A new challenge for the EU

The Italian daily La Repubblica describes the results of the parliamentary elections in Austria as a Viennese challenge for the European Union. "The right-wing extremists have won a resounding victory in Austria, one unprecedented both in terms of its magnitude and its political significance in the entire history of post-war Europe. ... It will be virtually impossible to form a government without or even against right-wing extremists in Vienna. The EU, which only a few years ago imposed political sanctions against the Alpine republic when Wolfgang Schüssel's conservative ÖVP party formed a coalition with the right-wing populist Jörg Haider, is now facing a challenge for which it is entirely unprepared. ... Statistically the only possibility seems to lie in another grand coalition between the Social Democrats [SPÖ] and the conservative Austrian People's Party [ÖVP]. But from a political point of view this seems impossible, on the one hand because of the poisoned relations between the two parties and on the other because of the blow they have just received from the voters. Brussels will need to come up with a convincing response ... to this new situation."

» more information (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Austria, » Europe
All available articles from » Andrea Tarquini

» To the complete press review of Monday, September 29, 2008