‘Pragmatic manipulation’: Is Russia playing with European voters’ minds?

That is because Austrian ultraconservatism and Russophilia cross party lines, said Velina Tchakarova, an independent geopolitical and risk consultant based in Vienna. She commented on Austria for Al Jazeera.

“The [mainstream] conservatives were in power in 2018 when the state contract for delivery of Russian gas was signed. It runs to 2040 and nobody can tell you its contents,” she told Al Jazeera. “There is no publicity, no transparency. Opposition forces tried to have a debate on it – they didn’t get it.”

Conservatives are now bleeding voters to the FPO, Tchakarova believes.