COVID-19

Austria’s Plan for Gradually Dropping COVID Mitigations

June 30 is going to be the date when all COVID-19 Measures Will Drop in Austria. Health Minister Johannes Rauch and Constitution Minister Karoline Edtstadler confirmed this in a press conference.

4 hours ago

Austria Wants to Drop all Covid-19 Mitigations

Austrian Minister of Health Johannes Rauch has said that he wants to end all Covid-19 regulations in Austria until springtime this year. This would mean the legitimate end of the Coronavirus-pandemic in the country.

January 15, 2023

Mask Obligation in Vienna's Public Transport Remains

While the Corona measures have been softened further at the Austrian federal level, Vienna is sticking to its stricter rules. The mask requirement on public transport in Vienna will be maintained into the year to come.

December 29, 2022

Vienna New Year's Eve Trail Will Return this Year

The Vienna New Year's Eve Trail will take place again this year after a break of two years due to the Covid pandemic. The City of Vienna has now announced the first details of the program. It is also the 31st edition of the popular event, which was last held in 2019 and is one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in Europe. Read more about New Year's Eve in Vienna!

December 15, 2022

OPEC Plus Marks Sixth Anniversary

The Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) between OPEC member countries and 10 non-OPEC oil-producing countries turned six years old. As the oil cartel engaged in diplomatic celebrations, OPEC reaffirmed its expectations for global oil demand in 2023.

December 14, 2022

Financial Assets of Austrian Households Decline for the First Time Since the Financial Crisis

The economic crisis, high inflation, falling share prices and rising energy prices are now taking their toll. According to a new study, average household wealth in Austria fell in recent months for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis.

October 31, 2022

Ministry of the Interior and Israeli Embassy Hold Symposium on Countering Terrorism

At a recent event in Vienna, the focus was on preventing and combating terrorism. "Current challenges in the fight against terrorism - What Austria can learn from it" was organised by the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, the Israeli Embassy and the University of Continuing Education Krems.

October 25, 2022

Crises in East Africa and Yemen: Austria Supports Affected Regions

In order to support states that have been hit particularly hard by national or international conflicts as well as by natural disasters and climate change, the Austrian Federal Government made 8 million euros available from the Foreign Disaster Fund. The money will go to organisations that are active in Yemen and East Africa.

October 20, 2022

Foreign Policy Report 2021 Puts Security in Europe in the Spotlight

The recently presented Europe and Foreign Policy Report 2021 outlines the foreign policy problems and challenges that Austria, but also Europe, had to deal with in the past year.

October 19, 2022

City of Vienna Establishes Energy Crisis Unit

The City of Vienna established an advisory committee on energy supply, which will work as a crisis unit on energy supply issues. Together with the crisis unit that has existed since the Covid pandemic, it is to accompany the preparations for the winter and make proposals for measures to secure energy supplies.

October 17, 2022

Every Third Austrian Had to Suffer Income Losses in the Last Year

The COVID-19 pandemic and the many current crises have left a mark on the Austrian population. According to a recent survey, more than one third of Austrians suffered a loss of income within the last 12 months.

October 14, 2022

OPEC Plus Aims to Raise Oil Price

According to insiders, OPEC+ is planning to reduce the amount of oil produced in order to increase the price of oil. This decision is to be published in Vienna on 5 October. In addition, the main OPEC organisation is planning to hold the 8th OPEC International Seminar at the Hofburg in Vienna next year. This is one of the premier events in the energy industry calendar.

October 3, 2022

Viennese Ball Season: Every Third Viennese Plans to Attend a Ball

The Viennese ball season is just around the corner and the Viennese people can hardly wait. According to a survey, a large part of the Viennese want to visit one of the many balls. After two years of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers can look forward to a good season this year.

September 29, 2022

Number of Holiday Trips Back to Pre-Crisis Levels

To mark World Tourism Day, today we turn our attention to tourism in Austria. After the summer, the travel activity of the Austrian population was evaluated. The pleasing result: the Austrian population is travelling more again and is back at pre-crisis levels. Among others, this pleases the airport, which recorded an increase in passenger volume.

September 27, 2022

Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg Met Representatives of Jewish Organizations in New York

Austria should take its historical responsibility for the Holocaust seriously. Foreign Minister Schallenberg met with representatives of Jewish organizations on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

September 25, 2022

OPEC Celebrates its 62nd Anniversary

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries celebrated the 62nd anniversary of its founding this week.

September 16, 2022

Austrian Minister at World Summit on Counter-Terrorism in Israel

Due to her participation in the World Counter-Terrorism Summit in Herzliya, the Austrian Minister for Europe and Constitution, Karoline Edtstadler, travelled to Israel at the weekend. As part of her speech, she presented Israeli descendants of those persecuted under National Socialism with Austrian citizenship.

September 12, 2022

Global Business Campaign ReFocus Austria to Be Continued

A lot of attention was given this year's Ambassadors' Conference in Vienna to Austria's export economy as well as to ReFocus Austria, the successful economic campaign that has now been continued.

