Vienna - Austria's new centre-right government asked opposition parties yesterday to join it in helping to end sanctions imposed by its 14 EU partners because the cabinet includes the far-right Freedom Party.
The Conservative Chancellor, Dr Wolfgang Schussel, and his deputy, the Freedom Party's new leader, Ms Susanne RiessPasser, invited the leaders of the Social Democratic and Greens parties to meet them on Monday.
It asked them to consider a joint declaration stating that "parties represented in the Austrian Parliament reject the measures of the 14 heads of government of the other EU countries as unjustified, exaggerated and contrary to EU treaties".
The new Social Democratic leader, Mr Alfred Gusenbauer, said he would attend the meeting but would not help to improve the government's image.