A German spy scandal deepens with the news that Austria has filed a legal complaint over suspicions that Germany’s intelligence services helped US National Security Agency(NSA) spy on European officials and firms.
The allegations have created tensions within the ranks of Angela Merkel’s coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD). It appears the affair is unlikely to fizzle out and could prove dangerous for the Chancellor.
The SPD Minister of the Economy Sigmar Gabriel broke his silence on the matter on Tuesday saying that if the allegations turned out to be true and, “if there has been a contribution to industrial spying that would be a heavy burden for confidence in the German economy.”
Revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden that the US National Security Agency carried out large-scale surveillance in Europe have provoked wide-spread outrage in Germany.
