High Austrian activity in ‘business-friendly’ Turkey

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Business

Around 150 Austrian companies are currently doing business in Turkey, according to the Austrian Trade Commissioner in Istanbul.Marco Garcia said today (Fri) major companies like oil and gas firm OMV, Bank Austria (BA) and electricity provider Verbund have been active in the country.He added Austria was currently the eighth biggest investor in Turkey which, according […]

Kaltenegger wipes away land tax calls

Categories
Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) general secretary Fritz Kaltenegger has ruled out higher real estate taxes as the budget debate intensifies.Kaltenegger said today (Fri) his party opposed an increase of land tax from next year. His pledge comes days after several economists and the ÖVP’s coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPÖ), called for an open discussion over […]

Faymann calls for end of Gaza embargo

Categories
Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann appealed to Israeli leaders to lift the Gaza Strip embargo as he met with the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday (Weds).Faymann explained: “We (the Austrian government) want Israel to end the embargo of the Gaza Strip.”The chancellor stressed at the same time that he accepted that goods transported […]

Pröll wants EU-wide financial transactions tax by 2011

Categories
Business

People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll has appealed to European Union (EU) leaders to introduce a continental tax on financial transactions by next year.”It’s clear to me that we need a Europe-wide financial transactions tax. The sooner we agree on it the better. I’m in favour of this tax coming into force in 2011,” […]

BCR boss demands more effort in fighting black market

Categories
Finance

Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) CEO Dominic Bruynseels has appealed to Romanian leaders to increase their efforts to fight black market activities.The former Barclays Bank official said yesterday (Weds) the mortgage sector was “still at risk” due to the current situation in the Eastern European country which has been badly hit by the economic crisis. He […]

BZÖ attacks government for helping ‘money sink’ Greece

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Politics

Austrian opposition politicians have criticised the government for deciding to financially support “money sink” Greece.Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) boss Josef Bucher said in parliament yesterday (Weds): “European leaders have failed. They have now agreed to assist ‘money sink’ Greece while not mentioning anything about a tax on risky financial speculations.”Bucher claimed the […]

Italians flocking to Carinthia after ‘Marian apparition’

Categories
General News

Canny town hall officials in Carinthia hope their town will make a fortune after an Italian seer claimed he had experienced a Marian apparition.Bad St. Leonhard officials have decided to set up a devotion memorial tomorrow (Sat) where Salvatore Caputa was said to have encountered the Virgin Mary last week.Caputa claimed he had received a […]

Austrian government’s travel habits unaffected by Polish plane crash

Categories
Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann has made clear he would continue to board a plane together with People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll.His announcement comes after all 97 passengers of a Polish government plane died in a crash last Saturday, including president Lech Kaczyński and high-ranking military leaders. Some newspapers and commentators condemned […]

Cap ‘sad’ about EU’s failure to act on social disparities

Categories
Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) whip Josef Cap has appealed to European Union (EU) leaders to take action to improve the EU’s reputation.Cap said in parliament yesterday (Weds) that many people lacked trust in the EU since many political leaders had failed to draw the right conclusions from the economic downturn.”The EU needs to face important questions […]