The People’s Party (ÖVP) is in turmoil after the resignation of Ferdinand Maier. Maier announced in a radio debate he would retire next month instead of in autumn. The controversial parliament member (MP) was not allowed to express his critical opinion regarding the decision of the government to make debts of 33 billion Euros to […]
Federal and provincial financial issues decision-makers have postponed their negotiations about the budget of the coming years. People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter said talks with the provincial governments’ finance councillors would continue next week. Fekter angered the politically muscular provincial parliaments by revealing plans to sanction provinces which breached the stricter new budget […]
The crisis of the People’s Party (ÖVP) seems to worsen as inner conflicts are escalating. Ferdinand Maier announced he would resign as ÖVP parliament member (MP) in May. “I am already preparing my farewell speech,” Maier – who has been one of the most outspoken critics of the ÖVP’s various leaders of the past years […]
Josef Bucher, the head of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ), has harshly attacked the Pirate Party (PPÖ). The newly established political movements celebrated its first significant success earlier this week when it entered the city hall of Innsbruck, the capital of the western province of Tyrol. The PPÖ, which has a dramatically […]
The Austrian government has informed the European Commission (EC) and Eurozone financial issues watchdogs about its budget path. Social Democrats (SPÖ) and People’s Party (ÖVP) filed a document to the political institutions’ headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and Strasbourg, France, today (Weds). The paper features all detail information about how the coalition intends to erase the […]
Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) boss Josef Bucher has dismissed claims that he plans a political partnership with Frank Stronach. Newspapers have speculated that the wealthy businessman – who founded car parts manufacturer Magna International in the 1950s – could subsidise the BZÖ after he spoke about plans to invest “several million Euros […]
Carinthian Freedom Party (FPK) boss Uwe Scheuch emphasised that he had no plans to plead guilty to unjust enrichment after a verdict against him was annulled. The Provincial High Court of Styria (OLG) in Graz announced last week it wanted the Court of Klagenfurt to re-examine the case again. OLG experts had to look into […]
Members of the Afghan community in Austria are to take to the streets in order to protest against the systematic murders of the Hazara-Afghans in Pakistan, who thay say are being persecuted because of being Shia Muslims. Not only are they being hunted down by extremist religious groups, but also by individuals connected to the […]
Josef Pühringer, the governor of the province of Upper Austria, is the most trusted People’s Party (ÖVP) politician. A new poll by OGM – published in the new edition of magazine profil – lists Pühringer ahead of Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl and Science Minister Karlheinz Töchterle. Leitl has often been rumoured to become […]
The opposition teamed up in attacking the government over its tax agreement with Switzerland. People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Maria Fekter agreed with her Swiss counterpart, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, about charging a tax of 15 to 38 per cent on Austrians’ assets in Switzerland shortly. Fekter said in Swiss capital Bern, where the treaty was signed […]