Cablegate: Austrian Media Highlights: October 16, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: October 16, 2007

Study Shows Poor Austrian Integration Record

1. A SPOe-OeVP government review of integration policy began in
Austria on Monday with the launch of the so-called "integration
platform." At the same time, the European Union released a study
saying Austria has one of the worst records in the EU on
integration. The study reveals that Austria is ranked last alongside
Cyprus and Latvia. Austria obviously has "no active, or only a
highly restrictive" integration policy, one of the authors of the
study complains.
In a front-page report, liberal daily Der Standard says the study on
integration, carried out by the British Council in cooperation with
the Migration Integration Policy Group, which was presented in
Brussels on Monday, shows the "dire necessity" in Austria of
improving its integration policy. The study revealed that Austria is
among the EU's "bottom of the league" states, offering "particularly
poor integration conditions" for migrants. According to the authors,
Austria is not providing immigrants sufficient access to the labor
market, and does not protect them enough from discrimination.
Furthermore, applications for Austrian citizenship may only be filed
after a period of ten years, which is among the longest waiting
times in the EU, the Standard reports.
All Austrian media continue to report on the ongoing discussion on
the issue, which received new impetus following the arrest in
September of three Islamist suspects and the case of Bosnian
teenager Arigona Zogaj. According to semi-official daily Wiener
Zeitung, Rainer Bauboeck from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and
an expert on integration, has been highly critical of the
government's and authorities' move to link integration and security.
Bauboeck argues the issues should be treated separately and
emphasized that the great majority of immigrants have nothing to do
with suspect networks. Meanwhile, in the wake of Arigona Zogaj's
case there have been numerous calls for families who have integrated
well to be allowed to remain in Austria even if their asylum cases
fail.

Platter Upholds Tough Stance on Integration

2. Speaking on ORF television on Monday, Interior Minister Guenther
Platter (OeVP) defended the Austrian integration policy. He argued
that the fact Austria is among the toughest countries for foreigners
to obtain citizenship is "a good thing." Austrian passports should
"not simply be sold at a throwaway price." Furthermore, the
newly-established integration platform would discuss various
integration measures, Platter added.
Speaking on ORF TV's late night news Zeit im Bild II on Monday,
Interior Minister Guenther Platter said it was "good" that Austria's
policy on integration was "restrictive," responding to a critical EU
study published in Brussels yesterday. It was a "misconception" to
believe obtaining Austrian citizenship was a "measure of
integration;" the Minister suggested it should be considered the
"final element in a successful integration process." He believes
Austria had chosen a "good course" by making citizenship very
difficult to obtain. Platter pointed to the newly-established
integration platform when asked about the study's criticism
regarding discrimination, labor market obstacles and the sluggish
family reunification process immigrants to Austria are faced with.
People wanting to stay in Austria "need to show they are willing to
integrate," said Platter, and added that Austria "is an open
country, which is why we need an open discussion of the topic."

Austria Calls for Support on University Quotas

3. Germany has said it has supported Austrian attempts to have the
EU Commission agree to quotas on foreign students at some study
courses, particularly at Austrian medical universities. Large
numbers of students from Germany have applied for places at Austrian
medical schools, but Vienna says it needs to reserve three quarters
of places for local students to ensure the country's supply of
doctors. At a meeting of EU ministers, Foreign Minister Ursula
Plassnik called on other EU countries to understand Austria's
position on a quota system for medical students.
Reporting on Austria's efforts to have the EU Commission agree to
quotas on foreign students at Austrian medical universities,
semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung writes that Foreign Minister
Ursula Plassnik has called on other EU countries to understand
Austria's position, speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in
Luxembourg three days ahead of an EU summit. Plassnik also urged
Margot Wallstroem, the Vice-President of the EU Commission, to
understand the Austrian position on quotas for medical students.
Diplomats from Ireland, Romania, Malta and Latvia have expressed
their support, as has Germany. Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Alfred
Gusenbauer has called on the Commission to drop proceedings against
Austria over limits Brussels says are contrary to EU law. The
Commission, however, argues that the restrictions on students from
other EU states violate the principle of free movement of people
within the European Union. Other countries such as Denmark and
Belgium have similar problems with quotas.

Pitching For a UN Seat

4. Austria is among the countries hoping to inherit one of the
rotating seats on the UN Security Council in 2009. Analyzing the
country's chances of success, a leading weekly says Austria's long
tradition as a "reliable mediator" and participant in peacekeeping
missions, as well as the UN seat in Vienna could work in favor of
such efforts. One of the setbacks is the fact, however, that Austria
has not been the most generous of givers when it comes to
development aid payments, according to independent political weekly
Profil of October 15.

Putin Arrives in Tehran

5. Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a historic visit to
Tehran - the first by a Russian leader since Stalin during the
Second World War. Iran is expected to seek confirmation from Putin
that Russia will complete the Bushehr nuclear reactor, which is
being built by Russian engineers. The Russian President has brushed
aside reports of an alleged plot to assassinate him during his Iran
trip. An Austrian daily suggests the visit comes as Russia is trying
to secure its influence in the Caspian Sea region.
All major Austrian media report on the visit to Tehran of Russian
President Vladimir Putin. Semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung labels
the visit a "milestone," and a "historic moment," pointing out that
the last visit to Iran of a Russian leader had been 64 years ago.
The daily suggests that with his trip to Tehran, Putin will
"partially lead Iran out of its position of international
isolation." Tehran is meanwhile hoping Russia will be able to help
Iran avert tougher UN sanctions. After all, Moscow has been
supporting Iran in the international dispute over Tehran's nuclear
ambitions by emphasizing there was no objective proof of US
allegations that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons.
Mass-circulation provincial daily Kleine Zeitung runs the headline
"Hot atomic summit," and predicts a "dicey dispute over nuclear fuel
rods." In an interview with the daily, Middle East expert Antonia
Rados warns "Iran should not be underestimated. An Iranian atomic
bomb would not be the end of a truly gloomy chapter -- it would
merely be the beginning. After Iran, a whole range of other
countries would follow suit and build atomic bombs of their own,
such as the Saudis, the Egyptians. The Syrians may already be
working on a project. I believe the problem that will occupy us most
in years to come is the question of such atomic bombs." Putin's
visit not only serves to "boost Iran's position against the West,"
it could also lead to the development of a "new type of Cold War -
with Iran as its hub. I'm afraid we may have to come to grips with
the possibility that the next major conflict may well be with Iran.
And unfortunately, in the Middle East, more often than not you have
to expect the worst, which is war."

Rice Urging Palestinian State

6. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said it is time for
the establishment of a Palestinian state, and emphasized that the US
would put its "full weight" behind such efforts. Rice was speaking
in the West Bank, where she has been trying to get agreement for a
Middle East peace summit in the US later this year. The Palestinians
have warned, however, that if no firm text is agreed on which to
base talks, they will not attend the summit with Israel.
According to semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung, US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice, currently on one of her "commuter missions"
in the Middle East, is "probing a minefield." Although she
underscored that it is "time for a Palestinian state" - a statement
that was welcomed by Ramallah - Rice has already ruled out that a
decisive rapprochement between Israel and the Palestinians could
occur within the next few days. Nonetheless, the Secretary of State
continues to push for the Mideast summit that has been planned for
late November.
McCaw

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