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Austrian government in crisis over secret Strache footage Austrian government in crisis over secret Strache footage
(30 minutes later)
Austria’s coalition government has been plunged into crisis after a video appeared to show the vice-chancellor and far-right leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, promising public contracts to a fake Russian backer in return for campaign help.Austria’s coalition government has been plunged into crisis after a video appeared to show the vice-chancellor and far-right leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, promising public contracts to a fake Russian backer in return for campaign help.
Government sources said the chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, was to meet Strache on Saturday morning but had ruled out any further cooperation with his deputy after the footage was published by Germany’s Der Spiegel Suddeutsche Zeitung on Friday.Government sources said the chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, was to meet Strache on Saturday morning but had ruled out any further cooperation with his deputy after the footage was published by Germany’s Der Spiegel Suddeutsche Zeitung on Friday.
The papers said the hidden-camera recordings took place in a luxury Ibiza villa in July 2017, months before the parliamentary elections that brought Kurz’s conservative Austrian People’s party and Strache’s Freedom party (FPO) to power.The papers said the hidden-camera recordings took place in a luxury Ibiza villa in July 2017, months before the parliamentary elections that brought Kurz’s conservative Austrian People’s party and Strache’s Freedom party (FPO) to power.
The recordings show Strache, who took over as leader of the nationalist party in 2005, AND its parliamentary group leader, Johann Gudenus, talking to a woman purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch about how she can invest in Austria. The recordings show Strache, who took over as leader of the nationalist party in 2005, and its parliamentary group leader, Johann Gudenus, talking to a woman purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch about how she can invest in Austria.
The woman says she is interested in gaining control of the country’s largest-circulation tabloid, the Krone Zeitung, to which Strache replies that after staff changes at the paper it could help the FPO in the election campaign. The woman says she is interested in gaining control of the country’s largest-circulation tabloid, the Krone Zeitung, to which Strache replies that after staff changes at the paper it could help the FPO in its election campaign.
Strache is also filmed saying the woman would then be able to gain access to public contracts. Both newspapers said they had no clear and corroborated information about who had set up the elaborate sting operation.Strache is also filmed saying the woman would then be able to gain access to public contracts. Both newspapers said they had no clear and corroborated information about who had set up the elaborate sting operation.
The vice-chancellor admitted the meeting took place, but denied any wrongdoing, telling the Suddeutsche Zeitung that “a lot of alcohol was consumed as the evening progressed” and that there was a “high language barrier” during the conversation.The vice-chancellor admitted the meeting took place, but denied any wrongdoing, telling the Suddeutsche Zeitung that “a lot of alcohol was consumed as the evening progressed” and that there was a “high language barrier” during the conversation.
The FPO co-chair, Christian Hafenecker, said lawyers were considering the party’s response. Neither Strache nor the party ever received or were granted any benefits from the persons concerned, he said in a statement, adding that since the video was “obviously recorded illegally, we are also preparing appropriate legal steps”. The FPO co-chair, Christian Hafenecker, said lawyers were considering the party’s response. Neither Strache nor the party received or were granted any benefits from the persons concerned, he said in a statement, adding that since the video was “obviously recorded illegally, we are also preparing appropriate legal steps”.
There were immediate calls from opposition parties for Strache to resign. The Socialist party said Gudenus should go too, describing the footage as Austria’s biggest post-war scandal, while the liberal NEOS party said fresh parliamentary elections were now unavoidable.There were immediate calls from opposition parties for Strache to resign. The Socialist party said Gudenus should go too, describing the footage as Austria’s biggest post-war scandal, while the liberal NEOS party said fresh parliamentary elections were now unavoidable.
Austrian media said the coalition was as good as finished, although FPO party sources were reported to be likely to offer to replace Strache in an attempt to save it. Austrian media said the coalition was unlikely to survive, although FPO party sources were reported to be likely to offer to replace Strache in an attempt to save it.
“The FPO is finished,” ran the headline in the Krone Zeitung. Die Presse said the coalition was on the brink. “This is huge. This has to be the end of Heinz-Christian Strache,” the political analyst Thomas Hofer said.“The FPO is finished,” ran the headline in the Krone Zeitung. Die Presse said the coalition was on the brink. “This is huge. This has to be the end of Heinz-Christian Strache,” the political analyst Thomas Hofer said.
The FPO’s lead candidate in next week’s European parliament elections, Harald Vilimsky, cancelled a planned trip on Saturday to Milan where he was due to take part in a campaign event launching an alliance of European far-right parties led by the Italian interior minister, Matteo Salvini.The FPO’s lead candidate in next week’s European parliament elections, Harald Vilimsky, cancelled a planned trip on Saturday to Milan where he was due to take part in a campaign event launching an alliance of European far-right parties led by the Italian interior minister, Matteo Salvini.
In the video, Strache, whose party’s first leader was a former SS officer, also ponders the part-privatisation of Austria’s public broadcaster, saying the media should be more like the pro-government mouthpiece it has become in neighbouring Hungary. In the video, Strache, whose party’s first leader was a former SS officer, also ponders the part-privatisation of Austria’s public broadcaster, saying it should be more like the pro-government mouthpiece state media has become in neighbouring Hungary.
He also appeared to suggest political donations might be made through an FPO-linked foundation which has signed a cooperation agreement with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, rather than the party itself, apparently in order to escape legal scrutiny. He also appeared to suggest political donations might be made through a foundation with links to the FPO rather than the party itself, apparently in order to escape legal scrutiny.
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