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Heinz Christian Strache
Acquittal for Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in False Statement Trial
The Vienna Higher Regional Court (OLG) acquitted former Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of the charge of making false statements in connection with the Ibiza Investigation Committee. The judgment of the Vienna Regional Court from February 2024, which provided for an eight-month conditional prison sentence, was thus overturned.
May 26, 2025
Vienna Election 2025: SPÖ Leads, FPÖ Surges, Coalitions Still Unclear
The results of Vienna’s 2025 municipal elections confirm major political shifts in Austria’s capital. While the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) maintained its leading position, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) posted historic gains. For expats and new residents of Vienna, the election reflects significant changes in the city’s political landscape that could influence future policies on housing, transport, and climate action.
April 28, 2025
FPÖ Distances Itself from Friendship Treaty with "United Russia"
In a press conference, the Third President of the National Council, Norbert Hofer, clarified that the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) relativizes the friendship treaty concluded with the United Russia party in 2016. This comes in light of the recent accusations of an espionage affair involving the FPÖ.
April 14, 2024
FPÖ-Russia Relations After a Year of War in Ukraine
Traditionally close to the Kremlin, Austria's Freedom Party is currently part of a thriller in parliament. Its party finances and any contracts with the Russian party United Russia are still not largely known, even after a year of war in Ukraine.
February 22, 2023
Corruption in Austria: Thomas Schmid Wants to Become a State Witness and Incriminates Kurz Government Heavily
The former head of ÖBAG and Secretary General in the Ministry of Finance, Thomas Schmid, has heavily incriminated ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), his former close companion, in the Casag proceedings triggered by the Ibiza video and wants to become a state witness in the proceedings against Kurz. This was announced by the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA). Schmid had approached the investigators with the request, but a formal application had not yet been made.
October 19, 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
How Gazprom Helps the Kremlin to Manipulate Austria
The Russian government uses the majority state-owned energy corporation Gazprom to exploit Europe's dependency on Russian natural gas, and Austria is no exception. Read how the Kremlin uses Gazprom to influence Austria.
March 8, 2022
Ibiza Affair Committee Concludes in National Council: How Corrupt are Austrian Politicians?
How corruptible is Austrian politics? This question was explored by the deputies in the National Council session when discussing the recently published final report of the Ibiza-Affair Investigation Committee. Although the report was unanimously acknowledged, the parties were far apart in their conclusions.
September 23, 2021
Austria's Ex-Vice Chancellor Strache Found Guilty of Corruption
Former vice chancellor and the ex-head of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) Heinz-Christian Strache has been sentenced to 15 months' conditional imprisonment for bribery at Vienna's regional court. The co-defendant and owner of the private clinic in Vienna-Währing, Walter Grubmüller, was sentenced to twelve months for bribery, also on probation.
August 27, 2021
Vienna Election 2020: Social-Democrats Are Clear Winners
The current Mayor of Vienna and the leading candidate for this election, Michael Ludwig from the SPOE, has successfully defended the first place in Vienna. Compared to the last election, the Social-Democratic Party has increased its popularity in Vienna even further and will now start negotiations with the other parties to form the next government.
October 12, 2020
Casinos-Austria Affair: Austria's Previous Finance Minister No Longer Available
Austria's former and potentially future Finance Minister Hartwig Löger is no longer available for another term in office. A connection with the current Casinos-Austria Affair, in which the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) is investigating, would not exist.
November 13, 2019
Ibizagate: New Book Proves Allegations Against Former Freedom Party Leader Strache
A secretly recorded video led to the fall of Austrian Vice Chancellor Heinz Christian Strache and Deputy Leader of the Freedom Party Johann Gudenus in May. Now the journalists of the Süddeutsche Zeitung who took part in the unveiling describe what else could be seen on the Ibiza video and how Strache was tempted to behave corruptly.
August 22, 2019
Ibiza-Video - New Elections in Austria after Vice Chancellor Resignation
After the release of the incriminating video of "foreign secret services" and the resulting resignation of Vice-Chancellor Heinz Christian Strache, the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) headed by Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz calls for early elections as soon as possible. He had also informed the Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. "Enough is enough", Kurz said in a press statement on Saturday evening.
