Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 21 May 2019
Austrian government collapses over Ibiza video scandal

By FRANK JORDANS party.
PHILIPP JENNE The Hamburg-based week-
VIENNA (AP) — Austrian ly Der Spiegel and Munich
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz daily Sueddeutsche Zei-
called time Monday on his tung said the meeting in
coalition government with Ibiza was likely a trap that
the far-right Freedom Party Strache and Gudenus had
after its leader was shown fallen for. The papers re-
on video appearing to of- fused to reveal the source
fer favors to a purported of the video.
Russian investor. Kurz noted that at the time
Kurz said he was seeking the video was shot, Kickl
the removal of the coun- was general-secretary of
try's interior minister, Free- the Freedom Party and
dom Party politician Her- therefore responsible for
bert Kickl, to ensure an its financial conduct. The
unbiased probe into the chancellor added that in
video. his conversations with Kickl
"I'm firmly convinced that and other Freedom Party
what's necessary now is officials following the vid-
total transparency and a Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, of the Austrian People's Party, OEVP, addresses the media eo's release, he "didn't re-
completely and unbiased during a news conference in Vienna, Austria, Monday, May 20, 2019. ally have the feeling (they
investigation," Kurz told re- Associated Press had) an awareness of the
porters in Vienna. dimension of the whole
The Freedom Party reacted resignation on Saturday a Russian tycoon's niece trian newspaper and sup- issue." The ouster of the
by withdrawing its ministers of Freedom Party leader at a boozy gathering in ports the Freedom Party. Freedom Party from the
from the government. Heinz-Christian Strache, Ibiza two years ago, shortly They also discuss ways of government was a set-
"We won't leave anyone who was also Austria's vice before national elections. secretly funneling money back for populist and na-
out in the rain," said the chancellor. Strache and party col- to the party. tionalist forces as Europe
party's interim leader, Nor- That came a day after league Johann Gudenus Gudenus, who was instru- heads into the final days of
bert Hofer. two German newspapers are heard telling the wom- mental in arranging the campaigning for the Euro-
Kickl's removal, which must published a video show- an that she can expect meeting, has quit as leader pean Parliament elections,
still be approved by Aus- ing Strache pandering to lucrative construction con- of the party's parliamentary which run Thursday through
tria's president, follows the a woman claiming to be tracts if she buys an Aus- group and is leaving the Sunday.q

Italy's Salvini furious as 47 migrants land despite his ban

By COLLEEN BARRY ter is not aligned with either
MILAN (AP) — Italy's hard- ruling party.
line Interior Minister Matteo Sea-Watch said its ship was
Salvini threatened possible too big to enter Lampe-
legal action Monday after dusa, requiring the transfer
47 migrants rescued at sea from the Italian vessels, and
by a humanitarian aid ship had been ordered to an-
landed on the southern other port on a "probation-
Italian island of Lampedu- ary confiscation."
sa despite his explicit ban Salvini said the rescue ship
against them. should be taken out of use
The German aid group Sea- permanently and sunk.
Watch said the 47 migrants Salvini has taken a hard-line
were transferred to Lampe- against humanitarian res-
dusa on Sunday evening cue operations, accusing
with the cooperation of the them of aiding migrant traf-
Coast Guard and financial fickers in Libya who pack
police. They were among migrants into unsafe boats
65 migrants rescued off the and launch them into the
coast of Libya last week. dangerous Mediterranean
Salvini had given permis- Sea. His position has cre-
sion for 18 migrants — most- ated numerous standoffs
ly families with young chil- Italian Deputy Premier and Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini, attends an election campaign rally in with fellow European Union
dren — to be brought to Sassuolo, Italy, Sunday, May 19, 2019. nations and humanitarian
land on Friday. But he told Associated Press groups as Europe struggled
a campaign rally that the to decide where to bring
rest would not be allowed will take action, because to them as "deputy human police, had given their ap- the desperate migrants.
into Italy as long as he re- that is aiding and abetting traffickers." proval for the move. The Sea-Watch said it was the
mained on the job. human trafficking." He also questioned wheth- transport minister belongs fourth migrant disembarka-
Salvini reacted angrily to Salvini pledged that the er the transport minis- to the populist 5-Star Move- tion in Italy from civilian res-
the transfer of the remain- vessel, the Sea-Watch 3, ter, who is in charge of ment, which is in a govern- cue ships this year, proving
ing 47, saying on Facebook would be confiscated the Coast Guard, or the ment coalition with Salvini's "once more that the talk
that if "there was a ploy to and threatened the ship's economy minister, with re- right-wing League party, of closed ports is just that:
disembark the migrants, I crew with arrest, referring sponsibility for the financial while Italy's economy minis- Talk."q