The pressure on Social Democratic (SPÖ) Defence and Sport Minister Norbert Darabos is increasing as a new Audit Office (RH) examination indicates a waste of taxpayers’ money by the army. The RH announced yesterday (Tues) that 2,059 army employees were inactive in 2010. The institution said that these circumstances cost the state 66.1 million Euros […]
Unionists are alarmed by news that the education ministry plans to make significant changes to teachers’ contracts. Social Democratic (SPÖ) Education Minister Claudia Schmied reportedly wants to abolish various privileges of the country’s teachers. Works council committee officials are especially angered about claims that the minister intends to get rid of clauses which protect academics […]
Austria’s longest-serving governor has been identified as the most capable one in the opinion of citizens. A study published by magazine profil shows that 20 per cent of Austrians consider Erwin Pröll, the provincial governor of Lower Austria, as the best of all nine governors. The conservative politician became governor of Austria’s largest province 20 […]
Norbert Darabos has refused to apologise after attacking Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The Austrian Social Democratic (SPÖ) defence minister told Die Presse on Sunday that Lieberman was an “unbearable” member of the Israeli government to him. Darabos criticised the nationalist politician for refusing to rule out an Israeli attack against Iran due to the […]
People’s Party (ÖVP) Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner has defended the plan to finalise the talks for the government’s transparency package this year. Mikl-Leitner underlined today (Fri) that the various planned draft bills would come into force only next year anyway. She promised that her cabinet and the team of negotiators assigned by the Social Democrats […]
The designated chief of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) has called for an increase of the retirement age. Christian Keuschnigg, who is set to succeed Bernhard Felderer as head of the renowned research group next month, said such a measure would not cause an unacceptable amount of pressure on the Austrian social systems. Keuschnigg […]
The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) has finally dismissed the circulating rumours about teaming up with a billionaire businessman. The party, which sensationally won almost 11 per cent in the national election of 2008, could drop out of parliament in next year’s ballot. Only two per cent of Austrians plan to support the […]
Experts have expressed concerns about a capacity bottleneck as People’s Party (ÖVP) Integration Secretary Sebastian Kurz started a two-year kindergarten pilot project. Kurz – whose party forms a government coalition with the Social Democrats (SPÖ) – said yesterday (Weds) parents in two districts in Salzburg and Lower Austria were offered to send their children to […]
People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger has branded the Pirate Party (PPÖ) as a “group of clowns”. The foreign minister said in a speech at Hofburg Palace in Vienna yesterday (Mon) that the increasingly popular party consisted of “political clowns”. Some analysts think that the established parties still fail to realise the threat the […]
Gabi Burgstaller is under attack after suggesting shorter holidays for teachers. The Social Democratic (SPÖ) governor of the province of Salzburg said yesterday (Tues) primary and secondary modern teachers “should have holidays of five weeks a year as everyone else”. Burgstaller told the Kurier the nine-week summer break should be cut to help parents. She […]