Austria’s political crisis refocus attention on the far right’s ties to Russia
By Souad Mekhennet and Souad Mekhennet Reporter covering national security, Middle East, North Africa, terrorism, Europe. Email Bio Follow Rick Noack Rick Noack Foreign affairs reporter focusing on Europe and international security Email Bio Follow May 21 at 12:45 PM The collapse of Austria’s governing coalition marked the end of a political venture that critics say appeared doomed from the start.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in on the turmoil, saying Europe needed to “stand up decisively” to right-wing populists, who have gained support across the continent in recent years on a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment.“There were many situations that were hard for me to put up with,” Kurz said, listing recent scandals involving the Freedom Party, including its ties to other far-right groups and a poem published by a party official that compared migrants with rats.
Rise of a far-right politician For many Austrians, Strache was an unlikely pick for vice chancellor in the first place. Photographs also show Strache surrounded by men who would later go on to become members in right-wing extremist and often violent groups. Under Strache, it returned to its more extreme roots — a strategy that paid off in terms of support, especially as more refugees began arriving in Austria in 2015.
A senior European intelligence official said foreign intelligence agencies suspected the raid “had been an attempt to stop investigations against members of the party who had connections to Russia or right-wing extremist groups.” The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.
But its opponents say extremism is not only ingrained in those groups but also in the Freedom Party itself.
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