let me give you my viewpoint as immigrated austrian and why haider's death is actually not such a good thing at all.
first of all, let me just make clear that i do not condone right wing politics of any kind. my political views are rooted in social anarchy.
that being said, let me give you some historical info. haider entered austrian politics already in 1971, when he became chairman of the ring freiheitlicher jugend ('liberal youth circle') at age 21 - a youth and young adults sub-chapter of the FPÖ ('freedom party austria'). several years later, at age 28 he was the youngest FPÖ delegate to enter parliament. the FPÖ then was split into two factions: a liberal, capitalist faction and a conservative, german-nationalist faction. haider rose within the ranks of the party with support from the latter and soon edged all liberal elements out of the party. so, with 1986, when he became chairman of the FPÖ, he started propagating his right of the middle politcs and introduced populist tactics into political campaigns in austria.
the same year the VEREINTEN GRÜNEN ÖSTERREICH ('united austrian green') and the ALTERNATIVE LISTE ÖSTERREICH ('alternative list austria') came together to found the austrian GREEN PARTY, a liberal, left-wing party. this is very important because one of the main reasons for this fusion was not only economical and ecological concerns - one of the main programme points of the green party - but also to oppose the rising right-wing tendencies in austrian politics as embodied by jörg haider.
haider left national politics in 2000 and returned 2005 with the newly founded BZÖ ('alliance for the austrian future'), a new party made up of ex-fpö members. this left the FPÖ in heinz-christian strache's hands, whose orientation is even far more right-wing (i'd say he's a rightist extremist). a war for power ensued between haider's BZÖ and strache's FPÖ.
another information that is important (i will explain why shortly): alexander van der bellen, intellectual and highly respected leader of the green party resigned from his position, leaving the party to eva glawischnig, an equally competent and respected politican herself, but the green party is currently in disarray and will need some time to reorganize itself under glawischnig.
so much for history. now, why i think that it's actually a dangerous thing that haider has died.
whatever one may think about haider and his political views, it must be admitted that he was a cunning and competent politician. one of his most clever moves was not only to anticipate the moves of his opposition but also occupy their options. he virtually crippled the green party by occupying topics of highest national interest (immigration, social welfare) with his right-wing rethoric, knowing full well that the green party viewed themselves as the 'voice of reason' within austria and although they would adress these points in their programme, they would use other matters in their public appearances (ecology, taxes, industrialization).
there is no one left in the BZÖ who could even remotely fill in for haider. a coalition between BZÖ and FPÖ is currently also rather unlikely. a regrouping of the parties would be unconstitutional.
haider's death leaves his entire political programme with no one to continue it. which would be a good thing, if the green party could organize themselves quickly enough, take up his programme and thus tear it away from the right-wing political forces of austria.
only, and that is my deepest concern, i'm afraid that heinz-christian strache will be quicker and add haider's programme (which was already partially congruent with the FPÖ's) to his own, strengthening the right-wing even more.
you must understand that in the public view there were only two party's who had ever adressed pressing concerns such as immigration, unemployment 'efficiently' - by 'efficiently' i mean that they offered actual responses and tactics how to deal with these matters. that their tactics were non-sensical, fascist and not very helpful is clear to the analytical mind, but i dare say not the average joe.
strache will fan the public's fears on and try to fill up the vacuum left behind by haider and run with it. and that is quite a dreary possible future for austria. |
