People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter is braced for controversial arguments with the financial councillors of Austria’s nine provinces after David Brenner expressed concerns about the government’s debt limit. Brenner – who heads the council of provincial financial councillors – said today (Tues) the federal coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and ÖVP must abstain […]
People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has intensified the increasing public budget path arguments by suggesting that young teachers should work more for less. The ÖVP vice leader said yesterday (Thurs) young people starting in the profession could do 27 instead of 21 hours a week. She told Die Presse that her plan was […]
Finance Minister Maria Fekter has claimed Austria’s triple A rating is “safe” despite banks’ struggles in Eastern Europe (EE). The People’s Party (ÖVP) minister told radio station Ö1 on Saturday that she saw no imminent risk to Austria losing its top rating currently established by the world’s leading credit rating agencies. However, the minister admitted […]
Three months ago ÖVP Finance Minister Fekter wanted to sell the Federal Railways (ÖBB), now the ÖVP is pedalling back. The Wirtschaftsblatt newspaper cited ÖVP spokesperson for traffic affairs, Martin Bartenstein, today (Fri) as saying: “The ÖBB and privatisation is like the devil and the holy water.” He added that privatisation could not even be […]
People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has apologised after comparing today’s criticism of bankers with the Nazis’ persecution of Europe’s Jewish community. The federal minister warned on Friday current developments could escalate to “what resulted in wars twice.” Fekter said after a meeting of the European Union’s (EU) ministers of finance in Wroclaw, Poland: […]
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 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 […]
Barbara Schwarz succeeds Johanna Mikl-Leitner as Lower Austrian Peoples Party (ÖVP) councillor.Schwarz mayor of the town of Dürnstein takes over her fellow party members agendas as of now, it was announced today (Tues).ÖVP Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said earlier this month Mikl-Leitner will succeed Maria Fekter as federal interior minister days after he […]
Austrian Interior Minister Maria Fekter has stressed all foodstuff imported from Japan is safe.The Peoples Party (ÖVP) deputy chief said today (Mon) Austrians could be assured that none of the tuna, noodles and various other food shipped to Austria from the Asian country were found to be contaminated by radiation. Fekter told the Salzburger Nachrichten […]
Austrian police failed to significantly improve their success rate last year, new figures show.Federal Crime Office (BK) director Franz Lang announced today (Tues) the number of reported crimes declined by 9.4 per cent year on year in 2010 to 535,745 cases. Lang also said police in Austrias nine provinces managed to solve 41.4 per cent […]