BERLIN — Austria’s far-right vice chancellor resigned on Saturday after a secretly filmed video showed him promising government contracts to a woman claiming to be the niece of a Russian oligarch in return for campaign finance, raising questions about whether Russia has a direct line to a government in the heart of Europe. The video was the worst in a series of missteps that have threatened the stability of Austria’s governing coalition. It has also raised concerns about whether Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache’s Freedom Party has been helping Chancellor Sebastian Kurz govern with an active agenda to undermine liberal democracy in the country. Across the Continent, far-right, populist leaders are campaigning hard before next week’s elections for the European Parliament and seem poised to increase their share in the chamber. Not long ago, these far-right parties were on the fringes of European politics, but like Austria’s Freedom Party, several are now part of coalition governments.

Source: New York Times May 18, 2019 11:07 UTC