Ibiza Affair: Austrian Nationalists Expose Themselves on Camera

[Morifea]

Demanding assimilation is quite authoritarian, according to the modern standards of the civilised world. As long as the state laws are respected, everyone is free to behave as he wishes. The Austrian Constitution guaranteeds the fundamental human right of religious tolerance, so, if the fragile sensitivities of Austrian nationalists are trigerred by minarets, that's hardly the fault of the Muslims. The rates of immigration to Austria are pretty low (not even close to those of countries, like Saudi Arabia, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, whose culture has indeed evolved drastically, as a result of massive immigration) and mostly concern people originating from other parts of Europe, like Germany, Hungary and the former Yugoslav Republics. As a matter of fact, the Freedom Party traditionally panders to the desires of one (if not the) Austria's largest ethnic minority, that of the Serbs. Even if Suleiman the Magnificent and his Janissaries were again outside the gates of Vienna, there is no excuse for every Austrian choosing to vote for a reactionary, chauvinist party, whose leadership always maintained links to Nazism, from when the party was established until nowadays, as Heinz-Christian Strache participated in excursions together with somewhat controversial paramilitaries.

Excellent Post, have some rep.

Same thing with the AFD, they are trying hard to get the Russian-Germans on their Side.

[Heathen Hammer]

And what are the "modern standards of civilized world"? Who gets to define those? Seems like yet another notion that is devoid of any substance.
Just like in case of AFD in Germany and Trump in USA, it seems that criticism of Freedom Party in Austria is lacking actual, well, arguments. I mean corruption argument is legit, but the notion that "you have no excuse for voting for them" signals authoritarian nonsense from very far away, not to mention that we don't really see same people who ran amock with corrupt accusations against FP doing the same in regards to Merkel, Macron and other politicians who are much more corrupt.
After all, the biggest threat to Western democracy isn't nationalism, it is neoliberalism, and corrupt and subversive elites that back it.

[TheLeft]

Its not whataboutism, since we see more evidence of corruption coming from establishment parties. There is a demand for parties like FPO, a pro-establishment parties fail to appeal to electorate. FPO may be corrupt, but they are still better then some generic neoliberal party that would continue appealing to foreigners and billionaires over their own people.

It really is.

Your point was that the FPO, while they are corrupt, are fine because you like the cut of their jib. But let's not worry about that, because it's actually everyone else is far more corrupt because... reasons.

Cognitive Dissonance much?

[Heathen Hammer]

It really is.

Your point was that the FPO, while they are corrupt, are fine because you like the cut of their jib. But let's not worry about that, because it's actually everyone else is far more corrupt because... reasons.

Cognitive Dissonance much?

As I said above, parties like FPO are a lesser evil compared to neolibs or neo-marxist socialist lunatics. Former dragged the West into the mess in which it is right now, and lesser... well, we know how that ended.

[Abdülmecid I]

Your point was that the FPO, while they are corrupt, are fine because you like the cut of their jib. But let's not worry about that, because it's actually everyone else is far more corrupt because... reasons.

The leadership of FPO has a history of shady activities. After Haider was killed while driving drunk*, it was discovered that he had deposited more than 40 millions in secret, shell companies, which were established in the fiscal paradise of the Principalty of Liechtenstein. It is really sad that so many Austrians continue to vote in power an obviously corrupt and hypocritical party with an openly xenophobic and reactionary agenda. This is why I doubt that FPO's influence will be seriously affected by the revelation of the Ibiza scandal. Also, interestingly enough, although the European Union is often accused of of evolving into a reincarnation of a cosmopolitan USSR, Brussels had casually accepted the controversial ruling coalition in Vienna. However, in 2000, the EU had reacted more decisively and imposed symbolic sanctions on Austra, due to Haider having entered the government.

*Since we're talking about vices, I wonder what's the white power on the table before Strache. I hope it's flour and not something more nefarious, because it's the far-left that is supposed to be the decadent hedonists, who will condemn our civilisation to a dystopia of degenerate materialism.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[pchalk]

The leadership of FPO has a history of shady activities. After Haider was killed while driving drunk*, it was discovered that he had deposited more than 40 millions in secret, shell companies, which were established in the fiscal paradise of the Principalty of Liechtenstein. It is really sad that so many Austrians continue to vote in power an obviously corrupt and hypocritical party with an openly xenophobic and reactionary agenda. This is why I doubt that FPO's influence will be seriously affected by the revelation of the Ibiza scandal.

