Austrian politician Strache wins defamation case against Swiss director Milo Rau
A legal dispute between former Austrian politician Heinz-Christian Strache and Swiss theatre director Milo Rau has ended in an out-of-court settlement. The case centred on defamation claims after Rau falsely accused Strache of singing an antisemitic Nazi-era song. Both sides agreed to terms at Vienna's Regional Civil Court.
The conflict began when Rau, in a 2024 interview for the Wiener Festwochen website, claimed Strache had sung a song containing the line 'Gebt Gas, ihr Germanen, wir schaffen die siebte Million.' Rau's lawyer, Wolfgang Renzl, later admitted the accusation was unprovable and based on a mix-up. He confirmed there was no evidence linking Strache to antisemitism or the song.
Strache sued for defamation, leading to negotiations. Under the settlement, the Vienna Festival will pay Strache €4,000 for non-material damages. Rau will also cover €2,500 in legal costs and issued a formal apology. Strache, in return, agreed to drop all private prosecutions and media-law motions within 14 days of receiving payment.
The settlement's details will be published on the festival's website for four weeks. Strache's attorney, Maximilian Donner-Reichstädter, reiterated that his client had never sung the song and had publicly distanced himself from Nazi sympathies since 2018. Meanwhile, Rau used the courthouse appearance to promote the festival, noting that ticket sales had reached record highs.
The agreement closes a dispute that began with Rau's unproven claim. Strache receives compensation, while Rau retracts the allegation and covers part of the legal expenses. The festival will now display the settlement terms online for a month.
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