Sir, - Two of your correspondents (February 9th) adopt a pseudo-liberal stance which, upon examination, proves to be flawed and prejudiced. Mae Sexton, representing the PDs, condemns Mr Haider of the Freedom Party because she feels his attitudes may not be "consistent with decency and modern liberalism". In other words, he does not share her views or opinions. She proceeds to get herself hopelessly lost in an antithetical quagmire of her own making when she claims that she has no desire to "interfere with the rights of the Austrian people in their democratic process" while simultaneously advocating that we do just that.
David Whelan suggests that we amend our poor record on opposing fascism by "withdrawing our ambassador from Austria". Of all the silly notions! He speaks glowingly of principle. Perhaps he should consider his principles as they relate to the concept of democracy. The Austrian people went to the polls without a gun to their collective head and 27.2 per cent gave their support to Mr Haider's Freedom Party. A further 26.7 per cent voted for Mr Schussel's People's Party. In anyone's mathematics, that adds up to 54 per cent of the Austrian people endorsing right-wing politics at the present time - which they are entitled to do if they so wish.
It is not up to Ms Sexton, nor Mr Whelan, nor, indeed, Mr Robin Cook, Mr Alain Richard, Mr Louis Michel, Mr John Cushnahan, Mr Jorge Sampaio or any of Austria's 14 partners in the EU to dictate to a free, independent and democratic people who they may or may not elect to represent themselves in a parliament that legislates for them. To suggest otherwise is not only folly; it is the height of arrogance. - Yours, etc.,
Colm McElroy, Rathflesk, Rathmolyon, Meath.