The Austrian government nationalist Freedom Party (FPOe) of Joerg Haider still insists that the Czech Republic's EU entry is "impossible" unless the post-war Benes decrees are abrogated.

The Austrian government nationalist Freedom Party (FPOe) of Joerg Haider still insists that the Czech Republic's EU entry is "impossible" unless the post-war Benes decrees are abrogated, the Austrian news agency APA quoted Johann Herzog from the FPOe Vienna organization as saying. Under the decrees issued by then Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes and approved by the Potsdam conference of the victorious powers some 2.5 million Sudeten Germans were transferred from Czechoslovakia and their property was confiscated. Herzog said he hoped that Erhard Busek from the People's Party (OeVP), the government's commissioner for EU enlargement, had during his visit to Prague last week also discussed those parts of the Austrian government statement which speaks about protection of the expelled Germans' interests. He called on Busek not to inform about the results of the visit Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner (OeVP) only, but the public as well. Herzog sharply criticised statements by Czech deputy foreign minister Pavel Telicka made during Busek's visit to Prague, but APA did not specify the statements. He called Telicka's statements, probably made about the FPOe, as an incredible derailment. Herzog pointed out that the Czech Republic had been the only central European reform country to have joined the EU sanctions against Austria launched after the FPOe entered the government. After the Austrian parliament approved a law on compensation for about 150,000 people who were forced to work during the war on Austrian territory on July 7, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said that it was now the right of Austria to say that there are also other victims who should not be forgotten about.