Brussels, 07/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - On 7 June, the President of the European People's Party and European Democrat group in the European Parliament, CDU member Hans-Gert Pöttering, asked Portuguese Prime Minister and EU Council President Antonio Guterres (who is also President of the Socialist International, adds an EPP press release) to personally ensure, "in the interest of the European Union", that the bilateral sanctions by the Fourteen against Austria are waived before the end of the Portuguese Presidency, on 30 June. The European Union must take up major challenges, such as institutional reform and enlargement, noted Mr Pöttering, adding that there is no legal basis to justify the sanctions against Vienna.
CDU President Angela Merkel welcomed, at a joint press conference with Mr Pöttering (see below), the decision for the re-integration of Chancellor Schüssel's party, the ÖVP, as a full member of the EPP (see yesterday's EUROPE, page 5). There cannot be a long-term "political isolation" of a democratically elected government, she stated, while admitting that she does not feel drawn towards Haider's party. "I will be at the summit of the European People's Party on Sunday 18 June in Oporto, prior to the Feira European Council and Chancellor Schüssel will be there too", she observed, noting that "something changed between Lisbon and Porto" as far as Austria's situation is concerned. (It will be recalled that the EPP summit due to be held before the European Council in Lisbon in February had to be cancelled).
(In an interview in Le Figaro, Austrian Foreign Minister Mrs Ferrero-Waldner said she was "not very optimistic" about the waiving of sanctions during the French Presidency. So "every effort needs to be made" before the end of the Portuguese Presidency. Asked about an eventual deadlocking of the IGC by Vienna, she declared: "We favour enlargement and thus reform. But … if irritation keeps growing, the government could be under strong pressure for a boycott").