IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 429

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the

participation of the extremist FPO in the Government of Austria.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 1, 2000

Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. SMITH of New

Jersey, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. WEINER, Mr. HORN, Mr.

HASTINGS of Florida, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr.

ABERCROMBIE, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr.

PORTER, Mr. EVANS, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. TIERNEY, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr.

MCGOVERN, and Mrs. JONES of Ohio) submitted the following resolution;

which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the participation of the extremist FPO in the

Government of Austria.

Whereas the extremist, racist, and xenophobic FPO has entered into a coalition agreement and is participating in

the new Government of Austria;

Whereas the long-time-leader of the FPO, Joerg Haider,

praised Adolf Hitler’s ‘‘sound employment policy’’ and

called Waffen SS veterans ‘‘decent people with character

who stuck to their belief through the strongest

headwinds’’;
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Whereas Joerg Haider and his party in the recent election

campaign decried the ‘‘over-foreignization’’ of Austria,

which was an expression that was coined and used by

Nazi leaders;

Whereas at a time when the European Union, the United

States, and other nations are working actively to discourage ethnic hatred in the republics of the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere, the FPO shamelessly appealed to

racist sentiment and based its political campaign on racism and xenophobia;

Whereas in the past Joerg Haider and his party have expressed fundamental disagreement with the principles of

freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, which

are the foundation of a modern, democratic, open, and

tolerant Europe and which Austria, as a member of the

European Union, is committed by treaty to uphold; and

Whereas the inclusion of the FPO in the Austrian governing

coalition serves to legitimize and encourage the extreme

right in other countries of Europe: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) recognizes the right of the Austrian people

3 to express their political views through a democratic

4 election, but also reaffirms the right and the obliga5 tion of the United States House of Representatives

6 to express its opposition to the anti-democratic, rac7 ist and xenophobic views that have been expressed

8 by Joerg Haider and other leaders of the FPO, and,

9 because of these publicly expressed views, to state its
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1 opposition to the party’s participation in the Aus2 trian Government;

3 (2) condemns the insulting, racist, and

4 xenophobic statements which have been made over

5 many years by Joerg Haider, the long-time leader of

6 the FPO, and by other leaders of the party;

7 (3) expresses profound regret and dismay that

8 the FPO will play a major role in the new Govern9 ment of Austria;

10 (4) commends the leaders of the European

11 Union, the fourteen other member states of the Eu12 ropean Union, Canada, Norway, and other countries

13 which have expressed their serious concerns regard14 ing the participation of the FPO in the Government

15 of Austria;

16 (5) calls upon the President, the Secretary of

17 State, and other officials and agencies of the United

18 States Government to emphasize to Austrian Gov19 ernment officials our concern about the inclusion of

20 any party in the Government of Austria, including

21 the FPO, that has been associated with xenophobic,

22 racist policies, and statements supportive of Nazi-era

23 programs;

24 (6) urges Members of Congress to use any meetings

25 with ministers and other political leaders of the Govern-
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1 ment of Austria to express concern for Austria’s continued

2 adherence to democratic standards and full respect for

3 human rights;

4 (7) calls upon the Secretary of State to continue to

5 scrutinize the policies of the new Government of Austria

6 and to be prepared to take additional measures if cir7 cumstances so warrant; and

8 (8) directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy

9 of this resolution to the Secretary of State with the re10 quest that it be forwarded to the President of Austria.

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