An Austrian-flagged sailing boat has been seized in southern Italy when coastal guards discovered more than two dozen refugees on board. Twenty-five asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq were found on the vessel which sailed under Austrian flag. The refugees were taken to a local centre for asylum seekers, officials in the city of […]
Tag: EU
MEPs are clueless, says minister
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A conservative opinion leader has been accused of “having no idea” about the situation in his homeland after calling for more support for a budget increase of the European Union (EU). Othmar Karas, the head of the delegation of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) in the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, recently said that […]
Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has emphasised that private companies should get on board to rescue Greece. The cash-strapped Eurozone and European Union (EU) member state is seen on the brink of bankruptcy by a growing number of financial market experts. Many commentators fear the southern country will be unable to pay […]
Austrian banks strongly engaged in Italy
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Austrian banks have a lot to lose in debt-ridden Italy, figures released today (Tues) show. Financial market authorities announced that bank institutes based in the Alpine country invested 15.8 billion Euros in the struggling Eurozone member state which borders it in the south. They pointed out that Austrian banks’ exposure in Greece – which has […]
A German politician has been accused of acting “bizarrely and hysterically” by calling on his fellow countrymen to shun Denmark this summer in favour of Austria. Jörg-Uwe Hahn, the minister for European affairs in the German state of Hessen, suggested Germans willing to go abroad this summer should pick Poland or Austria due to Denmark’s […]
Faymann wants European rating agency
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The Austrian Social Democrats’ (SPÖ) appeal to install a European credit rating agency has found prominent support. Siemens board member Brigitte Ederer said today (Weds) she had been in favour of the idea “for many years.” The former SPÖ state secretary told radio station Ö1 that the “dominance” of US American institutions “had consequences.” Ederer […]
Immigration is on the rise, new figures show. The federal interior ministry – which is headed by Johanna Mikl-Leitner of the People’s Party (ÖVP) – said today (Tues) that 114,000 people migrated to Austria while only 87,000 left the country in 2010. The ministry pointed out that only 107,000 settled in the country in 2009. […]
Austrian to design special Euro coin
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An Austrian has been chosen to design a mint marking the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the Euro as the European currency. Manfred Andexlinger’s blueprints came first in an online poll with an approval of 34 per cent of participants. The Austrian designer beat 800 competitors to create the special two-Euro coin which will […]
Vienna jobless rate shoots up
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Viennese politicians and businesspeople have failed to reduce the city’s jobless rate. Official figures presented today (Fri) show that the number of unemployed people residing in the Austrian capital rose by 6.9 per cent. Overall, nearly 74,000 Viennese citizens were out of work this month. The Federal Labour Market Service (AMS) explained Vienna and Carinthia […]
The Social Democrats (SPÖ) are in turmoil after a provincial department chief has suggested blocking European decisions to increase chances of the introduction of a new levy. SPÖ Upper Austria boss Josef Ackerl said yesterday (Weds) the federal party board should veto European Union (EU) actions considering debt-stricken members like Greece. Ackerl argued Austrians would […]