According to a media report, the FPÖ may have received money from a Russian PR agent to introduce a pro-Russian motion to the National Council. Because hacked emails from a “Russian chief propagandist” contain a document in Russian titled “Resolution on the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions in the Austrian parliament”. A corresponding application was even submitted in July 2016.
The draft resolution was submitted by Johannes Hübner a few weeks after the email contact, reports the magazine “Profil”. According to the document, the costs were estimated at 20,000 euros – an additional 15,000 euros if the vote was successful. However, the draft resolution was rejected in the Austrian parliament. It is unclear whether any money actually came in. Hübner, who is now a member of the Federal Council, left a “profile” request unanswered.
“A Little Bomb”
The case first came public in March 2022: a New Lines Magazine report on Russia’s ties to right-wing parties in Europe also mentioned the FPÖ. The American newspaper referred to documents from the Russian organization “Tsargrad”, which contained the sensitive Russian document about the planned resolution and Hübner’s name. Now the underlying e-mail traffic has also become public. According to “Profil” editor Jakob Winter “a small bomb”.
FPÖ: No money received
When asked by APA, an FPÖ spokesperson referred to an earlier reply from March last year, according to which neither Hübner nor other FPÖ MPs had received any money. The fact is that the party maintained a friendly relationship with Putin’s United Russia party. In December 2016, the then party leadership concluded a cooperation agreement, but it was allowed to expire at the end of 2021 without being extended. There are still calls for an end to sanctions against Russia.
Criticism came from the Greens on Friday afternoon. “The FPÖ conducts politics in Austria for the interests of Russia and acts as a Russian propaganda and lobbying association in the Austrian National Council. The interests of the Austrians take a backseat to the FPÖ,” Michel Reimon, the Greens’ spokesperson for Europe, said in a broadcast. He called on the FPÖ and all its upstream organizations to “make public all flows of money from Russia” and announced that he would submit a statement of facts if the FPÖ did not comply with the request.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
