Natl security cttee meeting convened to discuss Strache affair lacks quorum

A national security committee meeting convened to discuss potential Hungarian ties to the Strache affair lacked a quorum on Friday because of a no-show by ruling party representatives. Heinz-Christian Strache resigned his post of Austria's vice-chancellor last weekend after a video emerged of him offering state contracts to a woman claiming to be a rich Russian in exchange for support in the 2017 election campaign. The national security committee meeting had been convened by Adam Mirkoczki, the committee's Jobbik head. In a statement issued just before the meeting's scheduled start time, ruling Fidesz said it was the Socialist Party that had done business with Heinrich Pecina, an Austrian businessman mentioned by Strache in the video, when the party sold him its shares in the leftist-leaning daily Nepszabadsag. Speaking to reporters after the meeting's cancellation, Mirkoczki said it was not the first time that the ruling parties had boycotted a committee meeting, but a no-show by representatives of the intelligence community was unprecedented. He said this could constitute a violation of Hungary's national security law.