Cycling campaign after bike garage fiasco

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Politics

Tens of thousands of Vienna’s residents are cycling to work every day, according to a traffic research organisation.The Austrian Traffic Club (VCÖ) announced today (Weds) that 34,000 of the city’s overall 1.7 million residents use their bikes to get to their workplaces.Now the capital’s coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Green Party presented an […]

FPÖ-internal feud hots up as Strache stays away from WWII commemoration

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Politics

A far-right member of the European Parliament (MEP) has called on Freedom Party (FPÖ) boss Heinz-Christian Strache not to deny the roots of his party.FPÖ MEP Andreas Mölzer told the Kurier newspaper today (Weds) Strache “must not be afraid” of pictures showing him with members of controversial student fraternities. Several FPÖ members of the Austrian […]

SPÖ adamant about anti-nuclear energy course

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Politics

The Austrian Social Democrats (SPÖ) refuse to stop calling for a nuclear energy-free Europe.The party – which currently forms a government with the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) – asked physicist and nuclear technology expert Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker to speak at its meeting in Schwechat near Vienna yesterday (Mon).The German warned that there were limits […]

Bucher wants rural reform to avoid financial disaster

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Politics

Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) boss Josef Bucher has called for a drastic reform of political structures in the countryside.The right-winger claimed today (Mon) smaller towns and communities should be forced to merge to avoid the financial collapse of the country. Bucher – whose appeal comes after various newspapers and magazines as well […]

Widespread worry of poor care

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Politics

Nearly one of two Austrians fear being unable to finance appropriate old-age care for themselves.GfK Austria said today (Fri) 49 per cent of the polled citizens of all age groups said they are afraid of possessing too low assets to pay for good care in case they need it when they get older. The agency […]

Frosty reception for Turkish president

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Politics

A party founded by late right-winger Jörg Haider has caused a diplomatic rift by announcing that the Turkish president “is not welcome” in Austria.The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) was established by Haider in 2005. The party said yesterday (Mon) – when Abdullah Gül started a three-day visit to Austria – that the […]

Eight in 10 rule out ÖVP win

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Politics

A vast majority think that the People’s Party (ÖVP) has no chance to come first in the next elections.Research group Karmasin questioned 500 Austrians for political magazine profil. The agency said today (Mon) that 48 per cent of interviewed citizens think the conservative party “will rather not” come out on top in the next federal […]

Berlakovich under Green fire

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Politics

Greens chairwoman Eva Glawischnig has hit out at People’s Party (ÖVP) Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich.The Green Party head said Austria was likely to fail reducing its greenhouse gas emissions – and made the minister responsible for the development. Glawischnig also pointed out that the share of energy from renewable sources declined by two per cent […]

Mayor attacked on the street after death threats

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Politics

A 40-year-old man has been arrested for attacking the mayor of a town in Carinthia.St. Veit an der Glan’s Social Democratic (SPÖ) Mayor Gerhard Mock said today (Thurs) he and a secretary suffered minor injuries in the incident outside the local town hall yesterday.”I’ve been threatened with murder a few times over the phone ahead […]

Bilingual place-name signs controversy settled

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Politics

Political leaders seem to have ended a lengthy argument considering bilingual place-name signs.Negotiators announced in Klagenfurt yesterday evening (Tues) they agreed that 164 towns and communities in the province of Carinthia will be equipped with place-name signs in both German and Slovenian.Provincial decision-makers and representatives of the Slovenian minority have been at odds over the […]