SPÖ and ÖVP go head to head in Styria

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Politics

A hot political summer is ahead as research shows the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the People’s Party (ÖVP) are neck-and-neck in Styria.People in the central province head to the polls on 26 September and SPÖ Governor Franz Voves made clear he will step down as leader of the Styrian Social Democrats if ÖVP Deputy Governor […]

Pröll under pressure over pricey state debt info campaign

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Politics

Opposition leaders have turned their guns on People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Josef Pröll over splashing out more than 800,000 Euros on a debt information campaign.The vice chancellor was forced to reveal his ministry spent 816,802 Euros on the controversial posters following Greens MP Karl Öllinger motion in parliament yesterday (Weds).The campaign – headlined “Weniger […]

Rapid Vienna ‘will not relocate’

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Sports

Rapid Vienna bosses have rubbished claims they plan to relocate to a new stadium.Rumours that the club might leave the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium in Penzing district increased after a member of the city parliament suggested the team would be better off somewhere else than in the crammed housing estate the 17,500-seat arena is located.Vienna newspapers […]

‘Riches tax’ bid backed by 15,000

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Politics

Political leaders may feel the heat as a “tax on riches” petition by the Upper Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) found 15,000 supporters.SPÖ Upper Austria boss Josef Ackerl said today (Weds) the plan was to file a motion in the federal parliament in autumn.Ackerl explained more than 15,000 people have signed his party branch’s initiative since […]

AK boss warns government of upping car fuel tax

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Politics

Labour Chamber (AK) chief Herbert Tumpel has appealed to the government not to raise taxes on car fuel.”Higher petrol taxes are out of the question,” Tumpel said today (Weds).The AK boss further argued: “An increase of taxes on car fuel would burden those with little income and workers who need to use their cars to […]

Pröll wants EU-wide financial transactions tax by 2011

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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,” […]

Vienna officials sick 20 days per year

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General News

Vienna’s officials are sick 20 days a year, the Austrian People’s Party ÖVP has said.The ÖVP has blamed mobbing and bad working environment in offices for the high amount of sick days.”To work for the city of Vienna makes you sick,” ÖVP representative Wolfgang Ulm said during the current Viennese election campaign.”Public officials in Lower […]

‘Green’ Austria red-faced over EU emissions study

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Politics

The Austrian government’s attempts to label Austria as an “eco-friendly country” with the know-how for “green technologies” of the future have suffered a throwback as Austria has been revealed as doing badly in reducing its emissions.The European Commission’s (EC) environmental experts announced today (Weds) there were 9.6 per cent more carbon dioxide emissions in Austria […]

Grasser says Greece rescue was ‘worst decision’

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Politics

Former Freedom Party (FPÖ) Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser has branded the rescue plan for ailing Greece the “biggest mistake of the European Monetary Union”.Grasser said in a newspaper interview today (Tues) he would have forced the economically struggling country to leave the Eurozone. This term describes the 16 European Union (EU) member states which have […]

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 […]