September 9, 2022

Austrian Appointed as New UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 

The new Human Rights High Commissioner for the UN is Austrian lawyer Volker Türk. On the proposal of Secretary-General Guterres, the 57-year-old was appointed to succeed the previous Commissioner Bachelet by the United Nations General Assembly. Türk had previously served as Assistant Secretary-General.

September 9, 2022

Austria Wants Covid Vaccine Contracts Renegotiated

Austria's Health Minister Johannes Rauch wants to renegotiate existing CoV vaccine contracts. Rauch said he wants to negotiate more flexibility with vaccine manufacturers at the informal meeting of EU health ministers in Prague.

September 6, 2022

New School Year 2022/23 Starts in Vienna with New Challenges

The new school year begins in Vienna and eastern Austria. In addition to the Corona challenges and the energy crisis, which have almost become the norm, compulsory schooling for all Ukrainian children is now coming, and voices have already been heard that a shortage of teachers is imminent.

September 4, 2022

Alexander Van der Bellen's First Term in Office: A Presidency With Many Ups and Downs

A final chapter of the first term of the Austrian President is approaching. On 9 October, Alexander Van der Bellen will contest Austria's 14th federal presidential election and will attempt to defend his office. At Vindobona, we take this opportunity to look back on the first term of the President.

August 17, 2022

Austria Celebrates the UN Humanitarian Day

Today marks World Humanitarian Day. World Humanitarian Day, is celebrated to honour the many people who have lost their lives in the service of humanity, as well as those who, day after day, make the lives of others easier in emergency situations.

August 17, 2022

Development Policy in Austria: Focus on Combating the Consequences of Pandemics and Poverty

Recently, the Foreign Minister presented an updated version of the goals of Austria's development policy to the Austrian Parliament. If you want to know which goals Austria is aiming for and what this year's focus will be, read on.

August 11, 2022

How the USA Assesses the Austrian Economy

Every year, the United States government publishes a report that informs US companies and investors about the business climate in more than 160 countries and economies, including Austria. In this US State Department report, business officials at embassies and missions around the world prepare and analyse a variety of economies that are or could be markets for US companies of all sizes. Read on if you want to know how the US views the Austrian economy!

August 4, 2022

Austria's Minister for Europe at the UN Forum for Sustainable Development in New York

In New York, the UN Forum on Sustainable Development discussed progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Austria's Minister for Europe, Karoline Edtstadler, attended the event. The current discussion focused on how the COVID 19 pandemic impacts the implementation of development goals.

July 19, 2022

Austria's Foreign Trade Achieves Strong Growth

In the previous year, there were strong increases in foreign trade compared to the first CoV year 2020. It is pleasing that almost all federal states were able to record a positive foreign trade balance.

July 15, 2022

Austrian National Bank Expects Highest Inflation Rate in 50 Years

In a recent analysis, the Austrian National Bank expects inflation in Austria to settle at 7.6% in 2022. This particularly high value represents the highest inflation since the crude oil crisis in the 1970s. Inflation is also expected to remain above the target of 1.9% in the coming years.

July 11, 2022

No More Compulsory Vaccination and New Regulations in Vienna: What You Need to Know

Austria's National Council announced at the end of this week that compulsory vaccination would be abolished. Contrary to this announcement, Vienna is tightening its mandatory masking in the health sector. In recent weeks, the number of cases has been increasing, which is why this step was necessary.

July 8, 2022

Montenegro's Prime Minister Visits the Austrian Federal Chancellor and Foreign Minister

Dritan Abazović, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, visited Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in Vienna this week. Montenegro's EU accession was discussed, as well as the deepening of bilateral relations. In the Western Balkans, the small Adriatic Republic is considered a model pupil among the EU accession candidates.

July 8, 2022

Vienna Airport Wins Award as Best Airport in Europe

Vienna International Airport recently received the "Best European Airport 2022" award from the Airports Council International. The airport particularly stood out for its new Terminal 2, which was only completed this year. But the high reliability, service quality and measures to reduce CO2 were praised.

July 7, 2022

Vienna Economic Council - How Vienna Deals With Current Economic Challenges

The Vienna Economic Council met this week to deal with the effects of the conflict in Ukraine. The aim was to make Vienna attractive as a business location and to manage emerging economic crises in the best possible way. Read on if you want to learn more!

July 7, 2022

Afghanistan Receives Humanitarian Aid from Austria

Aid organizations in Afghanistan and the surrounding region will receive seven million euros from the Foreign Disaster Fund (AKF) to alleviate the acute humanitarian emergency of Afghan civilians. In this way, internally displaced persons and Afghan refugees will receive effective assistance close to home, thereby preventing cross-regional migration to Europe.

July 6, 2022

Austria Supports Health Projects in Partner Countries in the Fight Against COVID-19

To support partner countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Austrian government made a total of 4 million euros available from the Foreign Disaster Fund at the end of June. The funds are to help Austrian NGOs abroad to implement targeted projects and vaccination campaigns.

July 4, 2022

Why Austria's Economic Recovery is Losing Momentum

According to the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), the global economic slowdown, which mainly affects industry, has dampened Austria's economic outlook. This downturn is only dampened by tourism, which has recovered better than expected since the Covid-19 pandemic.

