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 […]
Peoples Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter said she “feels confirmed” by the public debate about Thilo Sarrazins new book.The former Deutsche Bundesbank executive board members bestseller “Deutschland schafft sich ab” (Germany Abolishes Itself) caused outcry with its theories about a possible connection between immigrants intelligence, crime rates and their will to integrate.Fekter has been […]
Austria has retained its title of being the European Unions (EU) jobless rate model pupil.The European Commissions (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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) have been harshly attacked after it emerged that five high-ranking officials met North Korean leaders.Political newspapers revealed yesterday (Tues) that a group of five SPÖ MPs and Members of the European Parliament (MEP) travelled to North Korea earlier this month. The Social Democrats stressed that the trip was a private […]
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 […]
Viennas 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 capitals subsidised emergency shelters from November.The councillor whose party […]
Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann is narrowly ahead of Peoples 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 […]
Vast parts of Viennas busiest shopping street could become car-free zones in the next few years, Social Democratic (SPÖ) Vienna traffic councillor Rudolf Schicker has announced.Schicker said today (Weds) experts were set to check which parts of the Mariahilfer Straße which divides the citys Mariahilf and Neubau districts could be freed from traffic. […]