OEVP Austrian Peoples Party

Kurz Is Assigned the Mandate to Form a Government

Federal President Van der Bellen gave the mandate to form a government to the head of the Austrian People's Party, Sebastian Kurz. Kurz announced talks with all parties. The most discussed coalition variant is the cooperation with the Green Party.

October 7, 2019

Election 2019: Five Parties Make Their Entry into the Austrian National Council

Five political parties will be represented in the newly elected Austrian National Council. In addition to ÖVP, SPÖ, FPÖ and NEOS, the Greens - after a two-year forced break - have also rejoined the House. The Liste JETZT, on the other hand, failed, as did the other small parties, at the 4% hurdle.

October 4, 2019

Government Formation: Party Leaders in the Presidential Chancellery

Next Monday, Federal President Van der Bellen will commission ÖVP leader Kurz to form a government.

October 2, 2019 · Updated: October 4, 2019; 13:03

Donor List of the Austrian People's Party: Heidi Horten Biggest Donor

The Austrian Conservatives (ÖVP) recently published the donations to the Federal Party from 2018 and from the first 7 months of 2019. The billionaire and art collector Heidi Goëss-Horten donated a total of 931,000 euros during these 19 months. A total of 2.76 million euros was donated to the party during this period. Here you can find out who the other major donors are.

August 26, 2019

Paternity Leave Entitlement Decided by Parliament

Members of the Austrian National Council passed a resolution on the legal entitlement to Paternity Leave (Papamonat). Fathers now have the right to be granted time off. Changes have also been made to child benefit legislation.

July 5, 2019

Total Ban on Glyphosate in Austria Adopted

Austria is the first country in the European Union to ban the use of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate. The ban is legally controversial and could contradict EU law.

July 4, 2019

European Parliament - Karas to Be Vice President Again

Othmar Karas, member of the EU and Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), has been re-elected as one of 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament. Together with him further vice-presidents were confirmed.

July 3, 2019

Foreign Minister Alois Mock Awarded Posthumous Honour from Political Academy

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) honours a great member and a historical personality. The event room in the historic Springer Schlössl, the seat of the political academy of the ÖVP, now bears the name of the former foreign minister - it is now called Alois Mock Aula.

June 28, 2019

Karas Remains Head of People's Party EU Delegation for One Year, then Follows Edtstadler

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) members of the European Parliament have elected Othmar Karas as their leader for only one year. From 2020, the second on the list, Karoline Edtstadler, will automatically take over. As reported by Vindobona.org, Edtstadler received more preferential votes in the EU election than Karas, the previous head of delegation.

June 4, 2019

EU Election Preferential Votes - Edtstadler ahead of Karas

Although Austrian People's Party top candidate Othmar Karas received more preferential votes than in the last EU election, after counting most of the preferential votes he is still behind the list second candidate Karoline Edtstadler (also Austrian People's Party).

May 28, 2019

European Elections 2019: Austrian Preliminary Final Results

The preliminary result of the 2019 European elections (without absentee ballot) has been announced. The Austrian People's Party won clearly ahead of the Austrian Socialist Party (SPÖ) and the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). The Greens and NEOS followed in places 4 to 5. Votes cast by absentee ballot are not yet included in this result. The turnout without postal votes was 50.6%. In Vienna, the turnout including postal votes was 58.71%.

May 27, 2019

Austrian Government Dismissed: National Council Denies Government Confidence

The parliamentary motion of no confidence of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) was supported by the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Liste Jetzt. The majority of the members of the National Council thus expressed their distrust of Chancellor Kurz's government and removed it from office.

May 27, 2019

Austria's Government Faces Expected Motion of No Confidence

After the victory in the election to the European Parliament, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his government are threatened with an abrupt end. The Social Democrats (SPÖ) will table their own motion of censure against the entire Kurz cabinet. A clear decision by the Freedom Party (FPÖ) is still pending.

May 27, 2019

European Elections - Who Stands for Election and How Can a Non-Austrian EU Citizen Vote in Austria?

