Moser warns against ‘risking our kids’ future’

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Politics

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 […]

Pilz opposes pay freeze

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Politics

A veteran Green Party member has spoken out against the government’s decision not to increase politicians’ wages next year. The coalition of Chancellor Werner Faymann’s Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger’s People’s Party (ÖVP) said on Sunday members of the parliament (MPs) would not get more in 2012. Delegates’ salaries were most […]

Fewer AKH docs on night duty from next year

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Business

The number of doctors on night duty at Austria’s largest clinics is set to shrink, it has emerged. The works council of Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) announced yesterday (Mon) that 145 doctors would be at work at night and at weekends from February 2012, down from 172 at the moment. The doctors’ representation explained it […]

UniCredit losses put BA under pressure

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Finance

Bank Austria (BA) chief Willibald Cernko has said he plans to reduce the financial institute’s workforce level to get through the crisis. The banker announced yesterday (Mon) BA would have only 10,000 employees in Austria in 2015, 800 fewer than it had at the moment. Cernko underlined that sackings were not planned. He explained some […]

Vienna coalition a reason to abstain from backing FPÖ, says Häupl

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Politics

Viennese Mayor Michael Häupl has said his party’s cooperation with the Greens is a “reasonable alternative offer” to voters who consider backing right-wingers. The head of the Viennese branch of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) told the Kurier today (Thurs) people should think about what else might be possible in Austria apart from a […]

Norway massacre theories MP quits

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Politics

A right-wing member of the federal parliament (MP) has retired from politics after coming under fire for belittling a massacre. Fellow Freedom Party (FPÖ) members and left-wing competitors hit out at Werner Königshofer after he felt urged to emphasise that the “Islamic threat has struck Europe a thousand times more often” than self-styled Christian warriors […]

Vienna Greens slash ÖVP festival’s budget

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Politics

The Viennese People’s Party (ÖVP) is infuriated after the city government decided to slash the budget of a cultural event it has been hosting for years. The Stadtfest is a tradition-rich series of concerts, performances and readings taking place in the city centre of Vienna. It is organised by the ÖVP. The conservative party formed […]

ÖBB hit by €180,000 brand name purchase revelation

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Business

A controversial lobbyist raked in hundreds of thousands of Euros by getting Federal Railways (ÖBB) to buy the trademark rights for a registered name from him, an opposition politician has claimed. Peter Pilz, a member of the federal parliament (MP) of the Green Party, announced yesterday (Tues) he obtained a firm-internal audit report exposing the […]

Vienna to increase public service fees

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Politics

Services provided by the city of Vienna to its residents will become more expensive in less than half a year, it emerged yesterday (Weds). The capital’s government coalition of Mayor Michael Häupl’s Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Viennese Green Party said services like waste disposal and tap water supply will cost around six per cent […]

Budget freeze ‘to affect AKH’

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Politics

Vienna Medical University (MedUni) head Wolfgang Schütz has warned of a negative impact on services provided to residents of the Vienna region and patients at Austria’s largest clinic if the government refuses to increase its subsidies. The Republic of Austria has supported Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) with 270 million Euros since 2010. Schütz said today […]