Heinz-Christian Strache makes clean break from politics in wake of Austrian election

Published by carolyn on Tue, 2019-10-01 15:23

Heinz-Christan Strache, former Austrian vice-chancellor and party leader of the Austrian FPÖ announces his departure from politics altogether on Tuesday, Oct. 1st in Vienna, Austria.


By Carolyn Yeager

FORMER AUSTRIAN VICE-CHANCELLOR, STRACHE ANNOUNCED Tuesday morning that he is withdrawing from politics and suspending his membership in Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ) that he has led for the past 14 years.

“Out of loyalty for my supporters, it is essential that I avert any further damage to the Freedom Party and prevent any internal divisions," Strache said in a Vienna press conference.

Strache was the victim of a sting operation involving secret sound and video devices planted in a vacation home he rented with his wife and another couple in Ibiza, Spain in July 2017 just months before the national elections that propelled him into the government headed by Sebastian Kurz. In that election, the FPÖ won 27% of the vote. On Sunday his party's vote share was down to 16%. Strache had accepted responsibility for his carelessness in 2017 by immediately resigning as vice-chancellor and leader of the Freedom party. After this further loss of voter support in Sunday's election, Strache has now withdrawn entirely in order not to damage the party's future prospects.

In the last week of campaigning before Sunday's voting, accusations of financial mismanagement of party donations by Strache emerged with a vengeance. The Party had no time to investigate and answer the charges. Party leaders believe this contributed to a lower vote share than was expected.

The question now is with whom will Sebastian Kurz form a coalition government. Kurz's People's Party (OeVP) won 37% of the vote, an increase over two years ago. He's known not to get along with either the Social Democrats or the Greens.

Norbert Hofer as the new FPÖ party leader said on Sunday night that his party would prefer to sit on opposition benches. "A party needs to learn from the mistakes of the past and rebuild itself," he said. Herbert Kickl, party secretary, also pointed to a need for “recovery” time.

“... after the [post-election] reproaches have been dealt with, we will start the voter recovery project with fresh energy. In view of the shift to the left, a strong FPÖ is all the more necessary. We are facing up to this responsibility.”

In his Tuesday press conference, Strache said he was the victim of a conspiracy against his party. I would concur with that, most definitely.

Listen to my podcast with Sven Longshanks at The Daily Nationalist on this topic.

Category 

Austria

Comments

Before researching the Heinz-Christian Stache Ibeza scandal, just one look at his photo indicated to me his corruption. Logic informs that Strache's corruption was well known in Austria in both political and media circles. But they, (someone), needed evidence, and so the highly elaborate secret instalation of the video cameras and microphones at the villa. In the circumstances it was wholly justified. Politics and governments are dens of thieves and fraudsters in every country, but more so in some countries. How can it be prevented? The Strache entrapment was perfect. But what should really happen now is for legal staps to be instituted against him for corruption. Governments are formed for the benefit and protection of the people and their country. Therefore, all government members should act with integrity and beyond reproach - as powerful symbols of positive example to the people. To clean up the stench and filth of governments and politics generally it is necessary to do what the police secretly do, although illegally, to entrap criminals - sting operations. A special law should be created for the purpose of cleaning up politics using sting operations. 

Oh Philip - "One look" at this photo tells you he is corrupt. And "logic" tells you that everyone in Austria knew of his corruption and that was the reason for bugging his vacation house.

No facts, no detailed evidence, nothing at all. I'm sure you never followed the man's career and know little about him. But you're on a tear about govt corruption in general. Okay, fine, but just know that what you say sounds extremely naive for the reasons I gave. Do you know that in most western countries it is illegal to secretly record other's private conversations and not admissible as evidence in courts? It's actually a Stasi or Big Brother environment to have to fear being secretly recorded everywhere you go.

Carolyn, I am sure you are aware of the natural human ability that many people have, but few realise or even admit to, which is called intuition or instinct. Facial expressions and eyes often demonstrate the inner or hidden character of an individual. Although some people learn to cover up with smiles and exagerated expressions. Many police detectives and interrogators and even military interrogators know this. It is known in psychology and forms part of their training of understanding human psychology. And please, try to get your facts right - I did not write "everyone in Austria knew of his corruption." I wrote that it was well known in government and certain media circles - which was precisely WHY the sting operation was put into motion. I know perfectly well about the laws in most western countries making it illegal to bug someone in private conversation. Nevertheless, it is done clanestinely by some police and security personnel. Have you any real understanding of how governments and laws are created? It seems not! The illegal bugging laws were formulated to protect the very people who implemented them - protecting them from finding out about their corruption. If you have any understanding of how governments or big business operates you would not write such a comment. If menbers of government were open and honerable they would not fear being secretly recorded. That's logical!

All you're doing here, Philip, is stating your hate and distrust of government elites. You have no specific information about H-C Strache. You say I didn't get my facts right - you have no facts. You wrote:

Strache's corruption was well known in Austria in both political and media circles. But they, (someone), needed evidence, and so the highly elaborate secret instalation of the video cameras and microphones at the villa.

If it was "well-known" then please give links to some actual stories in the news that spoke of his actual corruption beyond mere politically-inspired accusations. Most of us are a little corrupt if given the chance. I have my doubts that you know much about him or his party. I checked back to my post about the scandal when it broke (only 6 months ago and which I linked to in this article) and you had not commented on it although you comment on quite a few other of my "Germany" posts.

In your opinion, is the rest of the party corrupt, or just Strache?

Carolyn, have you 'always' been so unnecessarily objectionably contradictory about simple human observations? I made comments based upon common observational  intelligence and analysis of circumstances. If you didn't like or agree with it, all you needed to do was to write that you disagree, and that would be it. But instead, you twist clear intelligent sentences into false assumptions, acusations and claims based upon your own misguided perception about life! That is your life!

I have twisted nothing. But you have failed to provide any evidence at all for YOUR wild accusation that Strache is corrupt as hell, which you can tell from seeing his face in one photograph. You don't want to be challenged, yet now you're telling me my 'perception about life' is misguided and I'm "unnecessarily objectionably contradictory" because I've challenged you.

It's quite hilarious. Maybe you shouldn't take yourself so seriously, Philip.

Please simply give us a list of which muppets we need to elect and trust in because you seem to know everything better no matter the country.
 
Since you are pro Trump and obviously know everything better than I do even concerning my German homeland, how do you defend the leader of your homeland and his close ties to child rapist Epstein?
 
Wait, you don't even have to. Just censor me again because this is how you "win" debates here.

Who do YOU think Germans should vote for in "your German homeland"? I think your recommendation is not to vote. Do you have some idea of what that will accomplish?

Yes, I am pro-Trump, and if you think that because Trump once flew on Epstein's airplane that should disqualify him, I'll just say that you are childish. Do you have any understanding whatsoever of what is going on in the USA?

Since you say you live in Germany, my recommendation is that you should vote for the AfD - whomever is on your ballot where you live. I am most definitely going to vote for Trump and Republicans. The political scene is not what I would like it to be, but it is what it is.

The European Court of Human Rights has held in a unanimous decision announced on October 3 that denial of the Holocaust is not protected by European Convention on Human Rights provisions on freedom of expression.
The court’s ruling was announced in an application brought by Udo Pastörs, a former member of a regional legislature in Germany.

I found this very informative news story: https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/10/03/landmark-ruling-by-european-court-holocaust-denial-is-not-protected-by-the-european-convention-on-human-rights/

It tells us that the European Union is controlled by Jewish interests, and since the UN and the USA also are, then what in our whole world is not?