Freedom Party of Austria: Encyclopedia II - Freedom Party of Austria - Jörg Haider

Freedom Party of Austria - Jörg Haider

Jörg Haider was the leading figure of the FPÖ between 1986 and 2001 and soon became one of the most controversial European politicians - mostly because of his dubious dealing with Austria's Nazi history.

In 1970 Haider became the leader of the FPÖ youth movement, where he was perceived to be a liberal. As a federal deputy in Carinthia he gained some notoriety, and popularity, in attacking linguistic privileges of the Slovenian minority. Haider rose rapidly through the party ranks, becoming party leader in 1986.

The Freedom Party attracted protest votes and those who desired no association with the other major parties. The party's mixture of populism and anti-establishment themes propagated by its aggressive leader steadily gained support over the years. It attracted about 27% of the vote in the 1999 elections.

Jörg Haider became governor of Carinthia in 1989 for the first time, but had to resign in 1991 following a remark that the Third Reich had been more effective in developing an employment policy than the current coalition government in Vienna. He regained the post in 1999 and has held it since then.

In 1993, the remaining liberals within the FPÖ, including four members of the National Council (lower house of the parliament), seceded from the party to found the Liberal Forum. This party managed to remain in parliament until 1999. Following the split with the liberal wing, the FPÖ left the Liberal International in 1993. The Liberal Forum party took over that membership in its place.

As a matter of fact, most Austrian observers do not consider Jörg Haider as the die-hard nationalist as which he is sometimes presented outside the country, but rather as a populist who sometimes plays with chauvinist and anti-immigrant sentiments in order to attract votes. However, beside the populist group around Haider, the party still has a large nationalist wing with a problematic relationship to Austria's Nazi past.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Jörg Haider", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki