DR JORG Haider's spectacular rise to power in Austria has inspired France's far-right leaders, but has also highlighted the rivalry that damaged the French hardliners last time they went to the polls.
When Dr Haider's hard-right Freedom Party negotiated its entry into the new coalition last week, the French National Front leader, Mr Jean-Marie le Pen, and the National Republican Movement of his rival, Mr Bruno Megret, loudly applauded the breakthrough.
But when the Austrian coalition was sworn in on Friday, with half the cabinet posts going to the Freedom Party, Dr Haider had already distanced himself from the French far right, saying "We are comparable to no party in France".
Just as fast, Mr le Pen had written off Dr Haider as an "opportunist more avid for power than ideas".
Mr Megret said at the weekend that he, rather than the ageing Mr le Pen, was Dr Haider's natural soul brother. "Haider's method is our method," Mr Megret said in the daily le Parisien. His followers rallied outside Austria's embassy in Paris the same day with banners declaring "Jorgi, we love you" and "Today Austria, tomorrow France".
Yesterday several hundred protesters demonstrated outside the embassy in Paris against Dr Haider's party, chanting slogans such as "Hitler, Haider, one and the same" and "Haider: fascist, Schussel: collaborator". Police said about 600 attended. A similar protest took place in Strasbourg.