Right-wing party storms to win in Austria

Joerg Haider powered his political party to a stunning win in his home province in Austria today, confounding pundits and strengthening the odds for a national comeback for the controversial rightist known for anti-Jewish slurs and a friendship with Saddam Hussein.

With Haider’s Freedom Party polling more than 10 percentage points behind the Socialists just weeks before the elections in Carinthia province, most had predicted another Freedom Party loss after a string of defeats elsewhere over the past two years.

Beyond assuring his reappointment as governor, the win increased chances Haider would be able to revitalise his party, which has less than 10 percent support nationally compared to close to 30 percent just four years ago.

Final results showed the Freedom Party with 42.4 percent of the vote, compared to just over 38 percent for the rival Socialists.

In post-election interviews, Haider said he was “very happy,” adding: “Nobody figured we had a chance again of being No.1.”

In Salzburg province, the Freedom Party lost half its support, plummeting to 10 percent compared to its previous election results. The winners there were the Socialists, followed by the conservative People’s Party.

For much of the campaign Haider managed to keep his no-holds-barred style in check, apparently learning from past mistakes.

Many blame the party’s national demise on Haider, notorious for past remarks that sounded sympathetic to the Nazis and contemptuous of Jews, a visit with Saddam Hussein on the eve of the Iraq war and a friendship with Moammar Gaddafi when Libya was still an international pariah. More recently, he has obliquely compared US President George W. Bush to Saddam and Adolf Hitler.

Haider stepped down as party leader in 2000 to ease the diplomatic pressure on Austria, but the European Union still slapped temporary sanctions on the country to protest his party’s government role.

Haider defended his political record – and controversial statements – in comments before the vote.

“I regret nothing and see no reason to change my political agenda,” he said. “For speaking out plainly you are attacked by your political opponents. Then two or three years later, they suddenly agree with you.”