Austrian teens exposed as xenophobic by study

Categories
General News

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 […]

Feigl defends Faymann’s Facebook finances

Categories
Politics

The chancellor’s social media manager has justified the high costs of his cyber activities. Angelika Feigl said today (Fri) expenses were not just spent on Werner Faymann’s Facebook and Twitter accounts but also on a new homepage and a smartphone app. The Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) leader’s office informed the Freedom Party (FPÖ) earlier this […]

Cosmetic surgery amendment likely

Categories
Politics

The People’s Party (ÖVP) has harshly criticised Health Minister Alois Stöger’s “style” of presenting new ideas – but also explained it would support his cosmetic surgery draft bill. Stöger told magazine News and newspaper Kurier yesterday (Thurs) that he wanted to implement stricter rules on plastic surgeries. Teenagers should be ordered to consult psychologists before […]

Norway massacre theories MP quits

Categories
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 […]

No Turkish private school for Tyrol

Categories
Politics

A Tyrolean town has rejected a group of Turkish businesspeople’s appeal to run a school. A commission formed by Rum Town Hall officials announced yesterday (Tues) it unanimously agreed to veto the endeavour. Turkish investors and retail trade entrepreneurs asked decision-makers whether they could create and manage a private school. The group aimed at setting […]

Schüssel quits over TA scandal

Categories
Politics

One of the country’s most influential politicians of the past 20 years has stepped down. Wolfgang Schüssel announced today (Mon) he decided to retire as member of the federal parliament (MP). The move comes after increasing pressure on the former chancellor in connection with alleged fraud and stock market value manipulation carried out by former […]

Prammer wants speedy TA investigations

Categories
Politics

Barbara Prammer has said exposed occurrences within Telekom Austria (TA) are “almost unbearable.” The Social Democrat (SPÖ) is, as first president of the federal parliament, the highest political representative of Austria after President Heinz Fischer. Prammer appealed on prosecutors to present the results of their investigations as soon as possible. The Social Democrat also said […]

ÖBB hit by €180,000 brand name purchase revelation

Categories
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 […]

Wrabetz under scrutiny after reelection

Categories
Politics

Conservative decision-makers are expected to raise the pressure on Alexander Wrabetz after his re-election as head of national broadcaster ORF. Twenty-nine delegates of ORF’s 35-member foundation council confirmed Wrabetz in office after a two-hour hearing yesterday afternoon (Tues). The other members of the council abstained from voting. Wrabetz started his first term in 2006 thanks […]

Graf questions decision to kick out Königshofer

Categories
Politics

Bosses of Austria’s strongest right-wing faction are struggling to settle an intense party-internal dispute which experts say poses a risk to its grasp for power. Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache and Norbert Hofer, Strache’s deputy, recently announced that member of the parliament (MP) Werner Königshofer will be expelled over a string of controversial claims. […]