Austria's right-wing government, itself the target of sanctions imposed by its 14 EU partners, has proposed a new formula for punishing member-states that violate the basic principles of the EU.
In a letter sent to all EU heads of government, the Chancellor, Mr Wolfgang Schussel, said that member-states suspected of failing to uphold freedom, democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law should be allowed to defend themselves against the charges, which should be specific rather than general.
Dr Schussel wants his proposal to form part of the agenda for the Intergovernmental Conference, which is tasked with overhauling the EU's decision-making mechanisms. But he hopes that Austria's EU partners will agree at this month's summit in Portugal to lift the sanctions imposed on Vienna after his conservative People's Party formed a coalition with Dr Jorg Haider's far-right Freedom Party.
"Our proposal is further evidence that we have nothing to fear, that we are preventing nothing and hindering nothing but that we fully share the European agenda," he said.
The Greek newspaper Eleutheros Typos yesterday cited Ireland as one of six EU states that would press for a swift lifting of the sanctions but Austrian commentators fear that a hardening of their government's position has made a resolution more difficult too achieve.
Dr Schussel has denied that his government last week rejected an initiative to resolve the dispute by allowing EU officials to monitor Austria for six months before a decision is made to lift the sanctions. There is little doubt, however, that Austrian public opinion is increasingly hostile to the prospect of EU monitors evaluating their compliance with democratic principles.
The chancellor and his party are enjoying a surge in popularity but their coalition partners in the Freedom Party have seen their poll ratings fall since last year's election, when they won 27 per cent of the vote.
Most Austrians believe that the sanctions - which have reduced diplomatic relations with Vienna's EU partners to a minimum - are unfair, and Dr Schussel repeated yesterday that his country had not broken any EU laws. Despite the efforts of Austria's friends in Dublin and elsewhere, however, an early suspension of sanctions appears unlikely.
Belgium, France and Germany are especially reluctant to normalise relations with Vienna without some prior movement from the Austrian government. Dr Schussel acknowledged yesterday that his latest proposal is unlikely to have an immediate effect on his country's EU partners.
"Our proposal couldn't be adopted until the end of the year in Nice and then it will have to be ratified by the national parliaments. It would only come into effect at the end of 2001 at the earliest. We certainly cannot wait that long," he said.
