VIENNA: Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, a key figure of the European far-right, resigned on Saturday after explosive revelations came to light from a hidden camera sting, just days before key EU elections.

“I tendered my resignation as vice-chancellor of Austria to Chancellor Kurz, and he accepted this decision,” an emotional Strache said in a televised statement which almost certainly marks the end of his career.

Media reports emerged on Friday alleging that Strache promised public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer he met on the island of Ibiza a few months before 2017’s parliamentary elections in Austria.

Germany’s Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung published hidden-camera recordings of the sophisticated sting operation at a luxury villa.

On Saturday Strache, 49, insisted he was the “victim of a targeted political attack”, which had used illegal means to entrap him, but that he was leaving in order to avoid further damage to the government.

Rumours were rife that Chancellor Sebastian Kurz might push for early elections. About a thousand demonstrators gathered in front of the chancellery building, demanding the resignation of the government as a whole.

Some held signs that read: “Sebastian, your government, your responsibility.”

‘Stupid, irresponsible’

In the recordings Strache and his party’s group leader in parliament, Johann Gudenus, are seen discussing with a woman purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch how she can invest in Austria.

Strache insisted on Saturday that he had not met the woman again after the meeting in the villa, nor did his party receive any funds from her.

“What I said, seen from a sober point of view, was a catastrophe,” he admitted.

“Yes, it was stupid. Yes, it was irresponsible. Yes, it was a mistake,” he said, describing what he did as “alcohol-influenced macho behaviour”.

He appeared close to tears as he apologised to his family, friends and supporters, in particular his wife as he had tried to impress his “attractive host”.

Strache also announced that he was stepping down as head of his far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) with Transport Minister Norbert Hofer temporarily taking over the party leadership.

Gudenus has also resigned from all his political positions.

In the recordings, the woman posing as an oligarch’s niece says she specifically wants to gain control of the country’s largest-circulation tabloid, the Krone Zeitung.

Strache is seen suggesting that new owners could make staff changes at the Krone and use the paper to help his Freedom Party (FPOe) in its election campaign.

He goes on to suggest the woman would then be able to gain access to public contracts.

Both the newspapers that published the footage say they don’t have any firm information over who set up the elaborate sting.

Elsewhere in the video Strache evokes the possibility of privatising part of Austria’s public broadcaster ORF and says he would like Austria’s media landscape to resemble that of neighbouring Hungary.

Hungary’s right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban has overhauled the country’s public media into a government propaganda organ while allies have steadily bought up swathes of the private media sector.

The FPOe has mounted repeated attacks on the ORF’s coverage, accusing it of being biased against the party.

In the video Strache also appeared to hint at possible ways political donations could be made to a foundation linked to the FPOe and not to the party directly, apparently in order to escape legal scrutiny.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2019