A majority of Austrians think the turmoil in North Africa and the Arab region will influence the political and economic situation in Europe.Research group Market, which interviewed more than 400 Austrians, said today (Thurs), 76 per cent expected the developments in Libya and other countries to affect current circumstances in Europe.While many Austrians reportedly brace […]
Tag: ÖVP
Faymann meets Merkel and Socrates
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Austrian Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann met political leaders from Germany and Portugal in Berlin today (Weds).Faymann gathered with German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Chancellor Angela Merkel and Portuguese Socialist Party Prime Minister Jose Socrates in the German capital to speak about topics which will be debated at the upcoming Eurozone meeting.The term Eurozone […]
More than 700 same sex couples decided to follow the government coalitions offer of having their partnership “registered” last year.Federal statistic agency Statistik Austria said today (Mon) that 705 gay couples took the opportunity to gain legal status for their relationships last year when a new law passed by the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the […]
Coalition cuts back travel costs
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The Austrian government has reduced its travel expenses.A parliamentary enquiry by the Freedom Party (FPÖ) showed yesterday (Thurs) that the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Peoples Party (ÖVP) spent 2.2 million Euros on 220 trips abroad last year, less than in 2004 and 2008. Figures for 2009 have not been disclosed since no parliamentary faction […]
Fischer ‘impressed’ by Singapore
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Austrian President Heinz Fischer has made his second visit to Asia within four months.Fischer, who met with Malaysias political elite last November, was welcomed by leading politicians and businesspeople in Singapore yesterday (Mon) and today. The former vice chairman of the Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) who is currently serving a second and final term […]
A leading conservative politician has suffered serious injuries in a hit and run skiing crash.Othmar Karas, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Austrian Peoples Party (ÖVP), suffered several fractures and cuts in the collision with a man from the United Kingdom on Tuesday, it emerged today (Fri).Reports have it that Karas handed […]
Nearly one in two Austrians said their country should continue to participate in financial projects to stabilise ailing Eurozone members even if the European Union (EU) were to demand higher contributions.A study carried out by research firm Karmasin for weekly magazine profil shows that 49 per cent of Austrians think the federal government of Social […]
The federal government has decided to withdraw a new law regarding the purchase of beverages just one month after it went into effect.Shoppers and branch representatives were outraged by the stricter regulation enforcing customers to identify themselves at the till when they bought two or more bottles of schnapps, more than 20 litres of beer, […]
ÖBB to train rival’s staff
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Federal Railways (ÖBB) boss Christian Kern has revealed that his firm will begin training the train drivers of a rival company.Businessman Hans Peter Haselsteiner and former ÖBB manager Stefan Wehinger’s Westbahn project will start offering around daily connections between Vienna and Salzburg this December. Wehinger recently told Die Presse newspaper: “We expect to achieve operative […]
Ukrainian cigarette smuggler caught
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An Ukrainian man has been caught smuggling more than 700 cartons of cigarettes.The 27-year-old was stopped in a routine road check near Villach in the southern Austrian province of Carinthia yesterday (Thurs). Traffic police officers discovered 735 cartons containing hundreds of thousands of cigarettes in the boot of his car and on the vehicles back […]