HC Strache - Vienna's Blue Eye

In German, one doesn't walk away from a fistfight with a black eye, rather with a blue one -- a blaue Auge. At least one Vienna newspaper calls Heinz Christian (HC) Strache "Vienna's Blue Eye", a clever triple wordplay on Strache's steel blue eyes, his political party's chosen color, and his unexpected (to his rivals, embarrassing and bruising) success in the October 23 Vienna city government elections.

His supporters fondly call him HC (pronounced ha-tseh and sometimes written "Haze"). Many call him the new Jörg Haider. One journalist asked him directly in a recent interview whether he is a Nazi. Whatever one chooses to call him, there's no denying that HC Strache is the political man of the moment in Vienna, and perhaps in all of Austria.

Although Strache's FPÖ (Freiheitliche Partei Österreich / Freedom Party Austria) came in third in the October 23 election with just under 15% of the vote, the party's performance tripled pre-election predictions.

I was at the FPÖ's post-election celebration at Adam's Gasthaus and Restaurant on the 23rd (strictly as a photographer) and managed to get a few good pictures of him at the event. Pictures and commentary follow:

Heinz Christian Strache is a 36-year-old trained dental technician and born politician.

The FPÖ is a right wing, nationalist party, and according to some Austrian newspapers (and a few Austrians with whom I've spoken), its membership includes avowed Nazis, retro and neo. (Note: I'm not accusing anyone in any of these pictures of being a Nazi. On the other hand, a recent print version of Falter claims that some of the people in attendance at this post election party are known to Austrian police as having Nazi backgrounds).

Strache ran a divisive campaign in Vienna, with placards and radio advertisements that have been characterized by many as "Ausländer feindlich" (anti foreigner).

Strache has an electrifying presence, a boyish smile and an excellent speaking ability.

He spoke continuously and coherently for at least 20 minutes, with no notes or cue cards anywhere to be seen.

The troops were roused.

I felt pretty uncomfortable at this event.

Although the FPÖ's anti-foreigner sentiments are directed primarily toward darker-skinned foreigners and Eastern Europeans, I'm still a foreigner, and I attended this celebration without an invitation (my camera got me in).

I was right at the front - in front of the few professional photographers and right up there with the TV cameras.

Sieg huh?

The evening's successes were just starting to sink in when I took this picture.

At the time, however, I didn't realize that Strache's performance was a success. I thought 14.9% of the vote and third place were pretty dismal.

Everything's relative, though, and 14.9% is a real Sieg (triumph) when your party wasn't expected to get much more than 5%.

I believe HC is embracing his wife here, while an ominous looking supporter eyes me suspiciously in the background. I have read that Strache's wife is a member of the Plachutta restaurant family. I don't know about the Plachuttas' political views, but I do know that their restaurants serve excellent, high quality food.

Outside, supporters were sporting blue balloons. In Austria, each political party is associated with a specific color. The FPÖ is the blue party. Another supporter outside begged me to delete a picture that I had taken of her. She explained that she could lose her government job if she was publically associated with the FPÖ. (I did delete her picture).

Politics can make you sweat.

There were a few closely-shaven heads at the celebration.

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I showed up at exactly the right time, just as Strache arrived. I was able to follow directly behind him into the celebration, otherwise, I might have been stuck outside.

Lots of hugs...

...and a few kisses. There was a wide range of ages in attendance, from college-aged supporters to a few people who probably still remember the days of Hitler's Third Reich.

I've tried to leave my own opinions out of this piece and just report the facts. Is Strache a right wing extremist -- even a Nazi? Or did he simply pick his positions and party out of a shrewd sense of political expediency? Either way, the recent election shows that there's still a place for right wing nationalism in Austria's political scene, and with a talented figurehead like HC at the top, it will be interesting to see how things develop. The next national elections are scheduled for 2006, and while no one thinks the FPÖ has a chance of winning them outright, the party could (again) be in a position to form part of a coalition government. Either way, I'll let you know, and hopefully bring you some more up-close and personal pictures.

And I still have a few pictures from this election to get online, this time of the SPÖ's celebration, and Vienna's mayor, Michael Häupl.