The term "liberal" in the 19th century is full of misleading confusion, especially in central Europe.
For example, support for regional traditions and local power centres was a conservative position, in support of the historical crown lands, which often sat astride ethnic borders.
Liberals and progressives often saw themselves in the tradition of the French Revolution and supported centralization and unitarism. One explicitely liberal plan for the reform of AH intended to create over hundred departments that would avoid crossing ethnic borders whenever possible, but that would certain not unite all members of an ethnic group in one department.
Rudolf was in favor of the german liberal party and Jewish emancipation (and disliked Grossdeutsch nationalists), but also was in favor of the Magyars in Hungary. So, unlike FF, he probably would not try to change the 1867 that much, unless he had to. He disliked Prussia and explicitely Wilhelm II, whose accession to the German imperial throne is said to have been one of the factors leading to Rudolfs suicide. AFAIK, Rudolf had Francophile tendencies, but I cannot see him bringing A-H into a anti-German Alliance with France. Fra.+AH vs. Ger.+Rus. would certainly be ... interesting.
