I'm staying with my party, and our president has to decide to what extent

Joerg Haider

Speaking after crisis talks with the Freedom Party leadership in Vienna on Sunday, Mr Haider said he was at his party's disposal, but would no longer sit on the governing coalition policy-making committee.

The former leader of the party, which is a member of the country's governing coalition, quit at the end of last week after being criticised for a controversial visit to Iraq.

Riess-Passer said Haider would play an advisory role

The party's current leader, Vice-Chancellor Susanne Riess-Passer, who cut short a visit to the United States to attend the meeting, says Mr Haider will now play an advisory role.

"He will work on the national level as far as we agree upon, and if I find it necessary, he will support us in any way possible."

She has stressed that Mr Haider is an integral part of the party.

Opposition politicians say Mr Haider's resignation was a smoke screen to deflect attention from the real problems his party faces and he will now have a free rein to interfere in Austrian politics.

Shock visit

The announcement he was retiring caused considerable confusion in Austria as to the future of both Mr Haider and the Freedom Party which, under his leadership, became one of the most successful far-right movements in Europe.

Mr Haider was criticised for visiting Iraq

Mr Haider stepped down as leader two years ago after his party entered its highly controversial government coalition.

But he remained a member of the coalition's policy-making committee and has been criticised even by his own party for interfering too much in the work of the government.

Last week, Mr Haider came under fire from all sides for meeting the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, in Baghdad.

And then, on Friday, Mr Haider declared he was leaving the national stage for good - a move which caused shockwaves throughout the party.