Top congress popularity poll result as Vienna vote nears

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Politics

The Viennese Social Democrats’ (SPÖ) bid to retain their absolute majority in Sunday’s provincial election has received a boost as the city has been found the most popular congress destination in the world.The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) announced today (Mon) Vienna topped the ranking – for which participators of conferences all over the […]

Majority want ÖIAG axed, poll shows

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Business

More than six in 10 Austrians want a dissolution of the Austrian industry-holding stock corporation (ÖIAG), according to a poll.Researchers IFES said today (Mon) 61 per cent supported a possible shutdown of the body, while 30 per cent backed its continued existence.The future of ÖIAG and responsibilities has been publicly debated by the Social Democrats […]

Immigration hardliner Fekter ‘confirmed’ by Sarrazin row

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Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter said she “feels confirmed” by the public debate about Thilo Sarrazin’s new book.The former Deutsche Bundesbank executive board member’s bestseller “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (Germany Abolishes Itself) caused outcry with its theories about a possible connection between immigrant’s intelligence, crime rates and their will to integrate.Fekter has been […]

Flopped Haider exhibit shuts after ‘negative propaganda’

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Politics

Organisers of an exhibition on late right-wing politician Jörg Haider have claimed “campaigning media” were to blame for the exhibit being a massive flop.Fewer than 11,000 people attended the exhibit in the Bergbaumuseum (Mining Museum) in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, since it opened in October 2009. Organisers and local politicians hoped it would draw 70,000.Curator Gerhard Finding […]

Austrian jobless rate still lowest in EU

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Business

Austria has retained its title of being the European Union’s (EU) jobless rate model pupil.The European Commission’s (EC) statistics body Eurostat found that Austria still had the lowest unemployment rate among the EU-27 with 4.3 per cent, followed by the Netherlands where 4.5 per cent of residents were out of work in August.The agency also […]

Banks and campaigning parties focus on immigrants

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Politics

Around 6,000 immigrants have opened accounts at Erste Bank in the past three years following a groundbreaking project targeting foreigners.Peter Thier, a spokesman for the institute, said today (Fri): “Our pilot project worked so well that we decided to keep and expand it.”He explained five clerks speaking Serbian, Croatian and Turkish worked in branches in […]

Kern says ‘final chance’ to save ÖBB is now

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Business

Federal Railways (ÖBB) boss Christian Kern has claimed now was the “last chance” to get the debt-stricken firm back on track.Kern said today (Thurs) he expected developments similar to the processes in the aviation industry to occur in the railway business. The ÖBB CEO – who took up office in June – also referred to […]

VIG to enter Montenegro

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Business

Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) has been granted a concession to offer life insurances in Montenegro.The company said today (Weds) the decision meant it was now active in 24 European countries.VIG, which is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange (WBAG), explained its subsidiary Wiener Städtische zivotno osiguranje Podgorica a.d. will handle operations in the former Yugoslav […]

Vienna homeless to pay for shelter as campaigning gets dirty

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Politics

Vienna’s political leaders have been harshly attacked for their decision to ask homeless people to pay for staying at city-funded lodgings.Social Democratic (SPÖ) councillor Sonja Wehsely said today (Weds) homeless people would have to cough up four Euros for every night they spend at the capital’s subsidised emergency shelters from November.The councillor – whose party […]

Faymann ahead as Styria vote nears

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Politics

Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann is narrowly ahead of People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll in a popularity poll.Researchers Karmasin said today (Mon) Faymann would have the support of 24 per cent if people were eligible to elect the chancellor in a direct vote similar to the ballot for the federal president.Its survey […]