The secret recording that sparked a crisis

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) has pulled out of the ruling coalition amid a political crisis triggered by a secret recording featuring two leading party figures.

In the video, from 2017, FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache appears to offer government contracts to a woman in exchange for electoral support.

Mr Strache resigned as vice-chancellor but protested his innocence.

President Alexander Van der Bellen later fired FPÖ Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, who does not feature in the video, prompting other ministers to resign en masse.

Many questions about the video itself remain unanswered: it is not clear who recorded it or how it was offered to German media outlets Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

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