Vienna International Community - Top Diplomats - Latest Headlines

Read updated news about key diplomats in Vienna's international community,e.g. changes in diplomatic personnel in Austria & at Austrian representations abroad

Voestalpine: Savings Higher than Planned

The Austrian steel group could reduce its costs more effectively than initially planned. From 2010 to 2013, total savings reach € 650m.

November 7, 2012

Nowotny: More Power for Big Countries

The governor of Austrian National Bank OeNB Ewald Nowotny proposes to amend the voting rights at ECB.

November 7, 2012

Magna May Withdraw from Austria

The automotive group threatens to leave Austria. The wages would be too high, Magna Europe´s CEO Günther Apfalter says in an interview with “Kurier”.

November 5, 2012

Rostowski: Poland´s Economic Slowdown “Only Temporary”

Regarding the medium-term economic development, the Polish Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski proves confidence.

November 2, 2012

Erdogan Tries to Put Pressure on EU

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warns of postponing the EU accession of his country.

October 31, 2012

Lithuania´s Government Aims to Join Eurozone

The social democrat Algirdas Butkevicius may become Lithuania´s next Prime Minister. His main targets are austerity and the accession to the Eurozone.

October 31, 2012

Czech Republic and Slovakia: Nuclear Power Remains Main Energy Source

The Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico underline that nuclear energy will remain the future technology.

October 30, 2012

„Banking Union Weakens Central Banks“

The Czech President Vaclav Klaus criticizes that a common banking supervision limits the competencies of national central banks.

October 30, 2012

„Strengthening Relation with Russia“

Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) argues that Europe must co-operate closer with Russia in order to manage the crisis.

October 25, 2012

Jürgen Kullnigg Becomes the New Chief Risk Officer of Bank Austria

Jürgen Kullnigg will join the Management Board of Bank Austria to succeed Massimiliano Fossati, who will move to UniCredit in Milan to become Chief Risk Officer Italy

October 24, 2012

VIG Considers Expanding Further

Vienna Insurance Group has cash reserves of € 1.5bn. Now, the insurance group wants to take over some small or medium-sized companies.

October 24, 2012

FMA: „Austria is Open to Blackmail by Banks”

Kurt Pribil, director of the Austrian Financial Market Authority, thinks that the nationalization of banks has shown that the Austrian state is still under pressure.

October 23, 2012

Austrian Banking Industry to Downsize Radically

According to Bank Austria´s CEO Willibald Cernko, the Austrian banking industry must cut its number of branches radically.

October 23, 2012

Kazakh President Nazarbayev in Austria

Today, the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was received by the Austrian President Heinz Fischer. The Austrian industry hopes for orders worth € 500m.

October 22, 2012

Banking Package: Austria to Lose Billions

Hannes Androsch, member of the publicly owned bank holding company Fimbag, fears that Austria´s losses will be substantial.

October 22, 2012

Austrian Railways: Net Income to Reach € 200m in Medium Term

Despite the difficult economic situation, CEO Christian Kern aims to increase the profitability further. “The fourth quarter will be brutal.” he says.

October 20, 2012

Polish Government: Austerity in Order to Enter Eurozone

The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski says that Poland will fulfill the Maastricht Criteria in 2015.

October 19, 2012

CA Immo to Downsize

Florian Nowotny, CFO of the Austrian real estate company announces further property sales.

October 19, 2012

Vienna Stock Exchange Wants Austrian Post to Become Privatized

Birgit Kuras, CEO of Vienna Stock Exchange, wants the Austrian state to reduce its 53% stake in Austrian Post.

October 19, 2012

RHI Begins to Downsize in Europe

The Austrian refractories company plans to expand in Russia. In Europe, the first factories will be shut down in two years.

October 18, 2012

RBI: We Will Not Leave Hungary

Herbert Stepic, CEO of Austrian RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International) is highly dissatisfied with Hungary´s decision not to reduce bank taxes. However, RBI will stay, he says.

October 18, 2012 · Updated: October 18, 2012; 17:08

„Austrian Telecommunication Market Is Damaged“

The new CEO of T-Mobile Austria Andreas Bierwirth wants to cut costs drastically. The profitability of the telecommunication industry would suffer from the decreasing prices.

October 17, 2012

Alpine: CEO Dotter Resigns

The management of the financially stricken Austrian construction group reshuffles. The holding company FCC decided to change the management.

October 17, 2012 · Updated: October 17, 2012; 19:15

Voestalpine: Eder Does Not Exclude to Leave Austria

Wolfgang Eder, CEO of the Austrian steel company voestalpine, underlines to stay in Austria “as long as possible”.

