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09. 10. 09. - 12:00

ORF London correspondent on 'Brown-bashing' and reactions to 'Austrian cellar stories'

By Thomas Hochwarter

The ORF’s UK correspondent has revealed why working in the "city jungle" of London is like a dream come true for her.

Speaking to Austrian Times, Bettina Madlener also shared her thoughts on the political situation in the country.

Madlener’s airtime on the Austrian broadcaster’s news programmes has increased recently. "Britain is certainly going through an exciting period at the moment – and I enjoy that in my work," the 34-year-old said.

"London might not be Beijing, Washington or Brussels, but it is one of the most interesting places to be at the moment in Europe when it comes to political developments," she added.

Asked about her expectations for the next general elections, she said: "I think it has to be seen whether the economic downturn will boost the Conservatives as happened in Germany recently. I’m wondering whether Labour is really over after 12 years. Media here indulge in ‘Brown-bashing’, and it seems to be even the BBC has stopped covering what is going on objectively.

"People don’t like Labour anymore, they have stopped finding it interesting. But this doesn’t mean they like (Conservative leader David) Cameron more because of that. They say we won’t vote (Labour Party head Gordon) Brown – but David Cameron isn’t the ‘new Tony Blair’, I think. He comes from a rich family and enjoyed a top education.

"People are still suspicious of him and wonder whether the Tories understand what their problems are. The Conservatives will really have to put some effort into convincing them they do. They have decided on a rather extraordinary strategy of stressing they are telling people the truth – that the next few years are set to be tough, that everybody will have to work longer hours and that pensions and various subsidies will certainly have to be cut to overcome the crisis."

"There’s no doubt about Cameron is ahead at the moment, but I have to say I don’t expect a landslide victory for the Tories," she added.

Madlener said she always noticed she was a foreigner working abroad when it came to trying to get interviews. She said: "It’s hard for foreign reporters to get the key players in front of the microphones – especially if you’re from ‘small Austria’. I know, for example, that our Washington office put in a request with (Austrian-born Californian governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger months ago!"

Continuing to explain the differences in her job in London from what she would be doing had she stayed at the ORF’s Vienna newsroom, she said: "British politicians seem to put less emotion into everything they say and when they argue about something. They more often put on more of a poker face than Austrian politicians who get emotional more quickly.

"Everyone seems friendly here, and they might reply by saying something like ‘I disagree with you about this’ when you pose a critical question. This seems to be an English mentality thing – and I think they have all got very good spin doctors, something which kicked off with (former Prime Minister) Tony Blair. Only Brown seems to have his problems in that field."

Asked which London report she was most proud of, she said: "I’m excited by day-to-day political development, but a totally different story comes to mind if I had to name just one report.

"I once interviewed some youth gang members in (London borough) Brixton for the ‘Weltjournal’. One teenage boy took off his baseball cap and lifted his sweater to show us his scars from stabs. They talked to us quite openly which was quite stirring."

Madlener put real effort in to work her way up the career ladder. Growing up in the remote western province of Vorarlberg, she applied for traineeships at the local ORF studio as well as at regional newspapers before getting taken on by the state broadcaster of Liechtenstein. Madlener became part of a team given the task of reforming the company’s radio station.

"It wasn’t easy to work in Liechtenstein," she reminisced. "It hasn’t got a real media culture since it is so small.

"There were two main newspapers – a rather social democratic one and a conservative one. I always had my difficulties as many people showed me by the way they acted that they regarded me as a foreigner.

"Press conferences only took place the way the important people wanted them to. Critical questions were not allowed, and now and then things got censored. But it was an exciting task and I think we achieved something."

Madlener – whose head teacher at primary school was ORF information director Elmar Oberhauser – then returned to the ORF to seek opportunities there. After a brief time in Vienna, she settled in London. "I thought about what I could do for a living there and considered working as a translator or giving tuition sessions in German," she recalled.

"These options weren’t very exciting, so I suggested to the ORF that I become its London correspondent. They liked the idea immediately.

"The ORF’s London office has been shut back in the 1990s when rent prices soared and the ORF had to make cutbacks. It was only occupied temporarily by various correspondents.

