Vienna takes fifth place in a survey checking European city’s tourism competitiveness. German consulting group Roland Berger investigated the marketing efforts of 24 capital cities in Europe in their battle for vacationers. The firm’s study also considered economic aspects. Roland Berger ranked Vienna in fifth place, neck and neck with Berlin in Germany. Paris in […]
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 […]
Austrian National Bank (OeNB) President Claus Raidl has called on the government to lower taxes on labour. Raidl told Die Pressr today (Weds) the taxation burden on labour must decline. He called Austria’s income tax system as “insane”. International organisations like the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Monetary Fund […]
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, […]
Freedom Party (FPÖ) boss Heinz-Christian Strache is in hot water after a bodyguard put a man into hospital last weekend. One of Strache’s three personal security guards attacked another guest of a club in Vienna-Favoriten on Saturday night. The man – understood to be an internationally successful banker – threw a ham roll and ice […]
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 […]
Graz Mayor Siegfried Nagl has said he understands the “anger” of Styrian public servants. Civil servants working for the province of Styria and its capital Graz were informed their salaries would not rise next year despite agreement on federal political level that wages should be increased by 2.95 per cent. Social Democratic (SPÖ) Minister for […]
Austria’s third-biggest construction company has warned its shareholders of potential losses. Porr AG announced today (Thurs) it might suffer a loss of 70 to 80 million Euros before tax by the end of this year. The firm said it was challenged by write-offs in Eastern European (EE) countries like Hungary and Romania where state-owned institutions […]
The Viennese People’s Party (ÖVP) tried to persuade an industrialist and conservative opinion leader to take over as chairman, it has emerged. Claus Raidl – who formerly headed tool steel manufacturer Böhler Uddeholm – confirmed today (Thurs) that he was approached by Vienna ÖVP officials about whether he could imagine becoming the party’s new leader. […]