June 30, 2022

Vienna Once Again the World's Most Livable City

Vienna is once again the world's most liveable city. In a ranking by the "Economist", Vienna has once again taken the top spot for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and is very pleased. The city came out on top in a field of 140 cities around the world.

June 24, 2022

Exhibition in Polish Institute Vienna Shows the Impressions of the First Days of War in Ukraine

A unique exhibition awaits you from today in the Gallery of the Polish Institute in Vienna. The exhibition shows the first days of the war in Ukraine from the point of view of Ukrainian artist and designer Hélène Litorelle and gives an insight into her thoughts and experiences. Read on if you want to learn more!

June 10, 2022

FRA Fundamental Rights Report 2022: How Crises Bind the European Union Together

In the recently published Fundamental Rights Report of the Agency for Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the organization addressed the far-reaching impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people's social rights. It highlights the enormous importance of the European Union and the impact it has on social cohesion.

June 10, 2022

Human Rights Violations in the Ukraine Conflict: "Western Values Under Pressure"

The Covid-19 crisis and the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine have recently led to a worrying increase in human rights violations. The human rights situation in Ukraine, as well as in the rest of the world, was recently the focus of the Human Rights Committee in the Austrian Parliament. Read on to learn more.

June 9, 2022

Congresses in Vienna - What You Should Not Miss

After a long dry spell, Vienna's tourism industry is looking forward with hope to the large number of congresses planned for this summer. Vienna, which is internationally known to be an optimal place for congresses, is the venue for more than 40 major events with over 1,000 guests this year and hopes to be able to attract as many events in the future. Here you will find a brief overview of the most important events in the city!

May 23, 2022

UN Calls for Swift Action Against the International Food Crisis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once again warned of an impending increase in global famine at the recent meeting on global hunger taking pace at UN Headquarters. He highlighted the importance of the wheat supply shortfall from Ukraine and outlined a five-point plan to avert the coming crisis.

May 20, 2022

Diplomats in Austria Stand Up for Equality: "Our Bodies, Our Lives, Our Rights"

The COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis have exacerbated the vulnerable situation of LGBTIQ+ people in terms of mental health, existing inequalities and prejudices. To counteract this, a group of diplomats, international organisations and the Austrian Foreign Ministry now acknowledged the problems of the LGBTIQ+ scene and demanded that the grievances be addressed.

May 17, 2022

Meeting Between Antonio Guterres and Karl Nehammer Dominated by the Ukraine Crisis

UN Secretary General António Guterres met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer today to discuss current issues such as the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. Both partners were convinced of the importance of continuing to negotiate with the Russian aggressor and discussed Austria's role in mediating peace.

May 11, 2022

New "United Cities of Tourism" Campaign Aims to Strengthen City Tourism Across Europe

With a new campaign, the city tourism in Europe, which has suffered extremely by the Covid-19 pandemic, should be stimulated again. Several destinations across Europe will participate and the goal is to support each other in strengthening tourism. Read on if you want to know more about this interesting campaign.

May 4, 2022

Concordia Ball 2022 - The Journalists’ Summer Ball - Cancelled

The Concordia Press Club has announced that the Concordia Ball 2022 will not take place. "In this situation a traditional Viennese ball night is neither possible nor does it seem appropriate to us". If you want to know why the Journalists' Ball will not take place again in 2022, read on!

March 23, 2022 · Updated: May 4, 2022; 12:44

Donauinselfest 2022 - This Year Without Covid Measures

The traditional Vienna Danube Island Festival is to be held again this year in all its glory. After two years of improvisation due to the pandemic, this year's festival will again take place without access controls and masks. In addition to international acts, Ukrainian artists will also be on the program this year to demonstrate the empathy and friendship between the two countries.

April 20, 2022

EU Subcommittee of the Austrian Parliament Discussed on Future EU Economic Policies

The EU Subcommittee of the Austrian Parliament discussed future EU economic policy. The topics of artificial intelligence, digitalization, EU trade policy, the update of the EU industrial strategy of 2020 and the modernization of competition law.

April 20, 2022

Impact Fund of the Austrian Development Bank: 72 Million Euros for Developing and Emerging Countries

The Austrian Development Bank, together with Bank Gutmann, has just completed the raising of capital for an investment fund that will benefit developing and emerging countries. A total of 72 million euros is to help improve living conditions in these countries and trigger an economic upswing.

April 15, 2022

No More Masks in Retail: New Covid Rules in Vienna

Recently, the Ministry of Health announced a significant relaxation of Covid-19 measures in Austria. The mask requirement in stores will be dropped, and the green passport for triple vaccinated people will also be extended. Read on if you want to know what will change for you and in which stores you still can't do without the mask.

April 15, 2022

Uncertainty due to Ukraine War: Austria's Tourism Industry Lowers High Expectations for 2022

Austria's tourism industry is facing another setback after 2 tough years. Uncertainty caused by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the related increase in economic problems could have an impact on tourism and thus also on the economy in Austria.

April 7, 2022
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