional 
politicians, who become involved with party organizations after 
graduation, are in danger of forming a political caste which acts in 
a way that is aloof from the rest of society." With regard to the 
current situation in Iraq, the Charg admits that "the operation 
"surge" has not been such a great success. However, it has brought 
us into a somewhat better position in Iraq. There has been 
progress." On a general scale, his assessment of the war is that "it 
cost a lot of blood and money" and will "narrow the maneuvering room 
of a Democratic President as well." Progress was also made in the 
damaged transatlantic relations, says Kilner, and refers in this 
context to President Bush's second term with Condoleezza Rice being 
Secretary of State. However, as regards the reputation of the US in 
 
SIPDIS 
Europe, the US diplomat's assessment is sober and resigned:  "There 
has been no improvement." 
 
Largely Skeptical About Middle East 
 
¶3. On Wednesday, the crisis in the Middle East was the center of 
Austrian diplomacy when Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik received 
the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa as well as the 
initiator of the Geneva Middle East peace talks and former Deputy 
Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin. Moussa was especially skeptical with 
regard to a peace solution, saying that the peace process was 
stagnating, mainly due to the Israeli settlement policy, and that it 
was doubtful whether it can be saved. In contrast, Beilin stressed 
the necessity to conduct a dialogue with all Palestinians, including 
Hamas. [Wiener Zeitung, p. 7] 
 
Pope Visits God's Own Country 
 
¶4. ... headlines centrist daily "Die Presse" in reference to Pope 
Benedict's visit to the US, where he was given a grand reception by 
US President Bush on Wednesday. Bush presented the Pontiff with a 
huge birthday cake upon his 81st birthday and had invited more guess 
than ever before. Benedict announced at the outset of his US visit 
that he was about to meet a "great people and a great church." 
Benedict is only the second Pope to be received in the White House 
and the first since 1979. However, there are also sensitive and 
controversial issues to be discussed between the Pope and the 
President, most notably Iraq. All Austrian media give extensive 
coverage to Pope Benedict's visit to America and his reception by US 
President George W. Bush - and not just to the splendid reception 
which the Head of the Catholic Church received in a country where 
the majority of the population is Protestant, but also to the 
political and religious issues surrounding the visit. Centrist daily 
"Die Presse" sees the fact that Bush personally met the Pope at 
Andrews Air Force Base as reflecting the importance which the US 
President attributes to the visit, noting that this was an 
unprecedented occurrence in the Bush presidency so far. The Pope 
himself has already addressed one of the most critical issues he is 
expected to be confronted with during his six-day visit:  The 
scandalous incidents of sexual abuse involving high-ranking Catholic 
priests in the US. According to independent daily "Der Standard," 
Benedict XVI already before his arrival expressed his "heartfelt 
shame" over the cases of sexual abuse of young people, which caused 
"great suffering" for the victims and the church. "We will do all we 
can to prevent this from happening in the future." This was an issue 
that threatened to overshadow his US visit. Austrian media are 
agreed that in the talks between Benedict XVI and President Bush, 
Iraq is likely to be a controversial issue. Prior to Bush's meeting 
with the Pope at the White House, however, the President's 
spokeswoman Dana Perino already stated that that it was clear that 
the White House and the Vatican held different positions on the 
issue and that Bush did not intend to convince the Pope of his point 
of view, reports "Der Standard." The Pope himself has so far 
addressed the controversial issue only indirectly, writes 
semi-official daily "Wiener Zeitung." In connection with the papal 
visit, Austrian dailies also analyze the general differences between 
the US and Europe in terms of the religious belief of the population 
and reflect on the situation of the Catholic Church in the US. 
Centrist daily "Die Presse" refers to the omnipresence of God in 
everyday life in the US, which is partly due to the strict 
separation between state and church. Austrian-born Peter Berger, 
head of the "Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs" in 
Boston refers in this context to the fact that US churches could not 
rely on state support and therefore had to compete with each other 
to win the support of the people. "And competition creates strong 
structures." Analyzing the situation of the Catholic Church in the 
US, independent daily "Der Standard" identifies the Hispanics as its 
main stronghold. Generally, the scandals involving pedophile priests 
and the subsequent attempts to cover them up were detrimental to the 
church's reputation and led to a massive exodus of members. This 
could only be compensated by the large number of Hispanic immigrants 
that joined the US Catholic Church, writes "Der Standard." 
 
Bush Wants To Stop CO2 Increase Until 2025 
 
¶5. In a keynote speech in Washington on Wednesday, US President 
George W. Bush announced his intention to stop the increase of CO2 
in the US until 2025. At the same time, he warned of establishing a 
legally binding upper limit for CO2 emissions and insisted that new 
technologies were the only way to protect the environment and 
promote economic growth. The climate targets had to be ambitious and 
realistic at the same time so as to avoid a negative impact on the 
economy and the job market in the US, the President said. [ORF 
online; Kurier, p. 6] 
Kilner