Austria's right-wing coalition government had been under mounting pressure, even before news of the scandal broke.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz addresses the media Saturday in Vienna. By Rick Noack and Rick Noack Foreign affairs reporter focusing on Europe and international security Email Bio Follow Souad Mekhennet Souad Mekhennet Reporter covering national security, Middle East, North Africa, terrorism, Europe.
But the meeting appeared to be a political sting. The woman was not the niece a prominent Russian businessman, as she claimed. The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung and the weekly Der Spiegel published clips of the video on Friday, but did not say how they were obtained or how it was made. As one of Europe’s highest-profile far-right leaders, Strache shaped Austrian politics for years and was also considered to be an influential voice abroad, where he was known for his anti-immigration stance among European counterparts.
His critics argue that Kurz’s rapid ascent in Austrian politics and his efforts to rise to the top office resulted in serious mistakes, including the decision to hand the Freedom Party control of the Interior Ministry after the 2017 elections. The ministry is responsible for overseeing the domestic intelligence agency responsible for right-wing and Islamist extremism investigations.
The party and Strache, its leader since 2005, also stand accused of creating a culture in which extremists feel safe to voice xenophobic or anti-Semitic remarks, critics say.
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