HAIDER: I do not enjoy it. I’m accustomed to the situation. In the last 20 years I’ve often been attacked.
Sometimes I helped them. I’ve made mistakes, I gave political opponents the possibility to attack me.
During the Balkan wars, Austria took 95,000 refugees from Bosnia, 25,000 from Kosovo–the largest burden of all countries in Europe… The Balkan refugees are not integrated–they’re concentrated in Vienna, they form a type of ghetto, a real immigrant ghetto. That leads to social conflict with Viennese society. It’s our responsibility to prevent a situation like in Germany, where they have burned down asylum houses. I have said, first integrate the ones we have, make them accustomed to the culture, the daily life of Austrians, provide housing, schooling and jobs for them. And, then, as a next step, reduce the immigrant quota.
I was angry about that. I opposed this even before the posters went up, and said they shouldn’t be used. They did it anyhow, and after the election I replaced my general manager because he didn’t obey my order.
This is no problem. It just shows two patriotic politicians with an eye on the country. After having entered the European Union, we ask ourselves how to keep up our own identity.
We grew up in a specific environment. In school, history classes took us only to the end of World War I. We had no discussions as I grew up. We had a lack [of information] in that way. I had people who gave me that information [about World War II and the Holocaust], friends abroad and in Austria.
It is one of the principles that we have to accept: there is no collective guilt. It is more justified to say that somebody is responsible individually.
You must look at the history. It was owned by a family from Pisa, who bought it from an Austrian nobleman. In the 1930s, the father of my uncle also lived in Italy, where he was approached by the attorney for this family. This was a deal between two Italian citizens… At the end of World War II, the World Jewish Congress raised the question before the Austrian Supreme Court. The verdict said that the price had been correct. But even after this judgment, the father of my uncle gave them an additional sum of money. The family said, “OK.” The case was closed.
If the Belgian skiers want to boycott us for “moral” reasons, then we’ll get more Dutch skiers–because the Belgians and Dutch dislike each other. There’s no disadvantage for us.
