Sir, - I wish to place on public record my total abhorrence at the emerging situation in Austria, where for the first time in the history of the modern European project we stand on the threshold of seeing the mainstreaming of a party of the extreme right. The picture is a deeply disturbing one.
Our party in Europe, the ELDER (Liberal) group (whose vice-president is Mr Pat Cox MEP) expelled Mr Jorg Haider's Freedom Party as far back as 1993, when it was recognised that Mr Haider and his party were not at all a party whose principles or attitudes were consistent with decency and modern liberalism. It is widely recognised that Mr Haider is a master wordsmith for racism and xenophobia, playing on fears and exploiting vulnerability.
It is vitally important that a marker be put down, that when extremism is mainstreamed, something profound is happening in Europe today.
While no country would wish to interfere with the rights of the Austrian people in their democratic process, and no one wishes to quarrel with the Austrian people, we must defend vigorously the values found in Article 6 of the Treaty of Rome. The values enshrined there concern freedom, democracy and respect for human rights - universal rights which are indivisible with regard to colour, class or creed.
The argument must centre on the fact that the member countries of the EU are not interfering with the sovereign rights of the state of Austria, but doggedly insisting that we will not as Europeans countenance turning the clock back.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. - Yours, etc.,
Mae Sexton (PD, ELDR), Irish Delegation, EU Committee of the Regions, Longford.