May 18, 2019
InvestInAustria - Business Location Initiative Creates Jobs and Prosperity
At "InvestInAustria" 100 international companies from 16 countries were represented. Three new investments (Heitec , Port Energy Logistic, Lasertec ) with a total investment volume of 30 million Euro could be secured and will create jobs and added value in Austria. As an output of the previous event, investments amounting to around 380 million euros were made in Austria and more than 450 jobs were created.
March 1, 2019
Setback for the UN - Austria Won't Sign Global Migration Pact
Austria will follow the US and Hungary in backing out of a United Nations pact on migration (Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration) over concerns that it will blur the line between illegal and legal migration.
October 31, 2018
Austria's Vice-Chancellor Also Wants Headscarf Ban for Students
An extension is now under discussion since yesterday. Heinz-Christian Strache requested a comprehensive ban on headscarves in a TV appearance analogous to Turkey, as it had applied there until before the AKP. Until now it was decided that children under the age of ten should not wear headscarves. The government wanted to propose a law by summer for which it needs the votes of the opposition. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who made the appearance together with Strache, agreed with Strache that he is completely on the same line.
April 6, 2018
Austrian Government Presents Double Budget 2018/19: EU Requirements Are Met - 2019 Balanced Budget
The new Austrian government is planning a zero deficit for next year, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache (FPÖ) have announced. The planned reduction in corporation tax could be of interest to foreign investors and companies.
February 28, 2018
Meet Her Excellency Austria's New Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl
Karin Kneissl (53) was recently appointed Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. At present, she is busy touring Europe and introducing herself to her counterparts, or inviting them to the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs in Vienna.
February 20, 2018
Austria: Right-Winged Extreme Party Buoyed by Tailwind
The Austrian right-winged Freedom Party (FPÖ) is using the disappointment over the grand coalition’s inability to tackle major economic issues to its advantage.
May 21, 2014
Hypo Petition Puts Pressure on Austrian Government
The support of the online petition for the establishing of an investigation committee has gained more than 105,000 supporters which puts increasing pressure on the government.
March 28, 2014
Austria: Freedom Party Admits Complicity
The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) admits that it was also to blame for the disaster around Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
March 19, 2014
Austrian Government Wants International Group of Experts
More and more voices for a parliamentary investigation committee for ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria are being raised even within the SPÖ and the ÖVP. However, the government has other plans.
February 20, 2014
Hypo-Disaster: Harsh Criticism from Opposition
The opposition parties have expressed their unanimous criticism about the government failing to come to a joint decision with the Austrian banks and consequently forwarding all costs to the taxpayers.
February 11, 2014
Austria: Oppositional FPÖ Wants Return to Shilling
The largest Austrian opposition party wants to leave the Eurozone.
December 7, 2013
Austrian Elections 2013: Government Punished by the Voters
The two governing parties SPÖ and ÖVP have reached their worst results ever. Nevertheless, nothing will change in Austria.
September 29, 2013
Austrian Elections 2013: Governing Parties Lose Moderately
The Austrian political landscape has changed. New parties will enter the Austrian Parliament. Nevertheless, there is no realistic alternative to the “grand coalition” between SPÖ and ÖVP.
September 29, 2013 · Updated: September 29, 2013; 17:59
Austria: Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor Lose in Trust Index
Compared to the results of last month, both Chancellor Werner Faymann and his Deputy Michael Spindelegger have lost the voters’ trust according to the APA/OGM Trust Index that was carried out on a sample of 500 persons.
September 13, 2013
Survey: Faymann Best Chances of Becoming Chancellor
According to a survey carried out for Austrian daily “Standard”, the Social Democrats are gaining in votes while the Austrian People’s Party is slightly falling behind.
August 30, 2013
Strache: „No New Aids for Greece“
Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), demands that further bail-out funds for Greece should be stopped immediately.