"When I approached them with the idea, it was again mainly a matter of financial questions. That’s why I work as a freelancer these days – however only for the ORF," she explained.

"You have to make compromises all the time, but I think it works well as a one-woman business, so to say. I think we put out a good programme with considerably small costs," she stressed.

Madlener has a desk at Millbank Studios’ open-plan office. The ITV-owned production company provide her with cameramen and equipment to produce her reports which mostly come from Downing Street.

"This works out well," she said. "It’s interesting to be in touch with other reporters. Colleagues from Croatia and France work the same way there," Madlener said.

Madlener, who said late ORF news presenter Robert Hochner was her idol, said she loves living in the United Kingdom because her job is diversified – and she overcame difficulties in adapting to the British way of life quickly.

"It was like a dream come true for me to work and live here," she said, smiling. "I always got along well with British people as I had many friends at (the ORF’s bilingual radio station) FM4," said Madlener, who settled in London four years ago and started working for the ORF one year later.

Madlener said she will never forget the problems she faced when she tried to open a bank account after moving to London.

"I think everybody has got their problems and can share some anecdotes from settling abroad, but I found it a true nightmare to open a bank account here. It seems to me people are kind of suspicious when they don’t know you. I was sent away at five different banks! I arrived there with a few thousand Euros, but staff hinted while speaking to me that it might be drug money!

"I finally managed to open an account with the help of a British friend. I couldn’t believe my ears when I was told I could exchange money on Thursdays only! So I went to a branch of (warehouse) Marks & Spencer to exchange my Euros there as these shops have desks to do so," she said, laughing.

And Madlener said getting a mobile phone contract was not a piece of cake either. She said: "I only got it after half a year! And I had to hand over a deposit of 500 pounds.

"I mean, London simply hosts a very anonymous society since it is a big city - a real 'city jungle'. That’s quite normal. But I have to say my experience is that even Vienna is not that way. It seemed to me the Viennese offer you help when it’s needed."

Madlener said she was still annoyed now and then with waiting in queues or "when things seem to be made more complicated than they are."

Nevertheless, she stressed, she has found "my home" – Kingston upon Thames in south-west London in her case.

"It’s different here. The butcher knows me and I sometimes see people on the street I know by now and say hello. That’s really nice," said Madlener, who listed reading, shopping, running, cycling and diving as her hobbies.

"I’m hardly homesick at all, I have to say. I do miss the mountains and skiing – and family and friends, of course. But the weather here is better than you think – and the food too! It’s not all that bad! Of course it is all very subjective, but I am fine," she said, smiling, adding that she visited Austria around four times a year.

Madlener said she was overwhelmed again and again by residents’ reactions when they hear she was from Austria. "Brits only have praise for Austria. Everyone knows – and loves – Mozart balls. They all know Vienna and Salzburg – and Sankt Anton when it comes to skiing. Everyone tells me how beautiful Austria is – and they go on about ‘delicious’ Austrian food," she said.

Madlener stressed she did not think Austria had suffered from the cases of Josef Fritzl and Natascha Kampusch. "People are intelligent enough not to think all Austrians are like that. What they tend to go on however is that having two similar cases in such a small country is ‘extraordinary’.

"Media of course indulged in speculations about it, claiming it just can’t be coincidence and that it must have to do with Austrian society and so on," she explained.

Madlener said made many people told her how surprised they were that the neighbours of the Fritzl family apparently did not hear a sound coming up from the cellar.

"I explained to them this is entirely possible since houses are simply more solid and better constructed in Austria," she said, adding: "Some people then laughed and said bad architecture does have its good sides."

A host of ORF correspondents including Moscow-based Susanne Scholl and Peter Fritz in Berlin have recently released books. Madlener said she had no plans doing the same. She said: "I wonder whether it would be as interesting as their works after just a few years working in London. They are longstanding and much respected ORF journalists.

"I once dreamed of writing books for children like (the much adored Austrian author) Christine Nöstlinger does. I was a big fan of hers. But I soon realised I would simply not be patient enough, so I didn’t even try."

"But who knows what the future will bring?" Madlener added, refusing to rule out she may one day return to chase her childhood dream.

Austrian Times

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