news from Austria

[Ruth Wodak]

Dear Colleagues!
I hope you have all followed the news and have read that the "three wise
men" have put forward a lengthy report about the Austrian government since
February 4th, 2000 and about the "nature" of the FPOe....please read the
report carefully (it is not that long), especially paragraphs 84 -100 which
contain a very harsh judgement about the FPOe which is not reported; or if
reported at all, it is mitigated or distorted. Thus, the resistance movement
is continuing their work, and the Thursday walking tours through Vienna in
the evening have started again, under the motto "Es geht weiter" (it
continues). On the other hand, even more anxiety is to be felt, and the
accusations against journalists and intellectuals as well as artists from
the previous law firm of the now Minister of Justice are continuing as well
(he stepped back from his firm, but his partner is still using his name in
the letter head....). Thus, the most important issue now is to demand the
minister of Justice Boehmdorfer (former lawyer of Haider and his very good
friend) to step down from office. The proof of the pudding will be the
Vienna elections in the spring, and the Freedom Party has already announced
their most important slogan " Null Einwanderung" (no more immigration). At
the same time, the harassement of the so-called "Blackafricans"
(Schwarzafrikaner) is growing. The reporting has also had amazing effects,
like the decontextualization and redefinition of traditional political
lexic, like the concepts of "radical" or "populist", now defined as being
very precise (going back to the roots..) and being for the people...FPOe
politicians even cite dictionaries now!
The report of the "three wise men" is to be found in www.orf.at, as well as
in www.fpoewatch.at, in German and English.
We would be very interested to hear about developments in other European
countries, especially if this report has had an impact on right-wing parties
elsewhere (Belgium, for example). If you have any reports or quotes, please
send them to me, attached as Word Documents!
Thank you! Best,
Ruth

Ruth Wodak
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics
University of Vienna
Berggasse 11
1090 Vienna
Austria
and
Research Center „Discourse, Politics, Identity"
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Strohgasse 45, 1030 Vienna
Tel: 7102510/6201
Fax: 710250710