Austria is my business, he says, France is my business, Great Britain is my business. As Europeans we have subscribed to common democratic values. Any departure from those values is unacceptable , he says. No, he says, that is not his goal. Nor is it even possible.
Treaties are treaties.
Some EU business must be done by unanimity. Within the EU we must work with Austria, we cannot pretend they do not exist. But that, says Mr Michel dismissively, is Sch ssel s choice . What he does want is a decision by Mr Sch ssel to renounce the pact with Mr Haider and break up the coalition, even at the risk of provoking fresh elections. He disputes the common view that the Freedom Party would emerge strengthened from such a course of events.