After the political earthquake in Austria and the end of the turquoise-blue government, the EU election on Sunday is eagerly awaited. A decision will be made on 18 EU mandates from Austria. In European elections, EU citizens are entitled to vote in Austria as long as they are registered in the European electoral register.

May 24, 2019

Chancellor Sticks to Dismissal of Interior Minister - FPÖ Ministers Exit Government

Government crisis. Chancellor Kurz sticks to dismissal of interior minister. Right-wing populist FPÖ ministers leave government.

May 20, 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

Standardised Austria-wide Autumn Holidays as of 2020/21

From the school year 2020/21 there will be uniform autumn holidays in Austria between National Day and All Saints Day - from 27 to 31 October - according to the unanimous decision of the Austrian National Council. There will be no additional school holidays, the teaching time will not be changed. Only the distribution of school-autonomous days will change. Specifically, the days off after Easter and Whitsun will be cancelled. This would ensure relief for pupils, teachers and parents.

May 16, 2019

Business Location - New Approach to Anchoring the State Goal of 'Economy'

The governing parties have made a new attempt to anchor the state goal of "economy". The bill received majority approval in the Constitutional Committee from the ÖVP and FPÖ, although a two-thirds majority remains questionable.

May 10, 2019

EU Citizens in Austria - Vote for Your Austrian MEP at the European Elections 2019

EU citizens who have their main residence in Austria can vote for Austrian members of the European Parliament. Here we show you how this works and who you can choose.

February 25, 2019

Freedom of the Media: Opposition Attacks Interior Minister Kickl

The opposition criticises the e-mail from Interior Minister Herbert Kickl (ÖVP), which is referred to as a "Gleichschaltungs" e-mail and would be a direct attack on democracy, freedom of opinion and freedom of the press.

September 25, 2018

Meet the Minister in Charge for Austria's Presidency of the Council of the EU: Gernot Blümel

During Austria's EU Council Presidency, the name Gernot Blümel, the Federal Minister responsible not only for the EU but also for art, culture and media, will be mentioned time and again. Blümel is also chairmen of the Vienna ÖVP and a close confidant of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. His ministry is even physically integrated into the Federal Chancellery.

June 5, 2018

Annual Report of the European Commission: How did Austria do?

The European Commission presented its annual reports on 27 EU member states. How did Austria do? Well, it kinda ended up with a black eye. The report took a pop at Vienna for a number of structural shortcomings, including tax burden on labour, pension and healthcare expenditures, house prices, restrictive regulation in the services markets, stagnating productivity and and not enough action on spreading digital technologies. That isn’t a particularly good report card for the previous coalition government of ÖVP und SPÖ. Let’s see if the new coalition government of ÖVP und FPÖ can make the grade the next time around.

March 11, 2018

Extremism-Gate: Special Session of Austrian National Council Convened

The somewhat opaque events surrounding the house search of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism (BVT) are now making political waves. It is deeply disturbing that a unit, which in itself is not responsible for this, is supposed to have carried out the house search at the BVT and allegedly took highly sensitive intelligence information with it. The matter stinks to high heaven. The Austrian opposition has convened the National Council. The parties SPÖ, NEOS and Liste Pilz (LP) demand that Interior Minister Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) provides a complete explanation.

March 9, 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

Mitterlehner Replaces Spindelegger as Party Head and Vice Chancellor

Yesterday evening Reinhold Mitterlehner has been elected by the ÖVP board as new party chairman and vice chancellor. Spindelegger himself had left the party headquarters shortly before. The decision in the ÖVP board was unanimous. He is supposed to lead the party out of the crisis. His first statement after the designation on Tuesday evening was: "We must close ranks." He now wants to discuss in which direction to proceed with the tax reform. A political decision will fall but only in the fall.

August 27, 2014

Austrian Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger Quits

Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger resigned today after eight months in office, the reason are differences within the People's Party (ÖVP) on debt reform and tax. He also stepped down as vice chancellor and head of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the center-right junior partner of the grand coalition government.

August 26, 2014

Why Austria´s Finance Minister Has to Go

Austrian Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger is everything but firmly in his saddle. Behind the scenes, the fight for Spindelegger´s succession has started with full strength.

