Austrian politician who has caused a stir in the international political scene. To some he is a brash, young and hip populist; to others, a racist and an apologist for Nazism.
He won international notoriety for his anti-immigration stand, opposition to rapid EU expansion and statements sympathetic to parts of the Nazi regime. This unleashed a wave of criticism and prompted the 14 other European Union member states to freeze high-level diplomatic contacts. To his supporters, Haider is a breath of fresh air, promising a stop to immigration and insure job security and social benefits; a new breed of politician who follows through on election promises. He promises to eliminate corruption, curtail abuses of the welfare state and protect Austria’s national interests from being overrun by illegal immigrants and unchecked global markets. To his opponents, Haider is a dangerous right-wing extremist who is exploiting Austria’s growing disenchantment with the current ruling parties to advance his xenophobic, racist and intolerant policies. Though he consistently denies being anti-Semitic, his record reveals many statements utilizing Holocaust terminology of legitimizing Nazi policy.
A lawyer by profession, Haider lives on an inherited 38,000 acre estate in Carinthis with his wife and two daughters, Ulrike, 22 and Cornelia, 19. His parents were both members of Hitler Youth in 1929 and his dad became a Nazi SA storm trooper the following year. In school, Haider was always outspoken with strong opinions and a leader, elected class president. He met his wife, Claudia, now 44, while studying law in Vienna. He taught law before entering the political arena. In 1986 he became head of the Freedom Party and that same year inherited from a great-uncle a $15 million estate once owned by Jews who were forced to sell the land after the 1939 German annexation of Austria.
Elected provincial governor in 1989, he was forced from office two years later after publicly praising Nazi labor policies. He remained active, however, in his Party.
On 1/03/1999, his party won 27% of Austria’s elections, a move toward control by far-right extremists, giving Democracy a heavy hit. His right-wing ideology brought him and his Freedom Party into a coalition government in Austria with People’s Party leader Wolfgang Schuessel in early February, 2000, despite desperate attempts of the EU leaders to keep him from power.
Haider’s inflammatory far-right remarks brought a strong reaction from many Austrians who held protest rallies on the weekend of 2/12/2000, objecting to his politics as being representative of Austria on the whole.
On 2/28/2000, Joerg Haider, the controversial leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, resigned his party office, according to the Austrian Press Agency. The report said Haider will retain his post as governor of Austria’s state of Carinthia. Susanne Riess-Passer, has been chosen by Haider to replace him as head of the Freedom Party. She was born January 3,1961 (time unknown) Braunau am Inn.
Haider died in a car accident on October 11, 2008, age 58.
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