Interesting read about how Putin used Austrian far right to dismantle the Austrian intelligence service and how the leader of that action is now positioned to become the leader of Austria. Disturbing how easy it is to influence the populace to turn on itself and how that seems to be playing out here. Putin hijacked Austria’s spy service. Now he’s going after its government – POLITICO Last month, Austrian prosecutors revealed that the men believed to have laid the groundwork for the action were Russian agents directed by Jan Marsalek, the fugitive former chief operating officer of the collapsed payment processing firm Wirecard, who authorities say works for Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency. The suggestion of a Moscow-led conspiracy is explosive for a number of reasons. For one, it appears to have nearly succeeded. Were it not for the so-called Ibiza scandal in 2019 (in which the FPÖ’s then-leader was caught on video trying to sell political influence to a woman he believed to be the niece of a Russian oligarch), there may have been nothing to stop the plan from coming to fruition. Instead, the Ibiza affair triggered the government’s collapse, pushing the FPÖ into opposition where it has remained since. Most worrying, however, is that the man ultimately responsible for the BVT raid, then-Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, now heads the FPÖ — which makes him a leading candidate to become Austria’s next chancellor after elections later this year. Though seasoned political observers insist Austria won’t become a Russian vassal under the FPÖ, a Kickl chancellorship would still play into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hands, allowing the Kremlin to exert more influence over the country behind the scenes, and echoing its success in co-opting the likes of Hungary and Serbia. “Putin would naturally be pleased by the ambiguity about Austria’s position on Ukraine and the EU that Kickl would bring,” said Christian Rainer, a veteran Austrian publisher and commentator. “The danger for Austria is that it would be completely isolated.”
Took a while, but at least we're finally starting to see some of what Trump meant when he said there would be so much winning. Trump voters must certainly be pleased.
Europe as a whole is getting a bit more right. Upcoming elections for the European Parliament are expected to have at least 30% Far Right Putinesque Fascist elements
Austria is not relevant, and they have to stay neutral by treaty. This worries me not at all. Now if Germany, France, and/or the UK went in that direction, that would be a bigger deal.
Quote of the month! It's happened many times in history, and you're absolutely right about it happening here. "United" is gradually being removed from our country name.
