Haider's Apology

By ANDREW PURVIS, Angela Leuker

Shortly after formally agreeing on a new government, Jorg Haider returned to his rooftop office overlooking Vienna's Parliament buildings and spoke to TIME's Andrew Purvis and Angela Leuker.

TIME: How do you account for the strength of the E.U. response to the Freedom Party entering government?

Haider: I expected a wave of protest. The more successful we have been, the more the socialist party organized the protest around the world against us. They told terrible stories.

TIME: In the past you praised Hitler's employment policies and former members of the Waffen SS. Do you still hold those views ?

Haider: I have made some mistakes in the past, and I regret this, and I apologize for having wounded people. I have made it clear that the Freedom Party has a clear distance [from] all ideas like nationalism, national socialism and so on.

TIME: Why did you praise Hitler's employment policies?

Haider: I think it was only one sentence out of a big debate. My opponents took out one sentence and made a campaign against me, and it was not possible for me to explain myself.

TIME: What about your praise of the former Waffen SS?

Haider: At the time when I was speaking, I didn't know who was in the audience. I didn't know there were Waffen SS veterans.

TIME: Do you agree that Austria hasn't come to terms with World War II?

Haider: For a long period after the end of World War II, the two predominant political parties tried to reduce responsibility for the past. They said Austria was not responsible at all. But we have victims and perpetrators. We were sitting on both sides.