Social Democratic (SPÖ) General Secretary Laura Rudas has defended her party’s intention to increase taxes. The SPÖ wants to raise some taxation rates to restore the budget while its coalition partner, the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), expressed the intention to concentrate on lowering investments. Rudas said today (Weds) “all experts” were of the opinion that […]
The latest labour statistic has dished up good and bad news for Austria’s lawmakers and employees. Around 360,500 people had no job last month, according to Statistik Austria. The agency said yesterday (Mon) this was a decline of 0.8 per cent compared to December 2010. It pointed out that the number of people sitting re-education […]
Defence Minister Norbert Darabos has hit back after a fellow Social Democrat (SPÖ) suggested to sell Austria’s Eurofighter jet fleet. SPÖ General Secretary Günther Kräuter said on Sunday Austria could get rid of its 15 fighter aircraft due to non-existent war concerns. Kräuter argued the alpine country was under higher financial and economic risk these […]
The People’s Party (ÖVP) wants to drastically reduce Austria’s health sector spending. ÖVP whip Karlheinz Kopf said yesterday (Thurs) he was currently trying to convince the Social Democrats’ (SPÖ) debt brake negotiators that there was a savings potential of 1.8 billion Euros until 2017. SPÖ Health Minister Alois Stöger remained tight-lipped regarding details of the […]
Almost one out of three Austrians plan to spend less next year. Insurance company Generali conducted a poll to find that 30 per cent of people residing in the small European Union (EU) and Eurozone member intended to tighten their belts in 2012. Seventeen per cent told the insurer they would cut back their holiday […]
Semperit boss Thomas Fahnemann has said he expected next year to be “significantly more difficult”. Fahnemann told the Kurier today (Tues) the economy would not suffer as dramatically as in 2009. However, the German businessman warned that the economic environment might worsen next year compared to 2011. Semperit is a leading manufacturer of medical gloves, […]
Moody’s has confirmed Austria’s credit rating. The influential rating agency said on Friday it decided not to lower the country’s rating from the best-possible grade of AAA. Moody’s added that it did not touch the Austrian economy’s outlook either. The rating agency explained Austria’s economy was doing well thanks to its muscular export industry. Moody’s […]
Charity Caritas have warned that the number of people living in poverty in Upper Austria is on the increase. Currently 70,000 people are recorded as living in such poor conditions with even more people now seeking help over the Christmas period. Caritas is an international Roman Catholic relief charity that works to help the poor […]
Young Austrians’ views are strongly influenced by hostility to strangers and concerns caused by the economic crisis, according to researchers. The Institute for Youth Culture Research spoke with 400 residents of Vienna aged between 16 and 19 to find that 43.6 per cent of them agreed with the claim that “there are way too many […]
The head of the Federal Audit Office (RH) has appealed to political leaders to avoid “gambling away the future of our children”. Josef Moser provided the government coalition and the parliament’s opposition factions with a list of 599 suggestions where the country could become more efficient as lawmakers keep arguing over how to slash the […]