!!!Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ

Freiheitliche Partei Oesterreichs (The Austrian Freedom Party), FPOe, 
founded in 1955; successor to the  Verband der Unabhaengigen 
(1949-1955) as a collective party of the "third camp" (anti-clerical 
and anti-socialist as well as liberal and nationalist). In the early 
stages the party was poorly organised and strongly nationalist; 
however in the mid-1960s federal party leader F.  Peter, managed to 
lead the party out of its isolation ("ghetto party"). In 1970/1971 the 
FPOe supported the minority government of the SPOe (Austrian Social 
Democratic Party). Starting in the mid-1970s the FPOe began shifting 
toward the OeVP ( Oesterreichische Volkspartei, Austrian People's 
Party) under the leadership of A.  Goetz, and later toward the SPOe ( 
Sozialdemokratische Partei Oesterreichs). Under N.  Steger the FPOe 
was involved in government for the first time (SPOe-FPOe coalition 
1983-1986). Internal dissatisfaction within the party led in 1986 to a 
change in party leadership and to the election of J.  Haider as 
federal party leader, who adopted a strategy of protest ("attack 
instead of agree"). Ever since, the FPOe has been in opposition and 
seen significant success in elections and in 1999 achieved the second 
largest number of votes. The party entered into a coalition with the 
OeVP in 2000. As reaction to the FPOe's participation in government, 
the 14 other member states of the EU imposed sanctions on Austria. J. 
Haider was replaced by S.  Riess-Passer as federal party leader.

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In 1979, under A. Goetz, the FPOe joined the "Liberal International", 
founded in 1947, but left the organisation in 1993, thus anticipating 
the threat of expulsion. The FPOe relies for the most part on the 
number of its voters rather than on party members. The number of 
members climbed from 22,000 (1959) to 54,000 (1997). Three quarters of 
the FPOe's members come from the provinces of Carinthia, Upper 
Austria, Styria und Salzburg, which have great influence within the 
party. After the party began focusing on the personality of its 
federal party leader, J. Haider from 1989 onward, the FPOe achieved 
success in provincial elections as well. In 1999 the FPOe became the 
strongest party in Carinthia and Haider became Provincial Governor 
(Landeshauptmann). Organisations affiliated with the FPOe include: 
Ring Freiheitlicher Studenten (Ring of Liberal Students (RFS)), Ring 
Freiheitlicher Wirtschaftstreibender (Ring of Liberal Businesspersons 
(RFW)), Allgemeiner oesterreichischer Bauernverband (Austrian 
Association of Farmers) and the Verband Freiheitlicher Akademiker 
(Association of Liberal University Graduates), the publishers of the 
magazine "Aula".

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The party has always been characterised by tensions between its 
liberal and nationalistic traditions. In addition the FPOe has turned 
into a populistic protest party. The "nationwide petition on 
foreigners" (with the catch-phrase: "Austria first") initiated by 
Haider in 1993 caused a portion of the FPOe to split off under the 
leadership of the deputy party chairperson Heide  Schmidt and led to 
the formation of the  Liberales Forum. The party newspaper is the 
"Neue Freie Zeitung" (previously "Neue Front"). Since 1995 the FPOe 
has also been known by its second name "Die Freiheitlichen" ("The 
Freedomites") (F).




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