Austria Elections Finalized

Austria's far right-wing Freedom Party finished second in national elections this month and will have as many seats in parliament as one of the partners in the country's current governing coalition, according to final results released Tuesday.

That gives The Freedom Party - an anti-immigrant, some critics say neo-Nazi, party led by Joerg Haider - a chance of winding up as part of a coalition government.

In Israel, Foreign Minister David Levy said his country would cut off relations with Austria if the Freedom Party joins the government.

The leading party, Chancellor Viktor Klima's Social Democrats, finished with 65 seats in the 183-member parliament, Austrian Interior Minister Karl Schloegl said. That is too few seats to form a government alone.

The Freedom Party and the center-right Austrian Peoples Party finished second and third, and each will hold 52 seats. Klima has ruled out any coalition with Haider. However, negotiations on a new government could take months, and many Austrian commentators say it is premature to dismiss the possibility that the Freedom Party could end up participating in the government.

Parliament President Heinz Fischer said Tuesday that his Social Democrats will approach the Peoples Party - which trailed Haider's party by only 415 votes out of more than 4 million ballots cast - to negotiate a continuation of their 13-year coalition.

Haider called the results a "historic success." He also dismissed Levy's threat to break relations, saying, "I don't take it seriously any more."

The Freedom Party campaigned on issues like family values, law and order and curbs on foreign workers. Surveys show many young male voters abandoned the Social Democrats for Haider's group over the foreign worker issue.

Much attention internationally has focused on Haider's statements on Adolf Hitler. Nine years ago Haider, the son of a Nazi party member, praised Hitler's employment policies. He recanted the statement and resigned as a state governor as a result of the comment.

Recently, Haider has sought to portray himself as a democrat who simply reflects the fears of his followers about the influx of foreign workers. That has led to concern in former Communist countries that Austria could back away from its strong support for expanding the European Union eastward.

On Tuesday, the Austrian government said Levy was unjustified in suggesting that Israel might break off relations with Austria.

According to the Austria Press Agency, the government said in a communiqué Oct. 3 election results had come about "in a democratic way." It also said that there had been no anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli remarks during the election campaign.

In Prague, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel told the newspaper Mlada Fronta Dnes Tuesday that he would reconsider visiting Austria for a conference next year if Haider joins the government.

"Today, aider only talks and talks, because he doesn't have the strength," Wiesel said. "But if he gets to the power, he will represent a real danger. Every fanatic with power can cause a catastrophe."

Th final tally was delayed in order to count absentee ballots, which could be submitted as late as Monday.