Mr Klima last week abandoned efforts to form a minority Social Democrat administration.

BBC: EU threat to Austria

He leads the conservative People's Party, the junior partner with Mr Klima's Social Democrat Party in a coalition government.

ECONOMIST: Viktor Klima, Europe��s summiteer | The

He has announced that he will meet Social Democrat leader and caretaker Chancellor Viktor Klima and Mr Schuessel, on Tuesday, to discuss the EU decision.

BBC: EU threat to Austria

The trick for Mr Klima now will be to seize the limelight, chair a good-humoured summit, and so end the presidency on a high note.

ECONOMIST: Viktor Klima, Europe��s summiteer | The

Where does that leave the increasingly harassed-looking Mr Klima ?

ECONOMIST: Austria

Mr Klima has taken the most of the credit.

ECONOMIST: Viktor Klima, Europe��s summiteer | The

On his latest whistle-stop tour, Mr Klima seems to have found other leaders agreed mainly on the need to put lots of uplifting waffle about employment policy high on the Vienna agenda.

ECONOMIST: Viktor Klima, Europe��s summiteer | The

That loss of enthusiasm will come as something of a relief to Mr Klima, even though his own government pushed successfully for negotiations with a first group of applicants to begin last month.

ECONOMIST: Viktor Klima, Europe��s summiteer | The

Austria's chancellor, Viktor Klima, has recently been touted.

ECONOMIST: Europe��s presidential race: the form

Austria's Chancellor Viktor Klima backed him unequivocally.

ECONOMIST: Czech Republic