He said that after the video was published, he had a conversation with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz.

“As a representative of government departments, I said that I was ready to take responsibility and resign from the post of vice chancellor, but asked to guarantee the continuation of the work of the government, and Kurtz agreed. We worked perfectly together, carried on a project that had been very successful for almost a year and a half and enjoyed widespread support from citizens. And Mr. Chancellor gave me his word that if on Saturday, May 18, at 12 o’clock I will make a statement on resignation, then at 13 o’clock he will meet with the public and inform about the continuation of the work of the government, which has successfully fulfilled its functions, ” Strache.

As the former vice chancellor emphasized, Kurtz did not do so in the end.

“Instead, he contacted me at 13 o’clock by telephone and said that everything had suddenly changed and that he now also demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Herbert Kickl. If the Minister of the Interior refuses to resign, this will be a reason for him to dissolve the government unilaterally. In the end, he did so, ”Strache noted.

In his opinion, this may indicate that "someone was trying to derive strategic benefits from the publication of this video."

“Moreover, it took about two years from the moment these scenes were shot, from the moment the material was filmed, and then the authors of the so-called journalistic investigation published it abroad, via Süddeutsche Zeitung and Der Spiegel, ten days before the European Parliament elections, as commissioned. The authors tried not only to displace a successful government, but also to personally discredit me and harm me. And the government really stopped its work. Consequently, it was influenced, including on the elections to the European Parliament. And I would say that this is not an ordinary event, and many evaluate it critically, ”he concluded.

In May, Strache announced his resignation due to a scandalous video in which he allegedly discusses secret financial transactions.

The recording was distributed by German media. It was alleged that a certain Russian woman was an interlocutor of Strache, however, the politician himself noted that the woman was a Latvian citizen.

According to media reports, the politician discussed with her financial assistance for the Austrian Freedom Party in the 2017 parliamentary elections. In exchange, he offered her access to state contracts in Austria, as well as the possibility of acquiring the Austrian publication Kronen Zeitung.

He called the flaming scandal a “trap” for the purpose of the collapse of the Austrian government.

Later, the Austrian parliament passed a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz.

More details in the material RT.