VIENNA: A low-key announcement on Monday signalled the gradual demise of one of Europe's most turbulent political careers.

A brief statement announced the dissolution of "Club Joerg" - the fan club of right-wing Freedom Party (FP) strongman Joerg Haider aimed at bringing him back as party leader.

The inner circle of about 6,000 members never gave up hope in one setback after another. The FP went through leadership struggles and a rapid decline. Haider meanwhile continued to govern his modest if scenic Alpine province of Carinthia. But many believed he was biding his time. Only this summer did their hopes finally crumble. Instead of taking the leadership himself, Haider put forward his sister had made it clear he was no longer interested.

On Monday "Club Joerg" president Harald Fischl said it was being disbanded because its goal had become "obsolete". There was "no grudge" against Haider. "We still stand by him", said Fischl.

Others were less gentle. In past months the man once described as "Europe's most dangerous politician" was challenged by party colleagues 20 years his junior, notably hard line rightist FP leader in Vienna Heinz-Christian Strache.

Observers said the once-feared young lion Haider, still aged just 54, looked moderate and middle-aged. He seemed largely content with the privileged, provincial life of governor over half a million people.

Throughout his career, Joerg Haider was always a politician of arrivals and departures. One day he talked about being chancellor or president, or perhaps leading a rightist European faction. They next day he said he was quitting politics altogether, only to promptly return.

In the late 1980's and early 90's his direction was steadily up. In 1986 he took over his FP with just five per cent of the vote and never looked back. His praise of Nazism in the 1990's made him unacceptable to most of Europe and the world. But at the same time in Austria, he staged a populist revolt against the political establishment and brought his party to 27 per cent by 1999.

When the FP joined the government in February 2000, the outraged international reaction was largely due to him. The EU started sanctions, the Israelis withdrew their ambassador. Even the US and countries as far away as Argentina joined the chorus of alarm and condemnation.

Haider seemed poised to take over as Austrian number one. With popularity ratings around 30 per cent in early 2000, the media billed him "Europe's most dangerous politician".

But instead of joining the government himself, he made one of his abrupt changes and stepped down as party leader. When he quit on May 2000, his party had 52 seats in the 183-seat Austrian parliament and half the ministers' posts in the government.

From then on things went steeply down. In 2002 Haider started a dispute in his own ranks and brought down top FP ministers. Conservative Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel seized the opportunity and inflicted a devastating election defeat on his coalition partner.

The decimated FP rejoined the government, but suffered one defeat after another in the provinces. In many cases the clocks were turned back to 1986 with the FP far under 10 per cent.

The only exception was Carinthia, which re-elected Haider as Governor by 42 per cent this year. "Naturally I'll stay in Carinthia", he said in a first reaction. He would "keep his word" to the voters. He would serve his new five-year term, and perhaps then retire aged 59. He had "no ambition" to be national party leader again. -dpa