- Title: Austria's disgraced ex vice-chancellor becomes full-time family man
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF HEINZ-CHRISTIAN STRACHE, FORMER AUSTRIAN VICE CHANCELLOR OF THE FAR-RIGHT FREEDOM PARTY (FPO), ARRIVING FOR STATEMENT VARIOUS OF STRACHE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) FORMER FPO VICE CHANCELLOR, HEINZ-CHRISTIAN STRACHE, SAYING: "Today, two days after the election, I would like to announce with a heavy heart that I will take a leave of absence from my Freedom Party membership until further notice and until the legal clarification of the accusations against me." STRACHE SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) FORMER FPO VICE CHANCELLOR, HEINZ-CHRISTIAN STRACHE, SAYING: "This means that I not only take a leave of absence from my party membership. Effective today I will also end all political activities and I will no longer seek any political office or post." STRACHE SPEAKING CAMERA LENS (SOUNDBITE) (German) FORMER FPO VICE CHANCELLOR, HEINZ-CHRISTIAN STRACHE, SAYING: "My wife often gives the impression that she is strong and composed but I know how she is currently feeling and I don't want to see her suffering another second. My wife, my two older children but above all our nine-month-old son are my anchor and I now want to be there for them and that's what I want to concentrate on." MOBILE PHONE IN PERSON'S HAND FILMING STRACHE (SOUNDBITE) (German) FORMER FPO VICE CHANCELLOR, HEINZ-CHRISTIAN STRACHE, SAYING: "Everything started with the so-called Ibiza scandal. I later paid the highest possible price and gave up all my political responsibilities. But what was worse for me was the fact that I disappointed my voters and I would like to apologise for my mistakes one more time." REPORTERS AND CAMERA CREWS VARIOUS OF STRACHE LEAVING
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 10:31
- Keywords: FPO Heinz-Christian Strache Vienna snap election coalition Sebastian Kurz chancellor
- Location: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
- City: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
- Country: Austria
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9KTON
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Austria's former vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) said on Tuesday (October 1) he was taking a leave of absence from the party and would no longer run for any political office in order to spend more time with his young son and wife who he said was "suffering."
His announcement came two days after snap elections in Austria which were necessary following the collapse in May of then Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's coalition with the FPO.
A video sting scandal forced Strache to step down and brought down Kurz's government.
Strache resigned in May after German media published secretly filmed footage from a 2017 dinner party in Ibiza at which he met a woman posing as a Russian oligarch's niece and appeared to offer to fix state contracts.
Anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating Strache on suspicion of breach of trust.
Strache said he would remain absent from politics "until further notice and until the legal clarification of the accusations against me".
(Production: Ayhan Uyanik, Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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