I will agree with you on corruption. It makes the FPÖ less than appealling however I resonate with much of the real reasons Austrians vote for the FPÖ. Find a political party in Austria or several other countries that does not advocate the status quo of the Merkel/Macron brand of the EU. Many don't like it and need an alternative. If you have the luxury of voting for a party that you 100% believe in then good for you. I can't say I have that luxury and don't expect most people do either. Were I Austrian I would be voting FPÖ even after this mess in the EU elections and further elections, at least until a less corrupt party with similar leanings to myself presents itself. So you probably are right that this scandal won't make much of a difference.

Also, interestingly enough, although the European Union is often accused of of evolving into a reincarnation of a cosmopolitan USSR, Brussels had casually accepted the controversial ruling coalition in Vienna. However, in 2000, the EU had reacted more decisively and imposed symbolic sanctions on Austra, due to Haider having entered the government.

Comparing the EU to the USSR is exaggerated to say the least, however the mere fact that they imposed sanctions in 2000 violates Austrian sovereignty and democracy. That they accepted it the 2nd time around doesn't undo the first wrong. It highlights another reason why Austrians would be angered enough to vote FPÖ in the first place. Frankly I think it is sad that this coalition has fallen apart but admitedly the FPÖ party organization have no one to blame but themselves.

[sumskilz]

*Since we're talking about vices, I wonder what's the white power on the table before Strache.

I think you already answered the question with that Freudian slip.

I will agree with you on corruption. It makes the FPÖ less than appealling however I resonate with much of the real reasons Austrians vote for the FPÖ. Find a political party in Austria or several other countries that does not advocate the status quo of the Merkel/Macron brand of the EU. Many don't like it and need an alternative.

Now keep in mind I don't know dick about the internal politics of various backwater countries I can't find on a map, but do they actually offer an alternative or just pay lip service to an alternative in order to enrich themselves?

[Ludicus]

Now keep in mind I don't know dick about the internal politics of various backwater countries I can't find on a map

It's never too late to learn.Austria is located here,




Now seriously, how come you don't know?

Heinz-Christian Strache, the neo-Nazi leader of Austria’s Freedom Party, left, with Yehuda Glick, a leader of the Jewish extremist movement that aims to replace Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque with a Jewish temple, in Vienna,


-----

Even if Suleiman the Magnificent and his Janissaries were again outside the gates of Vienna, there is no excuse for every Austrian choosing to vote for a reactionary, chauvinist party, whose leadership always maintained links to Nazism

Very well said
--
Some would even say that the Ottoman Empire was a founder of multiculturalism, an extremely dangerous infectious disease.

[sumskilz]

Now seriously, how come you don't know?

I was just joking. Austria is the one with kangaroos, right?

Heinz-Christian Strache, the neo-Nazi leader of Austria’s Freedom Party, left, with Yehuda Glick

To be fair, that gingy hangs out with all sorts of odd characters.

Adnan Oktar:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Evidently, he and Glick had a nice iftar meal together during Ramadan.

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

Strache was not an austrian single case.


The Strache circus is of course also a problem for right-wing populists outside of Austria, because the issues raised by the video are a problem for them all across Europe. For months the AfD itself has been tangled up in several party donation scandals involving Alice Weidel, the party's floor leader in German parliament, as well as its leading candidates heading into this weekend's European elections, Meuthen and Guido Reil. Weidel is under scrutiny over a dubious election campaign donation of around 130,000 euros. In Meuthen's case, he is being scrutinized over 90,000 euros from dubious sources used to finance his campaign in a state election in Baden-Württemberg. And there are questions surrounding the nearly 45,000 euros used in a state election campaign in North Rhine-Westphalia for Reil, a member of the AfD's national board.
...
Similar episodes can be found all across Europe. When Marine Le Pen's Front National, now known as Rassemblement National, convened a party conference in Lyon in November 2014, the guest list was similar to that of Salvini's rally in Milan and delegates from Vladimir Putin's United Russia Party also attended. That same year, Le Pen's party had received two loans from Russian banks amounting to 11 million euros to help finance its election campaigns.

