Martin Selmayr in trouble over ‘blood money’ jibe at Austria

Martin Selmayr, the so-called Beast of the Berlaymont, is no stranger to controversy. During his time as head of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker’s cabinet and as secretary-general of the Commission, Selmayr became something of a bete noire of Brexiteers, having been accused of wanting to ‘punish’ the UK for leaving the EU. Despite, or perhaps because, of this reputation, Selmayr had a habit of floating to the top of EU politics. But now, it seems, Selmayr may have pushed things too far.

Selmayr, who is now head of the European Commission’s office in Vienna, has been rebuked by Brussels for accusing Austria of paying ‘blood money’ to Russia for gas supplies. At a talk at a Vienna art fair on Wednesday, Selmayr said Austria is effectively financing Russia’s war against Ukraine.

‘This surprises me, because blood money is sent to Russia every day with the gas bill,’ he is quoted as saying by ORF, an Austrian news site.