Austria's Freedom Party in crisis

Joerg Haider - poised for a return to national stage?

By Bethany Bell in Vienna

The far-right Freedom Party in Austria - formerly led by Joerg Haider - is in crisis.

Less than a year after it gained a place in the coalition government the it isfacing corruption allegations and sharp falls in the polls.

And the party has also just lost a third cabinet minister.

The situation is causing strains with its coalition partner, the conservative People's Party.

Haider questioned

An investigation is currently underway into allegations that the party spied on its opponents and critics.

Michael Schmid: third minister to resign

Prominent party members have been questioned in the affair, including Mr Haider, now provincial governor in Carinthia.

The leader of the opposition Social Democrats has gone to far as to claim he's been approached by People's Party members keen to break the coalition with the Freedom Party - something the People's Party has strongly denied.

Haider comeback?

The latest blow has come from within the Freedom Party's own ranks.

At the weekend, the Infrastructure Minister, Michael Schmid, announced he was fed up with politics after the Freedom Party suffereed big losses in recent elections in the province of Styria.

As a result, he said, he was resigning, becoming the third Freedom party minister to step down in nine months of government.

The party's low fortunes have led some commentators in Austria to speculate that Joerg Haider could be about to stage a comeback to national politics.

With the charismatic Mr Haider once again at the helm, they say, things could look a lot brighter for the Freedom party.