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Integration issues to dominate, says Ude

Christian Ude, the Social Democratic (SPD) mayor of the German city of Munich, has singled out integration as the topic set to dominate political debate in cities like Vienna.

Ude said today (Thurs): "The subject of integration is becoming more important. But it seems to me Munich is handling it a bit better than Vienna."

Speaking to Austrian newspaper Kurier, Ude praised the Vienna Social Democrats (SP�) for disassociating themselves from xenophobic tendencies in previous election campaigns. The mayor of Munich however also stressed that some politicians had seemed to be "helpless" in TV debates with late right-winger J�rg Haider.

Asked whether he would recommend the Vienna SP� to approach the Greens or the conservative People�s Party (�VP) for coalition talks if it loses its absolute majority in the 10 October election, Ude said: "I hope the Vienna SP� manages to retain its majority. Vienna always did best with that constellation."

Recent polls have shown that the right-wing Freedom Party (FP�) has the potential to garner up to 22 per cent of the overall vote in the Vienna ballot. The party headed by Heinz-Christian Strache in Vienna and on the federal level came in third by bagging 14.8 per cent in 2005.

Analysts are at odds whether the SP� will hold its majority in seats won thanks to 49.1 per cent of the overall vote. SP� Mayor Michael H�upl reportedly prioritises coalition talks with the �VP � who won 18.8 per cent five years ago � over meeting with the Greens, who bagged 14.6 per cent.

Rumour has it that H�upl may retire halfway through the upcoming term. He became mayor of the capital in 1994. SP� Vice Mayor Michael Ludwig and SP� city councillor Christian Oxonitsch are seen as potential successors.

The election campaign has been dominated by debate about the FP֒s controversial slogan calling for "more courage for our Viennese blood". The party has also claimed it has been protecting "free women" while the SP� � branded an "Islamist party" by Strache � would back Muslim men who want to force their wives to wear headscarves and burkas.

H�upl ruled out any kind of cooperation with the FP�. "I won�t discuss topics of the future with Strache because he has nothing to contribute," he stressed.

The mayor � who has, according to some political columnists, more influence within his party than SP� Chancellor Werner Faymann � has angered FP� supporters by branding Strache a "loser" and a "stupid person".

Some SP� officials were not delighted to hear about those remarks, fearing insulting statements would only boost the FP֒s campaign.

Strache hit back by accusing H�upl�s SP� of acting arrogantly and not considering people�s wishes and worries.

The FP� has focused on integration issues and "criminal foreigners". Some analysts have claimed the opposition party might be unable to improve substantially due to its failure to include ideas about other important topics in its campaign portfolio.

Austrian Times

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