Austria pays tribute to late Haider

Thousands of Austrians mourned Joerg Haider today, a far-right populist leader who died in a high-speed car crash a week ago.

Around 30,000 mourners attended Haider's memorial service in the capital of the Alpine province where he was governor for over a decade and was seen by many as a leader with a common touch who took on the political establishment in Vienna.

One of Austria's rare internationally recognised public figures, Haider led the right into a coalition government from 2000-2006 and helped thrust anti-immigrant politics into the European mainstream with his blunt and polarising rhetoric.

Haider's modern populism, which also targeted what he saw as the loss of national sovereignty to European Union integration, helped break the grip on government of centrist parties he said were out of touch with grassroot concerns.

"Although he was controversial and contested, he spoke for European democracy," said Albert Gardin, 59, who had travelled from Venice to pay his respects. "(He) was not only local, Austrian, but had a European message. We represent a part of Europe that can relate to his position," he said.

Mourners, some dressed in traditional green and brown outfits, added wreaths to the dozens put outside the government headquarters since shortly after his fatal car accident in the early hours of Oct. 11.

Some queued silently for hours on Friday to pay tribute at his closed coffin, placing official photographs of the tanned and casually clothed Haider among red candles.

"He wasn't just a politician, he was a friend to everyone," said 27-year-old Yvonne Graessl. "He really looked after people in a personal way, to see if he could help them or not."