Austrian parliament approves eurozone rescue fund

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Finance

Austria’s parliament has approved the eurozone’s permanent rescue fund, clearing the way for the country’s broader participation in the 17-nation zone’s financial crisis management. The governing left-center coalition was supported by the opposition Green party to surpass the two-thirds of votes needed for approval Wednesday. Opposed were the rightist Freedom Party and the populist BZO, […]

Hollande’s growth appeal ‘nonsense’, says Fekter

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Politics

Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has launched an attack on the new French president. The former interior minister branded Francois Hollande’s targets as “nonsense”. Speaking to the Oberösterreichische Nachrichten newspaper, Fekter said ambitions to add aspects guaranteeing economic growth in struggling countries to the planned European Union (EU) fiscal pact were outdated. […]

Finance minister determined about sanctions

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Politics

Federal and provincial financial issues decision-makers have postponed their negotiations about the budget of the coming years. People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter said talks with the provincial governments’ finance councillors would continue next week. Fekter angered the politically muscular provincial parliaments by revealing plans to sanction provinces which breached the stricter new budget […]

Austria updates EC about financial strategy

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Politics

The Austrian government has informed the European Commission (EC) and Eurozone financial issues watchdogs about its budget path. Social Democrats (SPÖ) and People’s Party (ÖVP) filed a document to the political institutions’ headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and Strasbourg, France, today (Weds). The paper features all detail information about how the coalition intends to erase the […]

Coalition justifies Austrian-Swiss tax treaty

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Politics

The opposition teamed up in attacking the government over its tax agreement with Switzerland. People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter agreed with her Swiss counterpart, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, about charging a tax of 15 to 38 per cent on Austrians’ assets in Switzerland shortly. Fekter said in Swiss capital Bern, where the treaty was signed […]

Koren at the ready for ÖVAG top job

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Finance

Stephan Koren has reportedly agreed to take the hot seat at Volksbank AG (ÖVAG). The ex-BAWAG PSK (BAWAG) manager has been rumoured to replace Gerald Wenzel as ÖVAG CEO for some time. Now People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter announced Koren signalised interest in the position. Fekter said yesterday (Weds) the banker was ready […]

Schieder relentless about tax on financial transactions

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Politics

A cross-country tax on financial transactions is anything but dead, Social Democratic (SPÖ) Finance Secretary Andreas Schieder has claimed. Schieder said today (Weds) that the Austrian government coalition of his faction and the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) would keep up the pressure for the introduction of such a levy. He told the Kurier that the […]

Fekter faces the axe, papers claim

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Politics

Rumours that People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter will soon have to go are increasing following the most recent budget dispute. The finance minister was seen as a contender for ÖVP leadership following the resignation of Josef Pröll as chairman, vice chancellor, and finance minister last year. Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner was given good […]

Fekter under fire for fiscal warning

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Politics

The Social Democrats (SPÖ) and regional power brokers have attacked Maria Fekter. The People’s Party (ÖVP) finance minister announced yesterday (Mon) she wanted to sanction provincial governments which breached the harsh new budget rules. Fekter said the agreement between the federal government and the provinces should not expire in 2017. The SPÖ-ÖVP coalition wants to […]

Fekter sees possible €1bn bad bank burden

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Finance

People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has admitted that another Austrian bank may need more money. Fekter told radio Ö1 on Saturday that KA Finanz could have a demand of one billion Euros. The finance institute was created in 2008 as the bad bank of nationalised Kommunalkredit. Fekter’s statement comes shortly after her party […]