talos:

When Austria's finance minister announces plans to privatize the railways and build a social security fund with the proceeds...
Ah, Austria too? The Greek PM said words to the same effect (not limited to the railways). They're on a selling spree which they aim to portray as a way to keep the SS system out of trouble (they're meeting unexpected resistance too, but that's a diary of its own). Do EU governments have the same political advisors or what?

I'd very much appreciate information whether parties in other European countries also have explicitly linked privatisation with financing social services.

Below is a short summary of the plans of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the reactions of the other parties.

Are the 'reformists' becoming desperate, or just even more cynical? Diary promoted with minor edits by DoDo

The most senior US general in Iraq has said he has evidence that Iran was behind Sunday's bombardment of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

While the campaign isn't particularly successful it increasingly looks like Bush doesn't care.