October 15, 2012

Androsch: „AT&S Under Double Pressure“

In an interview with “Wirtschaftsblatt”, the major shareholder of the Austrian semiconductor producer AT&S explains that the company faces increasing costs and declining prices.

October 15, 2012

Klaus: “Nobel Prize for EU is a Mistake”

The Czech President Vaclav Klaus criticizes the decision of the Nobel Prize Committee. For him, the decision is a “joke”.

October 13, 2012

Austrian Industry Reaffirms: „We need structural reforms”

The President of IV (Federation of Austrian Industries) Georg Kapsch argues that more justice cannot be achieved with new taxes.

October 13, 2012

Voestalpine: No Investments in Europe

Wolfgang Eder, CEO of the Austrian steel company expects that Europe faces a longer phase of stagnation. The steel industry will not recover before mid-2013.

October 12, 2012

Stepic: “Must Reduce Lending in CESEE”

The CEO of Austrian RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International) Herbert Stepic explains that new lending in Eastern Europe must be reduced substantially.

October 11, 2012

Austrian Post: New Supervisory Board President Elected

Rudolf Kemler was appointed as new chairman of the supervisory board.

October 11, 2012

Andritz is Concerned About China

The CEO of Andritz Wolfgang Leitner thinks that there are substantial risks for the Chinese and European economy.

October 10, 2012

Orban Rejects Joining Eurozone

The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thinks that the introduction of the euro in Hungary would be “irresponsible”.

October 10, 2012

Fekter Happy With Financial Transaction Tax

Austrian Finance Minister Maria Fekter: "We have only created the on-ramp to the highway – details and structure to follow by Christmas“

October 10, 2012

Rudolf Kemler New Supervisory Board President of OMV

Result of OMV‘s Extraordinary General Meeting 2012: The chairman of ÖIAG (Austrian Industrial Holding) was elected as a member of the Supervisory Board.

October 9, 2012

„Nabucco Is not Dead at All“

The EU-Commissioner of Energy Günther Oettinger is optimistic that Nabucco will be successful. According to Austria´s Minister of Economics Reinhold Mitterlehner, the prospects of success are “50+”.

October 9, 2012

Flat Tax in Austria?

The Austrian opposition party presented a “fair tax” model. The other parties criticized the proposal fiercely.

October 6, 2012

Savers Must Pay for Debt Crisis

At the European Forum Alpbach, analysts explained that the debt crisis can only be solved through negative real interest rates.

October 6, 2012

Poland´s Komorowski: “Strong Swiss Franc Causes Problems”

On the occasion of a visit in Switzerland, the Polish President Bronislav Komorowski explained that the strong Swiss franc is a problem for both countries.

October 5, 2012

Fekter Appeals on Banks to Prevent Credit Crunch

Banks should be more creative in financing the real economy instead of creating new financial products, she says.

October 5, 2012

Mitterlehner: „No Economic Stimulus Package“

Austria´s Minister of Economics rejects another stimulus package for the Austrian industrial sector. The budgetary situation would not allow that, he says.

October 4, 2012

Eastern Europe Remains Austria´s Future Region

The Austrian economist Christian Keuschnigg thinks that the opening of Austrian companies toward Eastern Europe was a “highly favourable event”.

October 4, 2012

Fekter Rejects Deposit Protection in EU

At the Alpbach Financial Symposium, Austria´s Minister of Finance Maria Fekter underlined to reject the European deposit protection.

October 4, 2012

Poland´s National Bank Holds Interest Rate

After analysts expected that the Polish NBP cut the interest rate, the decision to hold the rate at 4.75% came as a surprise.

October 4, 2012

Slovakia Abolishes Flat Tax

Because of the austerity pressure, Slovakia gives up its flat tax. The corporation income tax rate increases to 23% from 19%.

October 3, 2012

„Austria Does Not Need Shale Gas“

Gerhard Roiss, CEO of Austrian OMV, thinks that renouncing on shale gas will be expensive.

October 1, 2012

Austrian Budget Targets Will Not Hold

In August, Finance Minister Maria Fekter underlined that the budget deficit will not exceed 2.9% of GDP. Due to the banking package, the budget deficit will be higher, though.

October 1, 2012

Raiffeisen: CEE Network to be Closed

Austrian RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International) announces that the expansion in Central and Eastern Europe will be concluded soon.

October 1, 2012

Lenzing: Mandate of CEO Untersperger Confirmed

The Austrian fiber producer extends the management board mandate of Peter Untersperger until 2016.

October 1, 2012

Fekter Against Property Taxes

The Austrian Minister of Finance Maria Fekter (ÖVP) would support an income tax reform. Property taxes would not be acceptable, she says.

September 29, 2012

Stronach Calls For 25% Flat Tax

The Austrian industrial and new party leader Frank Stronach wants a radical tax reform.

September 29, 2012