IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 417
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
FEBRUARY 8, 2000
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. HORN, Mr. GEJDENSON, Mr. CROWLEY, Mrs.
MORELLA, Mr. WEINER, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. WEXLER, Mr.
ACKERMAN, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. GUTIERREZ, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
International Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives con-
cerning the participation of the extremist FPO in the
Government of Austria.
Whereas the extremist, racist, and xenophobic FPO has en-
tered into a coalition agreement and is participating in
the new Government of Austria;
Whereas the 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’’;
Whereas Joerg Haider and his party in the recent election
campaign decried the ‘‘over-foreignization’’ of Austria,
HRES 417 IH
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 discour-
age ethnic hatred in the republics of the former Yugo-
slavia and elsewhere, Joerg Haider shamelessly appealed
to racist sentiment and based his political campaign on
racism and xenophobia;
Whereas in the past Joerg Haider and his party have ex-
pressed 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
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes the right of the Austrian people
to express their political views through a democratic
election, but also reaffirms the right and the obliga-
tion of the United States House of Representatives
to express its opposition to the anti-democratic, rac-
ist, and xenophobic views that have been expressed
by Joerg Haider and other leaders of the FPO, and,
because of these publicly expressed views, to state its
opposition to the party’s participation in the Aus-
trian Government;
HRES 417 IH
(2) 
condemns 
the 
insulting, 
racist, 
and
xenophobic statements which have been made over
many years by Joerg Haider, the leader of the FPO,
and by other leaders of the party;
(3) expresses profound regret and dismay that
the FPO under the leadership of Joerg Haider will
play a major role in the new Government of Austria;
(4) commends the leaders of the European
Union, the fourteen other member states of the Eu-
ropean Union, Canada, Norway, and other countries
which have expressed their serious concerns regard-
ing the participation of the FPO in the Government
of Austria;
(5) calls upon the President, the Secretary of
State, and other officials and agencies of the United
States Government to emphasize to Austrian Gov-
ernment officials our dissatisfaction with the inclu-
sion of the FPO in the Government by, among other
things, (a) not promoting or accepting any official
contacts at a political level with officials of the Aus-
trian Government which includes the FPO, (b) giv-
ing no support to Austrian candidates seeking posi-
tions in international organizations, and (c) receiv-
ing ambassadors of Austria only at a technical level;
HRES 417 IH
(6) urges Members of Congress to refuse to
meet with ministers and other political leaders of the
Government of Austria and to refuse to meet with
members of the Austrian Parliament who are mem-
bers of the parties participating in the governing co-
alition;
(7) calls upon the American people and others
to show their strong disapproval of the participation
of the FPO in the Austrian governing coalition by
refusing to travel to Austria, to use Austrian prod-
ucts and services, including Austrian airlines, and to
invest in Austrian businesses; and
(8) directs the Clerk of the House to send a
copy of this resolution to the Secretary of State with
the request that it be forwarded to the President of
Austria.
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