Austria's far-right leader Joerg Haider made a surprise visit to the northern Italian city of Padua Thursday, officially "to learn Italian," Ansa news agency reported citing the controversial Carinthia state governor.
He did not say where he was taking language lessons in the city more than 200 kilometers (120 miles) away from the seat of his regional government in Klagenfurt.
Haider who frequently visits the northeast Italian border regions was to travel to Treviso, north of Padua, in the afternoon for a possible meeting with mayor Giancarlo Gentilini of the Northern League party, headed by firebrand Umberto Bossi.
Some passers-by who recognized him during his brief walk-about in the streets of Padua asked a police escort to "send him home."
Haider's Freedom Party which shares many of the political values dear to Bossi sparked EU sanctions on Austria in February when it entered a coalition government.
He is no longer official head of the party but still widely seen as its driving force -- ROME (AFP)
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