Brussels, 14/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - At the lunchtime meeting of the General Affairs Council, Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel returned to the political situation in Austria, announcing that his country would be taking initiatives, in the framework of the IGC and negotiation of the Charter on Fundamental Rights, "to try to prevent and respond more effectively" to problems of this kind (see next page for Mrs Ferrero-Waldner's remarks). Apparently with little backing by his colleagues (who agree in substance, Italian Minister Lamberto Dini stressing the "limits of Community action" in this matter), retorted to Mrs Ferrero-Waldner's speech, asserting that it was not enough that "the new Austrian government wants first to be judged by its acts". While recognising that Austria was "fully entitled to choose the government it wants", Louis Michel said it is "also our right -and our duty- to take a position as soon as Austria chooses a way that it incompatible with the principles and values that are the foundations" of the EU. And he explained: "The European Union is not a banal international organisation. It is a community of States that places at the heart of its undertaking liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the fight against racism, xenophobia and intolerance. When a Member State takes a course in contradiction with these humanistic principles and values, telling it so is not interfering in its internal affairs because these questions today no longer fall purely within European countries' internal affairs." Judging it "absolutely unacceptable for a party that defends racist, xenophobic and antidemocratic ideas, and whose head, Mr Haider, has on more than one occasion expressed sympathy and indulgence towards nazism, to have responsibilities in a Member State government", the Belgian Minister observed that, even with a declaration and government agreement "expurgated of all hateful, xenophobic or revisionist connotations, the accession of the FPÖ to office" remained "the result of an election campaign based on such arguments". This accession to power is also unacceptable "because it has the effect of making antidemcoratic forces banal in Europe, which can have a follow-on effect in other Member States", said Mr Michel, who added that the EU would discourage "the three fourths of Austrians" who voted for democratic parties if it allowed credit to be given to the "idea that a vote for an antidemocratic party can be useful" and if it responded to the "formation of a government that includes such a party as mere business as usual". In conclusion, Mr Michel encouraged the Commission to play its "essential role" as guardian of the Treaties.