Haider death mocked once more

Categories
Politics

A satirical magazine has created a fake campaign train poster showing the wrecked car of a late politician. Jörg Haider spearheaded right-wing movements in Austria for decades before losing his life in a drunken car crash three years ago. Now Germany’s Titanic magazine published what it called a “Riddle for Nazis” on its homepage. The […]

Fekter says sorry for ‘anti-Semitic’ statements

Categories
Politics

People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter has apologised after comparing today’s criticism of bankers with the Nazis’ persecution of Europe’s Jewish community. The federal minister warned on Friday current developments could escalate to “what resulted in wars twice.” Fekter said after a meeting of the European Union’s (EU) ministers of finance in Wroclaw, Poland: […]

Gusenbauer doubts Faymann’s crisis concept

Categories
Politics

Former Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer has dismissed a suggestion by his successor on how Europe’s politicians could get the continent’s volatile economic situation under control. SPÖ head and Chancellor Werner Faymann said the federal government and state leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) member countries should meet more often to debate how […]

Interest in politics hits all-time low

Categories
Politics

Fewer Austrians than ever before are interested in politics, according to a poll. Research group Imas said yesterday (Weds) only five per cent of citizens explained they were “strongly interested” in developments in interior politics. Around three in four admitted being indifferent or uninterested. Imas explained the percentage figure of those very interested has never […]

Greek bankruptcy worse than Lehman, says Trittin

Categories
Politics

Jürgen Trittin has warned of more dramatic effects than after the collapse of Lehman Brothers if Europe allows Greece to go bust. The influential German Green Party official told Austrian newspaper Die Presse today (Tues) he was certain an insolvency of the struggling Southern European country would have a more serious impact on developments on […]

Austrians angered by EU light bulb ban

Categories
Politics

A vast majority of Austrians disapprove the European Union’s (EU) light bulb regulation. The EU’s decision to order an end to the production of regular light bulbs is widely considered as one of the most controversial steps taken by lawmakers in the past years. The decree was passed in an attempt to improve the protection […]

Kuneva deplores mutual distrust

Categories
Politics

Meglena Kuneva has claimed Bulgarians lack mutual trust. The former European Commissioner for Consumer Protection – who runs for Bulgarian president next month – told Austrian newspaper Die Presse today (Mon) it was “impossible” to discuss the domestic economy’s development because of the various “lobbies” in the federal parliament. Kuneva also criticised the state of […]

Kids seatbelt initiative planned

Categories
Politics

Lawmakers have presented a new awareness campaign to further increase kids’ safety in cars as the number of unprotected young passengers is in decline. Social Democratic (SPÖ) Traffic Minister Doris Bures announced yesterday (Weds) 5,526 drivers were reprimanded or fined for failing to buckle up children in their vehicles last year, down sharply from 2007 […]

Viennese surveillance camera scheme seen as success

Categories
Politics

Almost 2,800 surveillance cameras have been set up at council houses in Vienna in the past three years, city officials announced yesterday (Weds). Social Democratic (SPÖ) Housing Councillor Michael Ludwig said 2,769 camera systems were installed at the so-called Gemeindebau housing estates which have been subsidised and managed by the city since autumn 2008. The […]

No Turkish private school for Tyrol

Categories
Politics

A Tyrolean town has rejected a group of Turkish businesspeople’s appeal to run a school. A commission formed by Rum Town Hall officials announced yesterday (Tues) it unanimously agreed to veto the endeavour. Turkish investors and retail trade entrepreneurs asked decision-makers whether they could create and manage a private school. The group aimed at setting […]