EU conservatives welcome back Austria

EU members condemned the Austrian government in February

The main centre-right group in the European parliament has voted to welcome back its Austrian members, as pressure mounts on the EU to lift the political sanctions it imposed on Vienna in February.

The European People's Party (EPP) said it had found no deterioration in Austria's democratic system since the far-right Freedom Party joined the government.

The EPP agreed to let the Austrian People's Party resume playing a full role in its governing bodies, from which it withdrew in April.

No deterioration of any sort has taken place in the Austrian democratic system

European People's Party

Austria's 14 EU partners imposed the sanctions because of concerns over the Freedom Party's commitment to democracy and human rights.

They froze bilateral political ties and scaled back diplomatic relations with Vienna.

'Showing Europe the way'

The measures have remained in force even though Joerg Haider resigned as the Freedom Party's leader on 1 May.

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Mr Haider, who remains the party's most influential figure, has apologised for remarks in which he appeared to play down Nazi crimes.

An EPP report said that "in the first 120 days of the new Austrian government's mandate no deterioration of any sort has taken place in the Austrian democratic system".

The EPP did not directly call on the EU to lift the political sanctions. But one of those who drew up the report, Germany's Hartmut Nassauer, said the EPP "is showing Europe the way".

Austrian pressure

On Monday the Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel, urged the EU to propose a way to end Austria's political isolation at a summit in Portugal on 19-20 June.

He said Austria had neither threatened European Union values, nor had it been accused of breaking them.

"It is up to the 14 to suggest for once how they imagine this ending," Mr Schuessel said.

Austria's Foreign Minister, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, set off on Tuesday on a tour of three EU capitals - Madrid, Paris and London - apparently aimed at boosting support for the lifting of sanctions.

Some EU member states want the sanctions lifted as soon as possible so that EU institutions continue functioning properly, but others say it is too soon end Austria's isolation.