Austrian president: Far right's electoral gains don't reflect country

Austrian President Heinz Fischer, who arrived in Israel Saturday, said Thursday that the extreme right's electoral achievements in the Austrian elections two months ago do not reflect the political atmosphere in his country.

"Not everyone who does not vote for the Greens, the Social Democrats or the Conservatives belongs to the extreme right," Fischer told reporters from his office in Vienna. The Austrian president, like his Israeli counterpart, holds a largely ceremonial post, as most power is vested in the chancellor.

"Anyone who checks the results more thoroughly will see that the previous government, which ruled for two years, did not impress the public in matters related to everyday problems, and there were too many internal battles. That was one of the reasons it was defeated," he said.

Austria became the target of worldwide attention in September, after 28 percent of voters cast their ballots for one of two extreme right-wing parties - the Alliance for the Future of Austria and the Freedom Party.

"It cannot be said that the right-wing parties are neo-Nazi or anti-Semitic. If I were to ask every journalist or historian to quote one anti-Semitic statement made in parliament, they wouldn't find even one," he said.

The president added, "We must work against agents of the past. Austria is a democracy, much different from what it was in that terrible period. We've learned a lot from history, and the government has clear positions against Nazi and anti-Semitic ideas."

On Iran's nuclear program, Fischer said, "Austria is loyal to the decisions of the UN on the Iran issue. We will oppose any process that would allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon."

He added, "If anyone threatens Israel, we will align with other democracies and oppose such unacceptable ideas."