Fascists and empty populists do not win elections by playing fair. That has never been their ambition. They do not feel bound by democracy in any way. Unrestrained, they are ready to trade it for power. Their mouths water at the sight of Viktor Orbán's media empire.
The story of Heinz-Christian Strache, who was happy to offer his office to the Russian influence, only confirms that Orbán's know-how has also spread to the west. Like Orbán, Strache was driven by corruption rather than ideology.
Drunk on luxury, he even offered an HR tip to the Russians: To tame the Austrian media, he advised to hire Heinrich Pecina, a businessman operating in the grey zone who strangled and purchased media for Orbán.
