Austrian Nationalist Leader Killed, in Car Crash

Official reports state that Jorg Haider, leader of one of Austria’s main nationalist parties was killed in a car 'accident'. If you believe that I have some beach front property in Switzerland for sale.



Jorg Haider, leader of one of Austria’s main nationalist parties, has died in a car crash just after winning a stunning victory in Austria’s general election.

Mr. Haider, 58, suffered severe head and chest injuries when his car came off the road in Carinthia, Austria. Police say that Haider had been alone in the car at the time of the accident. He was due to attend his mother’s 90th birthday celebrations later today.

Haider’s party, the Alliance for Austria’s Future, scored a remarkable victory in the Austrian General Election held at the end of last month. Along with Haider’s former party, the Freedom Party of Austria now led by Heinz Christian Strache, the two nationalist parties scored almost 30% of the vote, fuelling speculation that the nationalists would be part of a ruling coalition.

Mr. Haider came to international prominence in 2000 when the Freedom Party of Austria, at that time led by Haider, formed a coalition government with the mainstream People’s Party. Having a nationalist party holding the reins of power in a European country predictably sent the liberal establishment into apoplexy and 14 EU countries undemocratically refused to have working relations with Austria.

In 2005, Haider left the Freedom Party and set up his own, the Alliance for Austria’s Future, which gained almost 11% of the vote in last month’s Austrian General Election. Along with his old party’s 17.5%, there was a strong possibility that Austria would once again see a nationalist politician at the heart of the government.

Tributes were paid today to Haider. The deputy leader of the Alliance for Austria’s Future, Stefan Petzner, said “for us, this is the end of the world.”

Austria’s president, Heinz Fischer, called Haider’s death a “human tragedy.” The Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbaur called Mr. Haider someone who had shaped Austria’s domestic and political landscape over decades.

Heinz Christian Strache, the current leader of Haider’s old party, the Freedom Party, said of his successor: “with his passing, Austria has lost a great political figure.”

Political assassination no doubt about it..

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