Erdogan tells Turks not to assimilate into Austria

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Politics

Turkey’s Prime Minister has been accused of creating unrest by Austrian politicians after he called on Turks in Austria to reject ‘assimilation’. Speaking in front thousands of Turkish people in Vienna on Thursday, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called on them to say “no to assimilation” and “yes to integration”. “You will learn to speak fluent […]

Kurz defends warning to Turkish PM Erdogan

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Politics

Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has defended his statement warning Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan against introducing “splits into Austrian society” during his visit to the country this week. Speaking to Turkish media about his statement, Kurz said many people are worried that Erdoğan might send polarising messages to the Turkish population living in Vienna whilst he […]

Kurz website hacked by pro-Erdogan Turkish group

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Politics

The website of Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has been hacked by Turkish government supporters in response to remarks the Austrian politician made to Turkey’s Prime Minister. Kurz had on 13 June “warned” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan against introducing “splits into Austrian society” during his visit to the country in June. Three days later on […]

Mikl-Leitner fends off Prammer attack

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Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner has defended the plan to finalise the talks for the government’s transparency package this year. Mikl-Leitner underlined today (Fri) that the various planned draft bills would come into force only next year anyway. She promised that her cabinet and the team of negotiators assigned by the Social Democrats […]

Kurz kicks off kindergarten initiative

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Education

Experts have expressed concerns about a capacity bottleneck as People’s Party (ÖVP) Integration Secretary Sebastian Kurz started a two-year kindergarten pilot project. Kurz – whose party forms a government coalition with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) – said yesterday (Weds) parents in two districts in Salzburg and Lower Austria were offered to send their children to […]

Kurz tackles immigration at school level

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Politics

Integration Secretary Sebastian Kurz, 26, was at the ministry of interior affairs this week discussing with educationalists whether schools were failing in their mission of integration. Kurz was preparing for today’s launch of Vienna’s second annual Integration week, which he described as ‘an integration offensive necessary in order to build consciousnesses.’ The youngest minister in […]

Pühringer leads trust index

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Politics

Josef Pühringer, the governor of the province of Upper Austria, is the most trusted People’s Party (ÖVP) politician. A new poll by OGM – published in the new edition of magazine profil – lists Pühringer ahead of Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl and Science Minister Karlheinz Töchterle. Leitl has often been rumoured to become […]

ÖVP programme reform planned

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Politics

A new concept by People’s Party (ÖVP) State Secretary Sebastian Kurz will become part of the party’s programme, it has been announced. Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger, who took over from ex-Finance Minister Josef Pröll as ÖVP chairman in 2011, said yesterday (Weds) that the integration secretary’s democracy paper would be considered “step by step”. Kurz […]

Integration secretary plans home visit initiative

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General News

Social workers will visit badly integrated foreigners at home to help them learning German, People’s Party (ÖVP) Integration Secretary Sebastian Kurz announced yesterday (Tues). Kurz said his office planned to expand a successful Viennese pilot project concept based on programmes in Switzerland and Australia to several other Austrian towns and cities in the coming months. […]

Davutoglu praises integration

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Politics

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has visited a school in Vienna. Davutoglu and Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger spoke with pupils and teachers of a secondary modern school in Vienna-Favoriten yesterday (Thurs). The families of around 25 per cent of the school’s students come from Turkey. The political scientist – who became […]