Schwarzenegger heads to Europe
24/06/2007 10:01  - (SA)  

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Sacramento - California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will make a surprise visit to his Austrian hometown on Sunday, returning for the first time since he severed official ties with the city two years ago following a flap over his position on the death penalty.

Schwarzenegger left California on Saturday - a day earlier than expected - for a trip to Paris and London to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Schwarzenegger also decided to fly to Graz, Austria, to visit friends, said Aaron McLear, the governor's press secretary.

It was unclear whether Schwarzenegger would make any public appearances in Graz.

In 2005, Graz authorities stripped Schwarzenegger's name from the city's soccer stadium after he refused to block the execution of a convicted California gang founder.

Capital punishment is illegal throughout the European Union, and many in Schwarzenegger's hometown - the official slogan of which is the "City of Human Rights" - considered Schwarzenegger's actions barbaric.

Schwarzenegger actually ordered his name be removed from the stadium, a pre-emptive move before city leaders held a scheduled vote to do so. He also returned Graz's highest award, its ring of honor, which was given to him by city officials in 1999. In a letter to the city two years ago, Schwarzenegger said the ring had "lost its meaning and value to me."

Graz officials also removed all references to Schwarzenegger from the city's Web site.

Schwarzenegger was born in 1947 in the village of Thal, just outside Graz, where he began his bodybuilding career. He emigrated to the United States in 1968 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1984, but has retained his Austrian citizenship.

After leaving Austria, Schwarzenegger will meet with Sarkozy on Monday in Paris.

Following the meeting with Sarkozy, Schwarzenegger is scheduled to travel to London and hold a private meeting on Tuesday with Blair on his last full day in office.

Blair will step down as prime minister on June 27 and be replaced by British treasury chief Gordon Brown.

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