Austria and Czech Republic: Border Crossing Blockades

No Comments | May 23rd, 2007 | Trackback

Austrian anti-nuclear protesters have repeatedly blocked border crossings with the Czech Republic over complaints that a nuclear power plant at Temelin, Czech Republic, is unsafe. Activists claim that the Czech government has not fulfilled conditions agreed to between the two countries in 2000 to allow the plant to go into operation, and have demanded that the Austrian government take up the issue under international law rather than through diplomacy. They have threatened to block all 16 crossings if the government doesn’t take action within four weeks. Meanwhile, the Austrian interior minister vowed to keep the border crossings open, while a far-right Czech group announced it would block a border crossing on June 2 to keep Austrians from entering the Czech Republic in protest of the Austrian protests. Delays are possible.