Cablegate: Austrian Media Highlights: October 24, 2007

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SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: October 24, 2007

SPOe, OeVP Disagree on Comprehensive Schools

1. Austrian Education Minister Claudia Schmied of the Social
Democrats (SPOe) has said she is "appalled" by People's Party (OeVP)
efforts to block the introduction, in selected areas of Austria, of
comprehensive-type schools. Speaking after talks with the People's
Party education spokesperson Fritz Neugebauer, Mrs. Schmied accused
him of a "total lack of constructive dialogue" on the issue. Further
talks are to be held today with Science Minister Johannes Hahn, also
from the People's Party.
Reporting on the dispute between the Social Democrats and the
People's Party over the introduction of comprehensive schools in
Austria, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung points out that
comprehensive school systems exist in many of the major
industrialized nations. These systems have been implemented in
response to the criticism of an early and irreversible selection
process, which makes for an elitist versus a mass educational
system. Political tensions about this issue in Austria go back many
years. The SPOe insists that comprehensive schools would make the
school system fairer because the selection process would be delayed
until age 14. The OeVP, however, has continuously argued against any
changes in the traditional, selective school system.

Gusenbauer against Blue Card

2. The EU Commission wants to see the introduction of so-called
"blue cards," similar to the US green card, to bring skilled workers
into Europe. Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini presented the plan
on Tuesday. However, Austria and Germany have objected to parts of
the plan, which would allow blue card holders to move jobs between
EU countries. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer has said that
residence and work permits must remain clearly within the competence
of the national governments.
Presenting its plans for a Blue Card for skilled immigrants based on
the US Green Card, the EU says it needs 20 million skilled
immigrants over the next 20 years, and is very short of expertise in
engineering and computer technology. To be eligible for the card,
new immigrants would need to show a recognized diploma, have at
least three years of professional experience, and the offer of a job
which could not be filled by and EU citizen, semi-official daily
Wiener Zeitung reports. The plan will need the approval of all
member states to become effective. Austria and Germany have already
objected to parts of the plan, demanding that the authority to issue
residence and work permits must remain with the member states'
national governments. Liberal daily Der Standard quotes Chancellor
Alfred Gusenbauer as emphasizing that "we don't need this type of
Blue card. I don't want our labor market policies being undermined
by EU regulations."

"Constructive Talks" Between EU and Iran

3. Iranian negotiators and the EU are hoping for more talks on
Iran's nuclear program in the coming weeks, after what was described
as a "constructive meeting" between EU foreign policy chief Javier
Solana and Iran's new nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Rome
yesterday. While Jalili described the meeting as "clear and
transparent," Solana suggested the next round of talks should be
held before the end of November.
Liberal daily Der Standard, writing about the latest talks on the
Iranian nuclear program, suggests that Larijani's successor Saeed
Jalili is a "new negotiator representing all the old positions."
Speaking to Iranian media, Jalili stressed that Iran's "nuclear
policy will remain the same," even under a different Iranian
President. Meanwhile, in Vienna, the President of the Jewish world
Congress, former US ambassador to Austria Ronald S. Lauder, urged
the Austrian government to support tougher sanctions against Iran.
In an analysis of the situation, foreign affairs writer Andrs
Szigetvari says "it is not clear at this point whether there will be
war (with Iran). Marital rhetoric, however, has already become part
of the discourse; and threats are becoming increasingly severe in
the row over Iran's atomic program."

Platter on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

4. Austrian Interior Minister Guenther Platter from the People's
Party, who is currently on an official visit to the United States,
has said Austria and the US need to cooperate more closely in areas
including counter-terrorism, the fight against organized crime and
human trafficking. Platter will be meeting for talks on these issues
with representatives from the Bush administration today and
tomorrow.
Pushing for closer cooperation between Austria and the United States
on issues including counter-terrorism, Austrian Interior Minister
Guenther Platter from the People's Party, currently on an official
visit in the US, will be meeting with US Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff in Washington today. The two ministers are to sign
an "memorandum of understanding" regarding internal security for
Austria and the US, Platter told Austrian Press Agency APA ahead of
his departure for Washington. The memorandum essentially aims at
intensifying the employment of air marshals on international
flights. Platter underscored that he "is looking forward to the
talks during the next two days. I am determined and confident that
we will successfully address the issue of cooperation, which is such
a vital matter," the Austrian Interior Minister said. He is also
scheduled to meet with Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler.

Al Gore in Vienna

5. Al Gore, former US Vice-President and this year's winner of the
Nobel Prize for Peace, is in Vienna today. He has been invited by
Mobilcom Austria to speak to 800 guests about climate protection
measures in mobile communication. Austrian media say gore's message
is: The world cannot afford to surrender in the face of the
overwhelming task of fighting climate change.
Centrist daily Die Presse publishes a portrait of former US
Vice-President Al Gore, who will be holding a lecture in Vienna
today. The daily's Washington correspondent, Norbert Rief, writes
Gore, the winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Peace, is a "loser
turned demigod." According to Rief, losing the US presidential
elections seven years ago was the "best thing that could have
happened to him." AS US President, "Gore would hardly have become as
popular, esteemed and internationally respected as he is now. And a
Nobel Prize or an Oscar would have been as unattainable for him as,
say, the Nobel Prize for Literature for George Bush."

Baghdad Promises Assistance against PKK

6. Iraq has promised to assist Ankara by closing the offices of
Kurdish rebels and working towards preventing them from launching
attacks on Turkey. Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki emphasized
he would not allow the rebel group to operate on Iraqi territory.
The PKK has been blamed for a number of recent deadly raids inside
Turkey.
Reporting on the current tensions between Turkey and Kurdish PKK
rebels in northern Iraq, semi-official daily Wiener Zeitung has
pointed out that that the Turkish government imposed a news embargo
on the fighting between PKK rebels and the Turkish military in
northern Iraq. Faced with massive, nationwide anti-Kurdish protests
and solidarity rallies for the Turkish soldiers Ankara, it seems, is
concerned about the possibility of a popular uprising over the
issue, the daily suggests. Meanwhile, the Iraqi government and the
White House are striving to discourage Ankara from launching a
military operation against the Kurds in Iraq, centrist daily Die
Presse says. However, US President George Bush's phone calls to
Iraqi Premier Nuri al-Maliki and Turkish President Abdullah Gul, as
well as Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's trip to Baghdad have
failed to provide the government in Ankara with an effective tool to
calm down the increasingly enraged Turkish masses, the Presse
argues.
McCaw

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