The panic of the Republicans against a harmless (?) Habsburg

USPA NEWS - 1963: Fifty years ago, the Social Democrats saw the state in danger when "Archduke Otto of Austria" would return to their homeland. The National Council flew the tatters, the trauma of the First World War was on again, an ex-Communist, even spoke of "legal coup".

On 5 June 1963 had almost torn the coalition government between the ÖVP and SPÖ the Habsburgs. So turbulent was hardly a National debate. The chance to be my first visit of a parliamentary debate - then high up in the stands.

The expulsion of the former ruling dynasty, dated 3 April 1919. Family boss Otto Habsburg-Lorraine (then 48), signed in May 1961, reluctantly famous declaration to finally re-enter from the Bavarian exile may: He and his descendants gave up "on the membership of the House of Habsburg, and any claims to power." He confess himself "a loyal citizen of the republic." Although his mother, ex-Empress Zita, was strictly against it, Otto sat this step to be active in European politics. He wanted a fun and free way to travel.

The SPÖ came out of the house

However, the Steering Committee of the National Council and the Constitutional Court threw each other to the hot potato. Until finally, the Administrative Court ruled: The statement go in order, the Habsburg citizens could enter.

The SPÖ raged. Justice Minister Christian Broda, still communist in his youth said, hysterically from "legal coup". The political crisis was there (see "The World to yesterday", 25 May). Away from the totally unreal excitement the issue was quite simple: who could assess whether the declaration filed? The Board of the National Council, the Federal Government or a supreme court?

The SPÖ looked maliciously ignored and opened a barrage including strike threats, where the "black" coalition partners faced quite helpless. In an Urgent request to VP-chancellor Alfons Gorbach the SPÖ wanted on 5 June 1963 clear fronts. Robert Uhlir called, the First World War had been broken by the Habsburgs lightly from the fence and have hundreds of thousands of Austrian citizens lost their lives. The expulsion was in 1919 was the most humane form of removal of this rule. The vortex was enormous, the heckling of the ÖVP rained down on the speaker. Uhlir, no eloquent man of letters should, take it to the club chairman later.

Chancellor Gorbach tried to appease. It does not stand for him to express an opinion on the legal opinion of a High Court.

Then came Lujo Ton-Sorinj of the ÖVP, which should take it to the Secretary of State later. There was then no longer a word to understand so loud it was in the Chamber. The Sukkus his remarks: Otto was an Austrian citizen, the fundamental right to freedom of establishment in every place of the territory therefore have top priority. The waiver was perfectly in line with the Constitution.

The FPÖ swerved suddenly to red

How the eight Freedom would position was the big question. They could be to tip the scales, which finally happened in July: It was (at 165 MPs) 81VP: 76SP: 8FP. Willfried Gredler, later Austrian ambassador in Bonn and Beijing, initially lashed out at the black-red coalition could not agree.

And then he came to the crucial point: "From a patriot is hoped and expected that he from a law will not make use if it commands the interest of his country!" In plain German: Habsburg may make a sacrifice and stay in Pöcking so that the inner peace remain safeguarded.

Karl Czernetz, the foreign policy spokesman for the Social Democratic Party, a particularly heated debate, speakers, raged about the Administrative Court: An outrageous presumption is that the parliamentary democracy, he believed in the greatest danger.

The Loyalty insurance Otto was only a scrap of paper, called Czernetz. In July 1945, the Habsburgs had written a letter to President Truman, "on each page and signed with the imperial crown, Otto of Austria '!"

The sharpest Broda then, after 1945 Communist who spoke of "coup", "by lawyers, judges in robes," as ever in the First Republic. His party, the FPÖ had in any case against Otto's entry. One could let the people decide.

So far, however, it never came. In a resolution, which was adopted only by the SPÖ and the FPÖ, the old Habsburg Law was "authentic" interpretation: The decision whether a waiver complied with the criteria, come to the Main Committee of the National Council. In July 1963, should then come to the next session turbulent.

Only two Habsburgs did not concerned the matter. Otto's brothers Carl Ludwig and Felix simply refused to sign such a waiver - and remained until the mid-nineties in exile.