Vienna, 31/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The "three wise persons" responsible for drafting the report (by the autumn) for the EU countries on the political situation in Austria, finished, on Sunday, three days of meetings in Vienna. "We will not say anything before the report, which is not a simple thing, is finished," said Jochen Frowein, Director of the Max-Planck Institute, who carried out this mission with the former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and the former Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and former European Commissioner Marcelion Oreja. "Many things indicate that we have enough material", added Mr Frowein, while adding that the wise persons are not considering a second visit to Vienna.
The three wise persons in particular met the President Thomas Klestil, the Chancellor Schüssel (twice), several Ministers, including the Education Minister Elisabeth Gehrer, as well as the President of the Parliament Heinz Fischer and the opposition leaders, the Social Democrat Alfred Gusenbauer and the Green Alexander Van der Bellen, who both spoke in favour of a lifting of the bilateral sanctions against Austria. These sanctions present as a lead weight leaning on the internal political situation in Austrian, felt Mr Gusenbauer. Mr Ahtissari , Oreja and Frowein, who did not meet Jörg Haider, also had a meeting with the head of the FPÖ parliamentary group Peter Westenthaler, who asserted that his speakers "are very well informed and know Austria well". Furthermore, they met with the Protestant Bishop Herwig Sturm (who indicated that he had spoken with then over the case of Gertraud Knoll, Protestant Bishop who, after having taken part in an anti-government demonstration, had received threat letters, according to him from people close to the FPÖ), the Catholic Bishop Klaus Kung, the President of the Muslim Community in Austria Anas Schakfeh, the President of the Israeli Consistory Ariel Muzicant (who spoke of the wise persons by saying "they are people of which we have many in Europe") and the President of Caritas Franz Kuberl (who in particular wanted different treatment for refugees in Austria).
Furthermore, this Monday's "Corriere della Sera" printed several passages of the meeting with Romano Prodi published the same day as the Austrian daily "Profil" in which the European Commission President affirms that the three wise persons must work, "fast, fast, very fast". To the question of whether Europe is working towards the abolition of sanctions, Mr Prodi answered "yes", adding that it is necessary to avoid the referendum considered in Austria, which "would be a mistake and would only serve towards increasing tensions", indicted the "Corriere della Sera".