Two years later, the French right-wing populists asked Moscow for another 3 million euro loan, but it is unclear whether it was ever granted. There are, though, indications that Marine Le Pen may have promised not to criticize Russia's annexation of the Crimea and to promote Moscow's interests in exchange for the money. The suspicion, which Le Pen denies, is supported by mobile text messages from a well-known and high-ranking Kremlin official, who wrote among other things: "Marine Le Pen has not disappointed our expectations." And: "We will have to thank the French in one way or another."


In Great Britain, the National Crime Agency is investigating suspicions that Brexit leader Nigel Farage received money from Russia through indirect channels. Many consider it probable that the Kremlin sought to manipulate the Brexit vote to destabilize the European Union.

There is a greater amount of urgency surrounding these questions in the aftermath of the Strache-Ibiza video. Are economic interests at stake when Matteo Salvini's Lega party repeatedly advocates an end to the EU's "useless, or even harmful" sanctions against Russia? Do the Greek far-right parties get money for their frequently expressed conviction that there is a "natural alliance" between Greeks and Russians? How does Russia's president exploit the image he enjoys as being one of the last guardians of true values among European groups of both extremes? A leader who seeks to prevent what he describes as a weakened, immoral, decadent EU from prevailing?


https://www.spiegel.de/international...a-1269122.html

[Heathen Hammer]

And of course, not a single mention of Merkel, Macron and their ilk selling their countries over to billionaires. Its not like billionaire-owned corporate propaganda "media" outlets would be biased for interests of billionaires or anything.

[The spartan]

Keep slinging those red herrings as hard as you can HH. Gotta clear some heat off the bogey.

[Ludicus]

I was just joking..Austria is the one with kangaroos, right?.

Oh dear.

[Abdülmecid I]

Yeah, everyone knows that the kangaroo country is New Zealand. As far as I know, feral marsupials caused huge problems to the Lord of the Rings film crew.

Very well said .

Thanks, Ludicus! Regarding Strache's meeting with Mr. Glick, it's interesting to note that the former leader of the FPO has a history of Antisemitic naughtiness. Like most far-right European parties, FPO is probably in a state of internal conflict, hesitating between pandering to its audience's traditional suspicion towards the "International Bolshevik Jewry" and imitating the American conservatives' unnatural obsession with the modern state of Israel. This contradiction is probably another indication of how hypocritically and opportunistically nationalistic parties shape their agendas, depending on the special circumstances.

[Heathen Hammer]

Since the only source is an article under paywall, his "antisemitism" is probably some statement out of context. Also, ironically, the biggest internal conflict is not within democratic nationalist parties, but within neolib parties, who are struggling between the social justice nonsense, that includes mass immigration, and... beliefs of immigrants themselves. Who'd ever thought that an economic migrant from Pakistan or Africa doesn't share your beliefs in LGBTQ stuff.

[pchalk]

Now keep in mind I don't know dick about the internal politics of various backwater countries I can't find on a map, but do they actually offer an alternative or just pay lip service to an alternative in order to enrich themselves?

I believe you may have defined the profession of politician with that question.

[Morifea]

The Vengaboys (90s were a cruel time) are on top of the Austrian iTunes downloads with their Song "We´re going to Ibiza".

Seems like Mike Posner should change his song to "I took a bribe in Ibiza"

[Morticia Iunia Bruti]

"Spiegel" was prophetic:

There is a greater amount of urgency surrounding these questions in the aftermath of the Strache-Ibiza video. Are economic interests at stake when Matteo Salvini's Lega party repeatedly advocates an end to the EU's "useless, or even harmful" sanctions against Russia?

Italy probes ties between Salvini's Lega party and Russia — reports

Prosecutors in Milan were looking into alleged payments from Russia to Matteo Salvini's Lega party, Italian media reported. Salvini has denied taking "a rouble" from Russia and threatened to sue those claiming otherwise.

