Austria's Uneasy Government Coalition on Brink of Collapse in Dispute Over

[Tsiyu]

By William J. Kole Associated Press Writer
Published: Jan 30, 2005


VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Pushing Austria's government to the brink of collapse, the conservative Freedom Party angrily accused its coalition partner Sunday of breaking up the alliance by pushing through reforms aimed at moving the country toward an all-volunteer army.
Uwe Scheuch, the Freedom Party's general secretary, issued a statement lashing out at the center-right People's Party and accusing its leadership of being "intoxicated by power." He also said the party "busted" the coalition with "single-handed" reform attempts.

The two parties have shared power in an uneasy alliance since 2000. Tensions soared last week after Defense Minister Guenther Platter, a member of Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's People's Party, formally proposed shortening obligatory military service from eight months to six and halving the federal army's ranks from 110,000 soldiers to 55,000.

The shortening of mandatory service is a step toward Austria's eventual goal to shift to an all-volunteer military.


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