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next year. Only citizens of the nine-member nations of the European
Economic Community, or Common Market, will be eligible as candidates.
Austria is not a member.
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The Archduke was 6 years old when his father, Emperor Karl, was forced
to addicate at the end of World War I, only two years after he had
succeeded his granduncle, Emperor Franz Josef. Austria-Hungary fell
apart, and its German-speaking section was proclaimed the Austrian
Republic in 1918.
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The long-lasting Hapsburg dynasty was, according to biblical prophecy,
the fifth resurrection of the Roman Empire.
To the Austrian and West German authorities, the former Archduke is
simply Dr. Otto Hapsburg. He has a doctorate in political science from
the University of Louvain, Belgium. However, some elderly Hapsburg
loyalists insist on addressing him as "your imperial highness" or even
"your majesty."
Dr. Hapsburg renounced all claims to restoration of the monarchy in
Austria in 1961, the condition set by the government before it would
allow him to come home. Dr. Hapsburg visited Austria, lectured here
and appeared at public functions, but he kept out of domestic politics
and eventually took up residence in West Germany, at Pocking near Munich.
The former Archduke is a writer on international affairs (a regular
contributor to To The Point magazine, among others.) Even more impor-
tantly, he is president of the International Pan-European Union, a
movement that advocates political unification of all European countries.
He is expected to be nominated for the European Parliament by the
Christian Social Union, the Bavarian branch of the conservative oppo-
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sition in West Germany which is led by former Defense Ministar Franz
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Josef Strauss.
Dr. Hapsburg is married to a German princess, Regina of Saxe-Meiningen.
They have four children.
Dr. Hapsburg was granted West German citizenship last month by Bavarian
authorities. The decision, though legal, has caused some criticism in
Bonn among officials of the Socialist Party of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
They were especially critical of the speed and ease with which Dr.
Hapsburg obtained his citizenship. They also do not like the prospect
of an "instant German," still holding another citizenship, representing
German interests in the European Parliament.
There is no doubt that the admitted close relationship between Hapsburg
and Strauss -- Bavaria's number one politician -- helped hasten the
process. Strauss has praised Hapsburg as having one of the keenest
political minds in Europe. In return Hapsburg, according to a report
in a recent issue of Der Spiegel, considers Strauss among "the few full
blooded politicians" to whom could be entrusted, because of his "clear
sightedness," temporary but total one-man emergency power in the case
of national crisis, such as with terrorist blackmail.
Der Spiegel conunents that the "dainty emperor's son" (Hapsburg) and
the "weighty Upper Bavarian" (Strauss) make a rather comical appearance
when seen together. But it adds that the two of them seem to be a
formidabl e pair, nonet h e less, having a l :� G :: e
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