European Union enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen accused the Austrian far-right Freedom Party of "intolerably" fanning fears about EU enlargement, in an interview to be published Saturday.
"I see in Austria a government party which I trust to appeal to the most base instincts in every Austrian and every European to manipulate intolerably the theme of EU eastwards enlargement," he told the weekly Format.
Lamenting that debate on EU enlargement too often focuses on risks rather than opportunities, he said "This tendency is stronger in Austria than elsewhere, because we don't have another such party in government elsewhere."
The Freedom Party took office in a coalition government with conservatives in February, sparking unprecedented EU sanctions which were lifted in September after a report concluded that they were counter-productive -- VIENNA (AFP)
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