August 27, 2013
Faymann to Surpass Spindelegger at Trust Index
The APA/OGM trust indest for federal policits in Austria showed an increase of trust for Chancellor Faymann of 2 while Deputy Chancellor and Foreign Minister Spindelegger slips to minus 2.
August 16, 2013
Austria: Opposition Puts Forward Constitutional Challenge
Fiscal Pact undermines sovereignty of parliament and forces the country to severe austerity measures.
March 9, 2013
OeNB Does Not Bring Gold Reserves to Austria
Unlike Deutsche Bundesbank, the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) does not transfer the gold reserves from London back home.
January 17, 2013
Austrian Budget: Experts Call for Further Reforms (Part 3)
Economists think that the budget does not contain enough reform steps. The opposition does not see any signs of progress.
October 16, 2012
FPÖ Files Suit Against ESM
The biggest Austrian opposition party files a legal complaint against the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) at the Austrian Constitutional Court.
October 15, 2012
Austrian Chamber of Economics Supports ESM Decision in Germany
Austria´s Minister of Economics Reinhold Mitterlehner: “The decision of the German Constitution Court is an important signal for investments and will promote growth.”
September 12, 2012
Nowotny Hopes for ESM
The governor of OeNB (Austrian Central Bank) thinks that the bond purchases are not sufficient. Politics must help ECB, he argues.
September 10, 2012
Austrian Government and National Bank Against Return to Shillling
Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann and Governor Ewald Nowotny oppose to the idea of returning to Austria´s former currency.
September 1, 2012
FPÖ Wants Nowotny to Resign
The biggest Austrian opposition party criticizes the governor of Austrian Central Bank (OeNB) sharply. FPÖ´s leader Strache blames Nowotny to violate the “no bailout” clause.
September 1, 2012
FPÖ´s Strache Calls for Leaving Eurozone
Heinz-Christian Strache, chairman of the Austrian oppositional freedom party (FPÖ), suggests an Austrian exit.
August 29, 2012
Does the Euro Collapse Now? (Part 1)
The nervousness among Europe´s leaders is growing. Not only Finland warns of a breakdown.
August 17, 2012
Fischer Signs ESM and Fiscal Pact
The Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer approves the parliamentary referanda on the highly controversial ESM and Fiscal Pact. Now, only a constitutional complaint may prevent these issues.
July 17, 2012
Austrian Opposition Parties Fight Against Fiscal Pact
The three Austrian opposition parties FPÖ, The Greens and BZÖ announced to bring a complaint of unconstitutionality against the Fiscal Pact.
July 13, 2012
ESM Approved by Austrian Parliament
The controversial European Stability Mechanism was ratified by the Austrian National Council. The right opposition parties criticized the approval massively.
July 6, 2012
Austria Ratifies ESM
The government parties SPÖ and ÖVP got support by the oppositional Green Party. The remaining opposition parties criticized the „loss of sovereignty“ massively.
July 2, 2012
FPÖ Claims Popular Vote on ESM
The biggest Austrian opposition party warns of giving up the sovereignty. Together with the smallest opposition party BZÖ, FPÖ will vote against ESM.
June 21, 2012
Fekter Defends Euro Aids
Austria´s Finance Minister Maria Fekter underlines the „necessity of solidarity“ and stressed ist commitment to the common currency. The Austria opposition party FPÖ made a serious protest.
June 16, 2012
FPÖ: „Europe Has a Banking Problem“
The Austrian opposition leader Heinz-Christian Strache criticizes that European countries are downgraded due to their banks. Further bank aids would be likely.
June 13, 2012
Fiscal Treaty: Austrian Economy Satisfied, Opposition Criticizes
After the signing of the EU fiscal treaty at the EU Summit today, reactions in Austria are very different. The largest opposition party FPÖ calls for a popular vote.
March 2, 2012
„Banks are the Real Austrian Problem“
The Austrian opposition criticizes the rescue of VBAG by the government massively. Further bank aids are feared.
February 28, 2012
FPÖ Wants Cuts in Spendings
The biggest Austrian opposition party suggests reducing public expenditures in order to reduce the budget deficit. Chairman Strache calls for a “subsidy brake”.
January 30, 2012
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