February 8, 2014

Austrian Minister of Finance Under Fire

Christoph Leitl, President of the Austrian Chamber of Economics, criticizes the Austrian government sharply. Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger is put on the defensive.

February 5, 2014

Austria Far from Reaching Fiscal Targets

Josef Moser, President of the Austrian Audit Court fears that the zero deficit cannot be achieved until 2016.

January 18, 2014

Austria: New Government Already Disappoints in the First Week

In 2014, Austria will not achieve its fiscal objectives, new Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger admitted. Austria´s fiscal situation is observed critically. The country faces a new austerity package.

December 23, 2013

Austria´s Government: Old Turns into New

The leaders of the old government, Chancellor Werner Faymann and Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger, announced to form a new government.

December 12, 2013

Austrian Budget Gap „Only € 18.4bn“

The Austrian government has re-calculated the fiscal shortfall. Scheduled Bank aids come at € 5.8bn. There will be no austerity package, the government claims.

November 14, 2013

Austria: New Austerity Package to Come?

Austrian economists expect that the new government will draft another austerity package. Otherwise the fiscal objectives will not be achieved.

November 6, 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

Austrian Elections 2013: Majority of Government Wobbles

Tomorrow, Austria will hold elections. The coalition between the social democrats (SPÖ) and the conservatives (ÖVP) has to fear that the majority may be lost.

September 28, 2013

Austria: Fekter Does Not Publish Controversial Industrial Location Study

According to a recent study on the quality of Austria´s industrial location, the number of leaving multinational companies is growing.

August 25, 2013

Austrian Audit Court Criticizes Group Taxation

The costs of the Austrian group taxation model total about € 450m, the Audit Court said in a current report.

July 19, 2013

Austria: Controversy About Property Taxes

According to Christian Keuschnigg, director of IHS, property taxes would have a negative impact on economic growth and the employment situation.

February 20, 2013

Austrian Governing Parties Disagree on EU Budget

The Austrian people´s party (ÖVP) has criticized Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann (SPÖ). The social democrats argue that the coalition partner ÖVP has “no team sprit”.

February 11, 2013

Fekter to Present Tax Reform Concept

In May, Austria´s minister of finance Maria Fekter (ÖVP) will present a new fiscal concept.

January 14, 2013

Vienna´s Debt Level Grows Considerably

In 2013, the public debt level of Austria´s capital will increase to € 4.34bn.

November 19, 2012

Austrian Socialists Call for New Taxes

The governing SPÖ wants to introduce new property and inheritance taxes.

October 4, 2012

Austrian Railways to be Privatized?

ÖVP (Austrian People´s Party) again pushes for a privatization of ÖBB (Austrian Railways). The sale of the freight division would be conceivable, ÖVP´s chairman Michael Spindelegger says.

October 2, 2012

Austrian Central Bank Looks for New Governor

Next year, the mandates of the board of directors are expiring. Ewald Nowotny is said to be re-elected in his current position.

September 27, 2012

Stronach Founds New Party: „Historical Event“

The former CEO of the Canadian automotive group Magna has presented his new party “Team Stronach” today.

September 27, 2012

ÖIAG to be Enlarged?

Publicly held companies like Verbund or Austrian Railways should be integrated into the Austrian industrial holding group.

September 21, 2012

Lopatka New State Secretary in Austrian Foreign Ministry

Reinhold Lopatka (Austrian People's Party - ÖVP) was sworn in as State Secretary in the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs today by Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

September 12, 2012

Austrian Railways: Pöchhacker Opposes to Privatization Plans

Horst Pöchhacker, President of ÖBB´s (Austrian Railways) is against a privatization of the company. Vice-Chancellor Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP) recently suggested to sell ÖBB to Frank Stronach.

September 10, 2012

Fekter Wants Tax Reform

In an interview with the Austrian newspaper „Presse“, Finance Minister Maria Fekter said to plan a tax reform. The entry tax rate should be lowered.

August 29, 2012
Fast News Search