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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


Austrian Railways: Sale is „No Issue”

Christian Kern, CEO of Austrian Railways (ÖBB) underlines that the company must not be sold.
November 24, 2012


„The Worst Is Over Now“

In an interview with the Austrian newspaper “Die Presse”, Birgit Kuras explains that Vienna Stock Exchange faces an upward trend.
November 23, 2012


Austrian Industrial Federation Wants Higher VAT

Georg Kapsch, President of the Federation of Austrian Industries (I) calls for a VAT increase. The VAT rate remains unchanged at 20% of decades.
November 23, 2012


RBI Threatens to Leave Hungary

The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International criticizes the burden for the banking sector in Hungary.
November 22, 2012


AMAG: Management Board Reappointed

The Supervisory Board of AMAG Austria Metall AG announces the reappointment of the Management Board members.
November 22, 2012


AUA to Strengthen CEE Network

After Air Berlin decided to reduce the number of flights from Vienna to Eastern European destinations, Austrian Airlines intends to fill the gap.
November 20, 2012


Nowotny: „Not Afraid of Inflation“

Ewald Nowotny, governor of Austria´s Central Bank (OeNB) thinks that the danger of a stagnating economy is bigger than the danger of an increasing inflation.
November 20, 2012


Slovenia to Sharpen Austerity Measures

The Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa announced that the austerity policy will be implemented even more consequently.
November 20, 2012


OMV Underlines Necessity of Shale Gas Production

The Austrian oil and gas group stresses that shale gas may reduce the dependency on Russian natural gas.
November 20, 2012


Poland: Pawlak Steps Down

The Polish Minister of Economics Waldemar Pawlak resigns. His re-election as leader of the Agrarian Party has failed.
November 19, 2012


EU Budget: Losses for Poland Will Keep Within Limits

Poland will still be the biggest net contributor. According to Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the negotiations prove highly difficult.
November 17, 2012


Belka: Polish Economy Will Recover In 2013

The governor of the Polish National Bank (NBP) Marek Belka demonstrates optimism.
November 17, 2012


Hungary: Next Austerity Package Resolved

The Hungarian government is caught between the need to lower the budget deficit and to support economic growth.
November 17, 2012


Steel Industry: „Up to 100,000 Jobs Endangered“

Wolfgang Eder, CEO of the Austrian steel company voestalpine, warns of the persistently high oversupply in the European steel industry.
November 17, 2012


Treichl: Austria Should Cooperate with CEE Countries

Erste Group´s CEO Andreas Treichl thinks that CEE countries and Austria should create a model region in Europe like the Scandinavian countries did.
November 16, 2012


Vienna: General Attractiveness Decreases

The quality of the Viennese business location deteriorates. The high degree of bureaucracy and the high non-wage labor costs are the most problematic issues.
November 16, 2012


„Greece Has No Future in Eurozone“

The Czech President Klaus thinks that the Eurozone could bear a Greek exit without any problems.
November 15, 2012


Austria Third Largest Investor in Czech Republic

According to the Czech President Vaclav Klaus, his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer and the President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce Christoph Leitl, the bilateral trade relations are expandable.
November 14, 2012


State Visit: Klaus Received by Fischer

Today, the Czech President Vaclav Klaus has met his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer in Vienna. The commonalities are rather small.
November 13, 2012


Fekter Underlines Austerity Policy

Fitch rating agency assigns its best triple A rating to Austria, praising in particular the stability and reform package approved in March.
November 10, 2012


New Record for Bilateral Trade Between Poland and Austria

Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce underlines the close and friendly relationships between Poland and Austria.
November 8, 2012


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