Vienna International Community - Top Politicians - Latest Headlines

Read updated news about key politicians in Vienna's international community

„Austria Must Not Become Mediocre“

The Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) and the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) call for an acceleration of reforms as the Austrian position in competitive rankings deteriorates.

June 18, 2012

Fekter Approves Greek Election Results

The Austrian Minister of Finance Maria Fekter is happy with the „Pro-European „ statement oft he Greeks. Minor adjustments to aid packages would be possible.

June 18, 2012

„Shotdown of Hypo Group Would Cost € 6.0bn“

The management of the nationalized Austrian Hypo Group Alpe Adria asserts that the shutdown would be more expensive than the continuation of the business.

June 15, 2012

Markus Beyrer New Director General of Businesseurope

The Council of Presidents (COPRES) of the leading European business organization unanimously appoints 46 year old Austrian.

June 15, 2012

RZB Wants to Keep Austrian Deposit Protection

Raiffeisen Zentralbank´s CEO Walter Rothensteiner is skeptical of the European deposit protection proposal.

June 15, 2012

Slim Becomes Major Shareholder at Telekom Austria

The Austrian investor Ronny Pecik sells his shares to the Mexican Carlos Slim. The main shareholder ÖIAG welcomes this step.

June 15, 2012

„Nabucco Will Die A Hundred Times“

OMV´s CEO Gerhard Roiss promotes the new „Nabucco West“ project and underlines the high probability of success.

June 14, 2012

Leitl Underlines Good Relations with Hungary

At the visit of Hungary´s Viktor Orban, the President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) stresses the long-term commitment of Austrian enterprises in Hungary and claims legal security in return.

June 14, 2012

Beyrer Leaves ÖIAG

The chairman of the Austrian industrial holding resigns and will switch to Brussels.

June 14, 2012

Orban Defends Hungarian Economic Policy

The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Austrian policymakers in Vienna. The Hungarian bank tax should be replaced by a financial transaction tax.

June 13, 2012

Monti Angry at Fekter

Italy´s Prime Minister Mario Monti is unhappy with the statement of Austria´s Finance Minister Maria Fekter on Italy. Fekter considered that Italy may need help by the EU.

June 12, 2012

New Top Executive at Telekom Austria

Roland Haidner takes over as Director of Telekom Austria´s M&A Department.

June 11, 2012

Albrecht: „Common Collective Agreement in 2012“

The CEO of Austrian Airlines is optimistic to achieve unified collective agreement for the whole workforce. Costs for the transfer of undertakings are expected to reach up to € 90m.

June 9, 2012

Fischer Has Understanding for Bank Tax in Slovakia

Slovakia wants to introduce bank taxes. Austria´s Federal President Heinz Fischer, who met his Slovakian counterpart Ivan Gasparovic, does not have objections.

June 9, 2012

Schmidt Retires as CEO of ATB

ATB Austria Antriebstechnik AG Christian Schmidt retires as CEO of the ATB Austria Antriebstechnik and joins the Supervisory Board of the Company Vienna, June 8, 2012.

June 8, 2012

„Bank Union is Still Far Away“

Ewald Nowotny, Governor of Austria´s Central Bank, thinks that a bank union in the Eurozone would still take some time. Erste Group´s CEO Andreas Treichl approves the idea.

June 6, 2012

Slim to Enter Telekom Austria

The world´s richest man, the Mexican investor Carlos Slim is said to own a 4.0% stake in Telekom Austria and to buy Pecik´s stake for € 9.5 per share.

June 5, 2012

„India and China are not the Problems“

Voestalpine´s CEO Wolfgang Eder thinks that competitors from Turkey, Russia and Ukraine may become problematic for the European steel industry.

June 5, 2012

Trade Unions Wants „Just Taxation“

The Austrian Trade Unions warn of a strict austerity policy and pushes for growth stimulating measures.

June 2, 2012

Government Battles for OeNB´s Reorder

The reorder of the supervisory board and the management board at the Austrian Central Bank( OeNB) was brought forward. Now, a dispute between the coalition parties arose.

June 2, 2012

Pecik Finds New Partner

The Austrian investor and second-largest shareholder of Telekom Austria is said to cooperate with a Russian billionaire.

June 1, 2012

Zumtobel Expects Difficult Financial Year

Harald Sommerer, CEO oft he Austrian lighting company Zumtobel awaits a difficult financial year 2012/13.

June 1, 2012

Treichl: „Spain Needs Help“

The CEO of theAustrian Erste Group Andreas Treichl is in doubt whether Spain may conquer the crisis without help. Regarding Greece, Europe has to pay anyway, Treichl thinks.

June 1, 2012

Androsch Criticizes Hypo Group Purchase

In 2009, the Austrian state nationalized the financially stricken Hypo Group. Much time was wasted, the industrialist and Fimbag board member Hannes Androsch thinks.

May 30, 2012

New Supervisory Board at Uniqa

New Supervisory Board Chairman of the Austrian insurance group is RZB´s CEO Walter Rothensteiner, who succeeds Christian Konrad.

