POLITICAL CRISIS IN AUSTRIA: FOUR MAIN CONCLUSIONS

Photo: LIGA.net 

On May 10-11, influential German periodicals published a video of a recorded private conversation between the Vice-Chancellor of Austria, the leader of the right-radical Freedom Party Heinz-Christian Strache and an unknown wealthy Russian woman, the niece of one of the Moscow oligarchs. On video both discussed prospects of cooperation, but in not really legitimate form. The Russian woman offered Austrian politician to provide informational and financial support in the elections to the European Parliament, in which the Freedom Party takes part. Strache himself willingly talked about it and even offered to make a deal: he will help her to buy the share of the largest Austrian tabloid Kronen-Zeitung and to promote her business in every way, and she will provide him with support during the elections.