Print Line

Print Line

Black T-shirts in Vienna

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH :
Mr Haider's growing support is bound to influence his policies. He now has more working-class votes than the socialists, so his free-market rhetoric has temporarily been toned down. He himself, though born the son of a cobbler, is one of the wealthiest men in the country.

In a characteristically Austrian tale, he inherited a vast estate in Carinthia from an uncle, who, in turn, had obtained it from Italian Jews whom the Nazis forced to sell at a knock-down price.

Such ``dejudaisation'' has never been challenged in the Austrian courts, but it explains a good deal about the allegiance of a man such as Mr Haider.Because Mr Haider has consistently baffled the pundits, he is constantly described in cliches -- wolf in sheep's clothing, chameleon, enigma -- but there is no great mystery about his success. Australian politics has been so sclerotic, cliquish and secretive that voters felt disfrancised.

Excerpted from Daniel Johnson'sprofile of Jorg Haider in `The Daily Telegraph', February 5

THE GUARDIAN :
The Prince of Wales supports organic farming because it produces classy vegetables for his table and ensures the countryside around him has an attractive and, above all, traditional appearance. It is part and parcel of his 18th century model village approach to housing (so well displayed at Poundbury), and the minute attention to detail he expects from his tailors (on whom he is said to lavish Pounds 50,000 a year). He would make a world fit for princes, but has neither the will nor the ability to look for ways to better the lot of mankind.

Prince Charles' message to the world's hungry amounts to little more than: ``Don't breed so much you're spoiling the view'', and ``Let them eat Duchy Originals''.

Closer to home, he has talked a great deal about restoring communities. However, he sees himself as above their common rules. At Highgrove he enjoys what he calls his ``haven'', but he ruins his neighbours' peace bybuzzing though the sky in his new Sikorsky helicopter whenever he has to leave it.

Leanda de Lisle in `The Guardian', February 4