"New quality of democracy"

On Monday, the leader of the OVP (People_s Party) and incumbent foreign minister, Wolfgang Schuessel, stated during a press conference that Europe and the necessity for a "new quality of democracy" were among the topics that his party intended to raise during the discussions. Most significantly, Schuessel argued for a change in the traditional understanding of neutrality, which would be achieved by the replacement of the neutrality clause with a "peace" clause (Friedensgebot). The proposal would, for instance, involve the commitment of Austrian troops for "peaceful goals," as well as prohibiting foreign troops or nuclear weapons to be stationed in Austria unless otherwise approved in a referendum. In an interview with the newsmagazine Format, Schuessel stated that, "[Austria is] part of the European normality, [and] special ways are not possible any longer. Therefore, we can throw to the dustbin electoral posters such as _no budgetary cuts_ or no NATO membership". Chancellor Viktor Klima conducted negotiations this week with the OVP and the Greens, making clear on Thurday evening that his aim was a renewal of the SPO-OVP coalition. Were this option to prove unattainable, he would propose to President Thomas Klestil a government made of a wide spectrum of personalities without a fixed coalition agreement. Klima ruled out the possibility of a one-to-one meeting with Joerg Haider. As a result, negotiations between the SPO and Haider_s Freedom Party (FPO) will take place next week at a delegation level.