Row over Schroeder's Vienna visit

Schroeder: criticised for meetings with opposition

By Bethany Bell in Vienna

The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, is making his first official visit to Austria, in a move to normalise relations between the two countries.

But a row is raging over his plans to spend more time with opposition figures than with members of the government.

Austria and Germany's traditionally strong relations cooled sharply last year when the far-right Freedom Party joined the Austrian Government.

Schroeder will not meet anyone from the far-right Freedom Party

A leading Freedom Party politician has accused Mr Schroeder of continuing in the tradition of the diplomatic sanctions on Vienna, imposed for eight months last year after the Freedom Party entered the government.

Mr Schroeder was a leading figure behind the sanctions which were imposed on Vienna by its 14 European Union partners.

Since the sanctions were lifted in September last year, Austrian officials in particular have been keen to stress that relations are returning to normal.

Freedom Party shunned

However, the schedule of Mr Schroeder's current visit has led many to question this.

Chancellor Schuessel will only see Schroeder briefly

Mr Schroeder is being met at Vienna airport not by a government politician but by the head of the opposition Social Democrats, Alfred Gusenbauer.

From there he is being taken to the Social Democrats' spring party.

He is not due to meet with the Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel, until the second day of his visit.

No meetings with Freedom Party ministers are planned.

Following talks and lunch with Mr Schuessel, Mr Schroeder is to meet with a number of artists critical of the government.

'Historical lie'

Austrian officials have denied any annoyance at Mr Schroeder's plans, but Freedom Party members have made their irritation clear.

The party's general secretary, Peter Sichrovsky, called the visit a "spectacle of embarrassment".

He accused Mr Schroeder of spreading, "the historical lie that Austria shared the same historical responsibility for the Nazi past [as Germany]".