AUSTRIA: The Austrian Vice-Chancellor, Ms Susanne Riess-Passer, and two other Freedom Party ministers resigned from their government posts last night amid a rift in their party, throwing the future of Austria's government into question.
AUSTRIAMs Riess-Passer, the Finance Minister, Mr Karl-Heinz Grasser, and the party's parliamentary speaker, Mr Peter Westenthaler, said they were resigning from their posts in a continuing conflict with the extreme right-winger, Mr Jörg Haider, the party's former leader. Mr Haider is currently governor of the southern province of Carinthia.
Mr Riess-Passer, who is also the Freedom Party's leader, said the recent conflict made it impossible for the party to work effectively.
The resignations were a clear victory for Mr Haider, who has opposed the work of the government coalition. They also were expected to lead to early elections.
The Austria Press Agency, citing Freedom Party sources, said the current centre-right coalition led by the People's Party of the Chancellor, Mr Wolfgang Schüssel, would end its work on September 19th and new elections would take place in November. - (AP)