Haider's genius for adaptability has consistently bothered critics who wonder what he really stands for. Now, in order to reassure the international community, the new government has issued a declaration pledging its commitment to tolerance, human rights, democracy and religious freedom. But, while the political implications of Haider's rise to power remain murky, Austrians are polarized over the Haider phenomenon, just as they were during the Kurt Waldheim affair 14 years ago. Families and good friends find themselves bitterly split over such an emotional topic. Rational political debate has become a thing of the past.
Conversations quickly degenerate into name calling.
If you are not overtly opposed to Haider, the reasoning goes, you must be in favor of him. Meanwhile, when dusk falls in Vienna, marchers still emerge on the streets to protest Haider's role in the new coalition. Banging drums, blowing whistles, carrying candles and red flags, they march tirelessly between the parliament building, the chancellery and the television station, as they have done every night since the formation of the new government. By the morning, quiet returns, the rubbish has been cleared up and there is little evidence of protest. These vociferous demonstrations, which include many artists and intellectuals who fear they may lose their generous government subsidies, obscure other deeply held views.