May 30, 2012

Hypo Group: Further State Aids not Excluded

Johannes Ditz, chairman of the nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria, wants to sell about a third of the interests until 2014. In the end, losses are likely.

May 30, 2012

Nowotny: „Keeping Greece in Eurozone Has Highest Priority“

The Governor of the Austrian Central Bank (OeNB), Ewald Nowotny thinks that ECB does not plan a new bond purchase program.

May 29, 2012

Switzerland: Resistance Against Tax Deal with Austria

Swiss parties are against the tax agreement with Austria. The social democrats and the Swiss People´s Party oppose the plan.

May 29, 2012

VIG: Hagen Succeeds Geyer

Peter Hagen will succeed Günter Geyer as CEO of Vienna Insurance Group with effect from 1 June. “Management continuity puts the Group on a stable basis” the company says.

May 29, 2012

AUA: Last Chance

The loss-making Austrian Airlines has only little time left to achieve the turnaround. Lufthansa´s patience is wearing thin.

May 26, 2012

"Europe Needs Economic Growth and Budget Discipline“

Structural reforms are necessary to make Europe sustainably more competitive, Christoph Leitl, President of Austria´s Chamber of Commerce (WKO) says.

May 26, 2012

ÖIAG Cuts Dividends

The publicly held industrial holding ÖIAG pays dividends of € 155m to the Austrian state. This is a decline by 18.4%.

May 26, 2012

Fekter: “Strengthen Partnership with Eastern Neighbours”

Austria´s Finance Minister Maria Fekter emphasizes the necessity of a closer political and economic integration needed with partners in the East.

May 26, 2012

Austrian Chamber of Economics Claims Growth Package

Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce thinks that Austria and Europe would both need growth and austerity measures.

May 25, 2012

Greece and Eurobonds Divide Austria

The Greek exit and the introduction of Eurobonds are discussed heatedly. In Austria, there is no clear tendency.

May 25, 2012

Malanik Leaves AUA

Executive Board Member Peter Malanik leaves Austrian Airlines.

May 25, 2012

Sawiris Threatens ÖIAG with Slim

The new shareholder at Telekom Austria Naguib Sawiris announced to sell his stake to the Mexican investor Carlos Slim if the industrial holding ÖIAG does not act cooperatively.

May 24, 2012

Pecik Becomes Member of Telekom Austria´s Supervisory Board

The Austrian investor, who holds a 21.5% stake in Telekom Austria together with his partner Naguib Sawiris, was elected as new supervisory board member. Sawiris was no candidate.

May 23, 2012

Nowotny: „Austria is Safe“

The governor of Austria´s Central Bank (OeNB) Ewald Nowotny asserts that the economic stability in Austria is substantially better than in other regions of the Eurozone.

May 23, 2012

RZB Capital Increase Completed

Raiffeisen Zentralbank´s shareholders subscribe core tier 1capital in the amount of roughly € 852m. The EBA capital requirements is already exceeded as a result.

May 23, 2012

“Telekom Austria May Become Second AUA“

The head of the Austrian investor´s association (IVA) Wilhelm Rasinger fiercely criticizes Telekom Austria´s core shareholder ÖIAG.

May 22, 2012

Austrian Airlines Streamlines Organization

The former Swiss executive board member Gaudenz Ambühl will head new flight operations.

May 22, 2012

“Three Problems of Europe: Divergence, Indebtedness and Weak Banks”

The new director of the Austrian IHS (Institute of Advanced Studies) Christian Keuschnigg thinks that a Greek exit would have to take place suddenly.

May 21, 2012

Downsizing: Hypo Group Aims to Achieve Proceeds of € 1.5bn

The nationalized Austrian banking group Hypo Group Alpe Adria starts its sales program in SEE countries and wants to achieve proceeds of € 1.5bn

May 21, 2012

Rothensteiner: Return to Drachma would be „Utter Chaos“

The CEO of the Austrian RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank) warns of a Greek exit. At the moment, there would be not contagiousness for Spain or Italy.

May 21, 2012

BCR: Treichl Expects Soon Recovery

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group, anticipates a soon recovery of the Romanian subsidiary Banka Comerciala Romana.

May 19, 2012

Sorger Underlines Austrian Crisis Management

The President of the Federation of Austrian Industries Veit Sorger reaffirms the necessity of austerity and investments of the private sector.

May 19, 2012

Androsch Criticizes Political Inactivity

The former Austrian Finance Minister and industrialist Hannes Androsch thinks that both austerity and growth strategies are needed and criticizes the government sharply.

May 18, 2012

Slim to Enter Telekom Austria?

The Mexican investor Carlos Slim, who is currently the world´s richest man, is said to acquire stakes in Telekom Austria.

May 18, 2012

„I´m Glad That It Is Over“

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group had to present the first annual loss to the shareholders since its IPO in 1997.

May 15, 2012