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Helmut Brandstaetter
Russian Espionage Affair in Austria: A Targeted Disinformation Campaign in the Heart of Europe
Austria is once again at the center of an espionage scandal: The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) has uncovered an extensive Russian disinformation campaign aimed at manipulating public opinion in favor of Russia and to the detriment of Ukraine.
March 24, 2025
Magnus Brunner Pleads for Schengen Accession of Bulgaria and Romania
In a published document, the designated EU Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, has spoken out clearly in favor of Bulgaria and Romania's full admission to the Schengen area. Brunner emphasized that both countries meet all the necessary conditions for accession and called for the EU Council to abolish the remaining border controls.
October 24, 2024
30 Years of the EU Referendum: A Success Story for Austria
On June 12, 1994, a groundbreaking referendum was held in Austria, in which two-thirds of the population voted in favor of joining the European Union. This decision laid the foundations for a new era of economic, political, and social integration of Austria in Europe. Since its official accession on January 1, 1995, the country has changed considerably and has since benefited from EU membership in many ways.
June 12, 2024
Shift to the Right in the EU and its Impact on Austria and Europe
The recent EU parliamentary elections have shown a clear shift to the right across Europe, particularly in Austria, where the FPÖ celebrated historic successes. These results put the political stability and future direction of the EU to the test.
June 10, 2024
Partial Schengen Integration of Romania and Bulgaria
A first step towards the full integration of Romania and Bulgaria into the European Schengen area has been completed. With the abolition of entry controls on air and sea travel for citizens of these countries, known as "Schengen-Air", an intermediate path was found between Romania's and Bulgaria's aspirations towards integration and Austria's veto stance.
April 2, 2024
Exciting Race for EU Mandates: Austria's Parties in Starting Position
Austria's political landscape is gearing up for an exciting election year, starting with the election of EU representatives in June. The Neos were recently the last of the parliamentary parties to complete their list of candidates and their election program, marking the official start of preparations for the EU elections. Despite this great start to the campaign, the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe and the troubled relations between the EU and Russia will make the EU elections even more complicated.
January 31, 2024
Solidarity with Israel in the Austrian National Council
In a remarkable session of the Austrian National Council, strong solidarity with Israel and a clear condemnation of Hamas and its terrorist attacks were demonstrated. The unanimous decision of the MPs reflects Austria's stance on the Middle East conflict and the violence in the region.
November 26, 2023
FPÖ-Delegation Visits Taliban in Afghanistan
Several members of the FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) traveled to Afghanistan and met, among others, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The meeting became known through a press release from the Afghan Foreign Ministry, which also published a photo of the delegation.
September 25, 2023
Neutrality Debate in Austria's Parliament at Ukraine Session
On the occasion of the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there was a lively debate in the Austrian parliament about the attitude towards the aggressor Russia and about neutrality. An open letter in Austria, in which signatories call for a responsible debate about the country's neutrality, also fueled the session in parliament.
February 24, 2023
Austrian Parliamentarians Report on Visit to Ukraine
During a press conference representatives of the Bilateral Parliamentary Group Austria-Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine reported on their visit to war-torn Ukraine. Members of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), the Green Party and the NEOS took part in the trip.
December 12, 2022
Austrian Parliament Calls for More Support for Protests in Iran
The Austrian Parliament, the National Council, unanimously condemned the violent suppression of the current protests in Iran. The deputies demanded that actions on the part of Iranian institutions in Austria be monitored more closely and punished.
November 22, 2022
Foreign Policy Committees of the Austrian Parliament and the Ukrainian Parliament Discuss Situation in Ukraine
Members of the Austrian Parliament exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament.
May 23, 2022
Putin's Aggression Against Ukraine as a Trigger for the Flare-up of the Austrian Neutrality Debate
Russia's fabricated pretext for war, Russian use of disinformation to distract and deflect responsibility and eventually Russia's invasion of Ukraine could become the turning point for Austria's security policy. Parliamentary groups discussed Austria's position in the field of tension between neutrality, NATO accession and the EU army.
March 23, 2022
Call for Solidarity for China Sanctioned States Including Taiwan
A motion for a resolution was filed in the Austrian Parliament calling for the Austrian government to support countries, such as Taiwan, sanctioned by China for supporting democracy, human rights, and other global values. Read about the motion and the reasoning behind it.
October 21, 2021
What Is the Legal Status Quo of the Afghan Embassy in Vienna?
The last de facto ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Austria, Ambassador Manizha Bakhtari, no longer represents an existing government, but wants to remain Afghanistan's ambassador in Vienna after the Taliban's violent takeover of Kabul. She justifies this by saying that the illegitimate Taliban government cannot recall her and that Austria must first recognize the Taliban in order to legitimize her recall. Some members of the Austrian Parliament have now submitted an inquiry to Alexander Schallenberg, through which the status quo is to be determined.
September 24, 2021
Silvana Meixner Receives Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism 2019
ORF journalist and presenter Silvana Meixner will be awarded the second Ari-Rath Prize for Critical Journalism on May 6th, 2019, the Day of Freedom of the Press. This prize was established to honour journalists who have rendered outstanding services to critical reporting on immigration, expulsion and asylum, committed to respect for human rights, in the spirit of the former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, Ari Rath (pictured) who died in January 2017.
April 4, 2019
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