Posted on 03/06/2004 8:33:19 PM PST by yonif
Far-right Austrian politician Joerg Haider is to battle for his political future in elections in the southern province of Carinthia on Sunday. Latest opinion polls show his Freedom Party running neck-and-neck with the Social Democrats.
Four years ago, Mr Haider sent shock waves throughout Europe when he led his party into a national coalition government with the conservatives.
But now he is struggling to retain his job as governor of Carinthia province.
Revenge fears
Support for the Freedom Party has slumped nationwide, and recent polls in Carinthia say the party is now trailing a few points behind the Social Democrats.
However, Austria's system of coalition governments means that Mr Haider could keep his job as governor, even if he only comes in second.
Austria's conservative Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel, may yet put pressure on his local party to form an alliance with the far-right in Carinthia in order to keep Mr Haider away from national politics.
There are fears that a defeated Mr Haider could take revenge by trying to topple the national coalition between the conservatives and the Freedom Party in Vienna.
Provincial elections are also taking place in Salzburg, where there is a close race between conservatives and the Social Democrats.
What makes Haider such and expert at identifying Saddam? He must have been in bed with Saddam like half the politicians in Europe.
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