Austria blocks monthly Greece aid

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Politics

Austria has not yet given the green light to transfer its December rate to fellow European Union (EU) member Greece, it has emerged.People’s Party (ÖVP) leader and Finance Minister Josef Pröll announced today (Tues): “Statistics give no reason to hand over the money from an Austrian point of view.”Pröll argued that figures have shown that […]

Steinbrück attacks Austrian government over budget delay

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Politics

Former German Social Democratic (SPD) Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück has criticised the Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) for holding back information on the 2011 budget after two provincial elections took place.The Austrian SPÖ government and the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) controversially announced it would wait until December to reveal possible higher or new taxes and cuts. […]

Denying Greece support ‘dangerous’, Pröll warns

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Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll has warned of “dangerous developments” as European Union (EU) member states have backed out of the previously agreed upon support package for Greece.Speaking about the Czech Republic’s and Slovakia’s decision not to contribute to the 110-billion-Euro rescue bid agreed upon last May, he said today (Thurs): “Neighbouring countries […]

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 […]

Vast majority back tax on assets, poll shows

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Politics

More than seven in ten are in support of the introduction of a tax on assets, a new study has found.Public opinion research agency Karmasin has found that 72 per cent of Austrians backed the possible new tax, while only 18 per cent rate the suggestion a “bad idea”.This result – revealed by a poll […]

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,” […]

Pröll says Austria ‘in full support’ of UN and EU in Iran issue

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Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Josef Pröll has stressed Austria was “in full support” of the United Nations’ (UN) and European Union’s (EU) strategy over possible sanctions against Iran as he arrived for a three-day visit in Israel yesterday (Weds).Pröll also said discussing strategies how to fight the effects of the economic crisis was the […]

Pröll wants painful sanctions for ‘deficit sinners’

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Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Josef Pröll has called for “rigid controls of, and painful sanctions for, Euro-zone deficit sinners.”Speaking before a meeting of Euro-zone finance ministers in Brussels on the Greek financial crisis today (Fri), he said that was the only way “to prevent such a situation from re-occurring.”The minister added that Austria would […]

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 […]

Pröll wants banks on board in helping Greece

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Finance

Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Josef Pröll has said he is planning to get banks on board to help financially struggling Greece.Pröll said yesterday evening (Sun) he would speak with the heads of Austria’s main banks about whether they could imagine getting involved in the international subsidisation plan for the financially struggling European Union […]