62 CultureShock! Austria
Tschuschen, which is an insulting term for the Balkan
people. Some of Julie’s dark-skinned friends have experienced
bad treatment by Austrians in stores and other service-
oriented areas.
Immigration has risen to the forefront of domestic politics.
The government has had to address immigration problems,
and in 1986, Austrian politics became a rational zone of
compromise rather than an arena of conflict. However,
the right-wing, anti-immigration Freedom Party led by
Jörg Haider reared its ugly head in the late 1980s, when
increases in Eastern European immigration followed the
collapse of the eastern bloc. Concern even among moderates
was exacerbated by the influx of refugees from the former
Yugoslavia. Reforms were made that restricted work permits
and asylum rights by limiting appeals and nations of origin.
There has been opposition to the reforms and it remains a
hot issue.