A young Austrian sentenced to jail for endorsing terrorism may face charges after championing radical Islam just weeks after being released from prison. Mohammed M. was ordered to spend four years behind bars in 2007 after mulling over a terror attack in Austria during the Euro2008 football tournament in an online video. He was released […]
Erwin Pröll (ÖVP), governor of Lower Austria, suggested taxing the rich “to prevent London-like conditions in Austria”. Pröll said that he feared for the social peace the tighter the national and international financial situation was getting. He had started a lively tax discussion in the ÖVP by suggesting higher taxes for top earners. On Thursday, […]
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 […]
The Green party wants a public opinion poll in the current tax debate. The Green’s spokesperson Werner Kogler said at a press conference today (Fri) that a public opinion poll was necessary to end “red-black stagnation” meaning SPÖ and ÖVP. Furthermore the Greens demanded polls on abolishing mandatory military service and an anti-corruption law. The […]
The Viennese People’s Party (ÖVP) is infuriated after the city government decided to slash the budget of a cultural event it has been hosting for years. The Stadtfest is a tradition-rich series of concerts, performances and readings taking place in the city centre of Vienna. It is organised by the ÖVP. The conservative party formed […]
Five times more students will start courses at Austria’s universities when the semester starts next week than in 1970, statistics have shown. Official data presented by Statistik Austria on Wednesday revealed that more than 265,000 people will study at the country’s universities and colleges in the upcoming semester. This is a strong increase compared to […]
A new survey has revealed a significant potential for conflicts between Austrians and foreigners. A poll by the Centre for Future Studies of Salzburg’s FH higher education college shows that 53 per cent of Austrians considered the change that existing difficulties in the coexistence of themselves and immigrants could worsen as “very high”. Around 45 […]
A group of hackers who had previously attacked the websites of political parties reportedly obtained information on thousands of insurance customers. Anonymous Austria, the Austrian department of an internationally operating network of hackers, claimed yesterday (Weds) they got hold of data containing information about thousands of clients of Tyrol’s public health insurance company TGKK. The […]
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: […]
Former Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer has dismissed a suggestion by his successor on how Europe’s politicians could get the continent’s volatile economic situation under control. SPÖ head and Chancellor Werner Faymann said the federal government and state leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) member countries should meet more often to debate how […]