Italian authorities opened an inquiry relating to populist Lega party and the reports that some of its senior members sought millions in illegal funding from Russia, multiple Italian news outlets reported on Thursday.
Several people have reportedly been questioned in the probe. According to the Italian media, including broadcaster Rai and the AGI news agency, prosecutors in Milan launched an inquiry after weekly L'Espresso first reported on the issue in February.
However, the story only grabbed worldwide attention on Wednesday with a report by Buzzfeed. The US news outlet published an article on what it said was a secret meeting between Lega members and three unidentified Russian men in Moscow, as well as a transcript of the alleged talks.
Read more: Italy's Matteo Salvini shuts what was Europe's biggest migrant center

No money, no vodka

Buzzfeed says one of the men attending the October meeting was Gianluca Savoini, a close aide and former spokesman for Lega leader Matteo Salvini. The men allegedly discuss a Russian company selling oil to Italian energy giant Eni at a large discount and allowing the party to keep part of the difference.
The funds could reach up to $65 million (€57.6 million), according to Buzzfeed's calculations. However, the online news page emphasizes that it was "unclear whether the agreement negotiated at the Metropol hotel was ever executed, or if [Salvini's] Lega received any funding."
Read more: Opinion: The fine art of defusing Italy's budget row
Salvini responded to the Buzzfeed story with anger, saying he has "never taken a rouble, a euro, a dollar, or a liter of vodka in financing from Russia."
He added that he would sue anyone who accused him of such acts.
"I have sued in the past, I will do it again today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he said.
dj/msh (Reuters, AFP, Interfax)

https://www.dw.com/en/italy-probes-t...rts/a-49554133

Arrivederci Mr. Law and Order Man.

[Diocle]

"Spiegel" was prophetic:



Italy probes ties between Salvini's Lega party and Russia — reports

Prosecutors in Milan were looking into alleged payments from Russia to Matteo Salvini's Lega party, Italian media reported. Salvini has denied taking "a rouble" from Russia and threatened to sue those claiming otherwise.

Italian authorities opened an inquiry relating to populist Lega party and the reports that some of its senior members sought millions in illegal funding from Russia, multiple Italian news outlets reported on Thursday.
Several people have reportedly been questioned in the probe. According to the Italian media, including broadcaster Rai and the AGI news agency, prosecutors in Milan launched an inquiry after weekly L'Espresso first reported on the issue in February.
However, the story only grabbed worldwide attention on Wednesday with a report by Buzzfeed. The US news outlet published an article on what it said was a secret meeting between Lega members and three unidentified Russian men in Moscow, as well as a transcript of the alleged talks.
Read more: Italy's Matteo Salvini shuts what was Europe's biggest migrant center

No money, no vodka

Buzzfeed says one of the men attending the October meeting was Gianluca Savoini, a close aide and former spokesman for Lega leader Matteo Salvini. The men allegedly discuss a Russian company selling oil to Italian energy giant Eni at a large discount and allowing the party to keep part of the difference.
The funds could reach up to $65 million (€57.6 million), according to Buzzfeed's calculations. However, the online news page emphasizes that it was "unclear whether the agreement negotiated at the Metropol hotel was ever executed, or if [Salvini's] Lega received any funding."
Read more: Opinion: The fine art of defusing Italy's budget row
Salvini responded to the Buzzfeed story with anger, saying he has "never taken a rouble, a euro, a dollar, or a liter of vodka in financing from Russia."
He added that he would sue anyone who accused him of such acts.
"I have sued in the past, I will do it again today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," he said.
dj/msh (Reuters, AFP, Interfax)

https://www.dw.com/en/italy-probes-t...rts/a-49554133

Arrivederci Mr. Law and Order Man.

Wow! Buzzfed! What a fear!
If the story grows (as I hope) it will be the best way to push Salvini to reach the 40/45% in the polls! Italians deeply love Valdimir Putin for many good reasons, Salvini's voters (I'm one of them) are in deep love with Zar Putin!

Italians' approval of Angela trembling Merkel, Vladimir Putin and The Donald:



Northern League voters' approval of Angela trembling Merkel, Valdimir Putin and The Donald:


source


Salvini is today quoted at 35%, the immigrants are stopped, the boats requisited, slave traders are under under investigation and will be processed: addio my dear!

[Dismounted Feudal Knight]

There may be worse parties and circumstances, but this thread is focused on one of them, and 'what about x, y and z' is thus pretty irrelevant. For the subject itself,

That party's been making missteps for some time now, perhaps this is the one that slips into the grave. Nothing wrong with shady parties going down the drain.