in Order to better combat terrorism, serious crime and foreign påverkansförsök exchange western security services information with each other. But then a period of time, the austrian secret service, BVT has become increasingly isolated from the cooperation. The reason is that a number of countries to suspect that such information is sent on to Russia.
the Uk and the Netherlands should in principle have stopped to share information to its austrian partner, citing several unnamed sources for the austrian newspaper Der Standard. Amsterdam and London ”does not respond anymore”, says a source to the newspaper.
The Dutch security service AIVD to neither deny or confirm the data.
– We have different degrees of cooperation with different countries, ” says a spokesperson for the public service company of NOS.
respond during the ministry of the interior which is controlled by the right-wing populist and pro-Russian ruling party, the FPÖ. Since more than a decade, the party leadership cultivated close ties to Moscow. 2016 rose, among others, party leader and now vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache to the Kremlin, where he signed a ”vänskapsavtal” with president Vladimir Putin’s party United Russia.
In the agreement promises the parties to inform each other about current issues in both countries, as well as to work for ”for the upbringing of the young generation in a spirit of patriotism and job satisfaction”. When the FREEDOM party took the place of Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) högerkoalition after the elections in 2017 expressed several security experts concern that the party’s close links to the Kremlin could pose a security threat.
Read more: Austria’s flirtation with Moscow worries security experts
In early april, admitted the head of the BVT to the country is no longer participating in the so-called Bern club, which is the informal organisation, where the european special services are exchanging secret information. Where the Swedish security police and its counterpart in the other EU-countries, plus Norway and Switzerland. Swedish Säpo gives evasive answers on the DN’s questions about the frozen cooperation with their austrian colleagues.
” We find it difficult to go into the details of our multilateral cooperation, more than that it is an important part of our work to prevent terrorist attacks and to prevent espionage, writes pressekreteraren Sofia Hellqvist in an email to DN.
as a DN talked with, it has been a poorly hidden secret that Austria is suspected of leaking information to Moscow.
Mode is superallvarligt, ” says the austrian security analyst Gustav Gressel on the phone from Budapest.
He is working at the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations and follows the european security policy, with rising concern. According to him, wants none of the secret services in western countries further sharing of information relating to Russia, to Austria.
“It is as if the Kremlin sitting at regeringsbordet in Vienna,” he says.
Last year, shook the security services of a massive scandal that led to the head of the BVT, Peter Gridling, temporarily taken out of service. The background was a much-publicized search of the headquarters and the home of several high-ranking officials. A large amount of classified material was seized under mysterious circumstances, which aroused suspicions that the raids orchestrated in order to remove materials that show connections to Russia. The incident is still under investigation.
BVT-chief, Peter Gridling is now back in service, and explained recently that the reason that Austria is no longer participating in Bern-the club is to restore the confidence that has been damaged in connection with the transaction. He also criticized the ”speculation” in the media, which according to him leads to confidence in the business eroded further.
a range of the events have occurred which sharpened tensions between the EU member states and Russia. Nervgiftattacken 2018 against the Russian dubbelagenten Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the Uk caused a severe diplomatic crisis between the countries. After Russia identified as responsible for the attack said a number of EU countries to expel a large number of Russian diplomats who were accused of being spies.
Austria was one of the few EU countries that have not acted. The government referred, inter alia, to the country’s neutrality and the desire to be a bridge between the east and the west. A few months later invited the country’s minister for foreign affairs Karin Kneissl, recruited by the FREEDOM party, Vladimir Putin for his wedding. Many remember the images of how she kneels for the Russian president.
Austria’s foreign minister Karin Kneissl dancing with Vladimir Putin during his wedding in the last year. Photo: ROLAND SCHLAGER / POOL
Even in Germany, there is growing concern over the neighbouring country’s overtures to Russia. Already last winter, said a source close to chancellor Angela Merkel that she is concerned that the FPÖ leaking information from western security services to Moscow. Must therefore expect to no longer be a part of the sensitive information, the newspaper reported the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung then. It was denied quickly by Merkel’s spokesperson, but similar concerns have since heard from several directions.
Among other things, the Finnish security service Supo have clearly highlighted against its austrian counterpart. It shows a leaked document that the weekly Falter published in the winter. In the letter to their european partners are asking the country for help in the investigation of the Russian spies, but calls on countries to share information ”with all except Austria”. For DN to Supo neither deny or confirm information or answer the question, if the document is genuine.
– Unfortunately, the details surrounding our international cooperation declassified, writes presskommunikatören Minna Passi in an email.
But the security analyst Gustav Gressel, assuming that the document is genuine.
– Otherwise, had the finns quickly denied its authenticity. It’s incredibly embarrassing to the secret documents leaking from a security service, ” he says.