Liberales Forum, LIF

Liberales Forum, LIF (Liberal Forum), political party founded in February 1993 as the result of rising tensions between the liberal wing of the FPÖ (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, Austrian Freedom Party) and party leader J. Haider, whose political programme gave issue to a referendum ("Österreich zuerst" = "Austria First") on the status and treatment of non-Austrian residents in Austria (January 1993). On the initiative of the then 3^rd president of the Nationalrat, Heide Schmidt 5 members of Nationalrat resigned from the FPÖ and founded their own parliamentary party. At the elections to the Nationalrat in 1994 the LIF won seats for the first time and was represented until 1999. In 2000 Christian Köck succeeded H. Schmidt as Federal Spokesperson of the LIF but resigned shortly after. The LIF promotes liberal ideas in different political areas and believes in the responsibility of all citizens for their own lives.