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Austria’s strong opposition to Turkey being en route to full-membership negotiations with the EU: Turkey as a Pariah state in Austria

 

The most recent Eurobarometer results show that a massive 80 percent of the public in Austria feel uncomfortable with the possible full-membership of Turkey into the European Union and say no to it, and only about 10 percent support the idea of Turkey being a full-member of their precious EU club. Moreover, an earlier Eurobarometer result this year, showed that the public in Austria would rather see Russia and Ukraine enter the EU.

 

These results came with no surprise, considering the fact that, with the expansion of the EU into a 25 member block in May 2004, to countries with lower economic-profiles (except Slovenia and Cyprus who enjoy high economic status with over 15.000 euros GNI per capita), which have put an additional economic burden on the EU’s staggering economy and generated a feeling of unease to among countries like Austria who pay more into the EU-budget and benefit less. The Eurobarometer results since then have unveiled a descendig trend on how Austria’s public view the further expansion of the EU in the coming years, including the possible future accession of Turkey in an indefinite date.

 

Although it might be percieved from the pro-Turkish camp and Turkey itself that the stay-out-of-EU opinions in Austria is directed against the whole future of EU expansion and not solely against on Turkey , when the results of the Eurobarometer are combined with what is printed in the daily newspaper (Salzburgernachrichten, Die Presse, Der Standard and Neue Krone Zeitung) with highest number of circulation, and what said in the Television and Radios, the picture in Austria is rather different and dizzy. It will be a portrait of opinions with right bright colours of the public here in Austria, to say that Turkey is a frontline factor in the public’s negative opinion towards further expansion of the EU (next in line is Romania and Bulgaria, then Croatia and might-be Turkey) and pariah state within the public and top figures in the government.

 

In a recent interview conducted with the charismatic Finance Minister of Austria, Mr Grasser in Die Presse, he clearly pointed out that Turkey had not yet met the criteria’s defined by the EU, and would place a heavy burden on EU if it were to become a full member. It is really funny to observe such a statement made by the one of the Finance Ministers of EU, who clearly prioritizes his personal feelings instead of the logical and realistic points made in visual and print media that Turkey has fulfilled all the necessary criteria’s and is fit to start the negotiations talks with the EU on October 3, 2005. It will would have been a different story if he had touched upon the improving but still very much volatile and sensitive economic condition of Turkey and said that Turkey still falls back on the economic criteria’s set by the EU and has much way to go. However, even he, as the Finance Minister, knows that this a long-term phenomenon and economy is not something which peaks from dawn to dust.

 

In another recent article in Salzburgernachrichten, both Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and vice-Chancellor Gorbach strongly pointed out their opposition to Turkey being a full-member of the EU. While Schlüssel stressed the need for assessing whether EU can harbour more countries to extend it further east; before we start talking about giving Turkey a full-membership, vice-Chancellor Gorbach, said that only when Turkey has initialy recognized the Greek part of Cyprus according to its border laid down by international law, can we start moving in the right direction. He did not elaborate on the meaning of the word direction, but it certainly is not a full-membership and in harmony with Chancellor Schlüssel position.

 

Thus the small boy of EU, Austria is sided along with the big boys of EU, Germany and France, to make Turkey’s road to the EU as rough and tough as possible so she would not be granted a full-membership after crossing the finish line. Both Germany’s very-likely-to-win opposition leader Angela Merkel, and the current interior minister of France, who is a strong favourite to take over the Presidency from Jack Chirac, are opposing a full-membership of Turkey and have put their hands together during Markel’s last visit to Paris a few weeks ago and stated that they would work together to grant Turkey a “Privileged Partnership” or something of that a sort and not a full-membership.

 

 

Faik Sagkol / Student of Political Science at the University of Salzburg in Austria

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