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Christian Kern to Run as Top Candidate for EU Election and to Resign as Party Chairman
After initial rumours about a stepping down from politics, Christian Kern (SPÖ) announced in the evening that he plans to give up his party chairmanship and instead intends to run in the European Parliament elections as the leading candidate of the SPÖ. "He leaves as party leader, but remains loyal to politics."
September 19, 2018
Austria's Most Significant Opposition Politician About to Resign
According to the daily newspaper "Die Presse", SPÖ boss Christian Kern is about to resign and will announce his resignation later tonight.
September 18, 2018
Meet Vienna's New Mayor Dr. Michael Ludwig
Michael Ludwig is a Viennese politician, member of the SPÖ, and since a battle vote in January 2018 against Andreas Schieder the designated mayor respectively state governor of Vienna and the state party chairman of the SPÖ Vienna. On 24 May 2018 he will take up his new position as successor to Michael Häupl.
May 3, 2018
Simplified Naturalisations in Austria for Families of Nazi Refugees
Austria plans to facilitate dual citizenship for the descendants of Nazi displaced persons.
March 15, 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
Chancellor Faymann Resigns
Werner Faymann has been Chancellor of Austria and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) since 2008. Today he announced that he will retire from all of his posts in the coming days. He resigned arguing that the reason is the loss of the support of his own party in the wake of last month's presidential elections.
May 9, 2016
Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Harsh Criticism on Austrian Government
The Austrian opposition blames the government for concealing the biggest financial disaster in Austria´s history. Governor of the Austrian National Bank Ewald Nowotny is under fire too.
February 6, 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
VBAG: Further State Aids Questionable
The governing Austrian social democrats (SPÖ) are against providing further funds to the partly nationalized banking group.
December 26, 2013
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
Faymann Underlines Necessity of Property Taxes
Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann (SPÖ) calls for new taxes. In total, property taxes should bring tax revenues of more than € 2.0bn.
September 9, 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
Austria: Property Distribution Highly Unequal
About 10% of Austria´s population owns 70% of the nation´s wealth. The governing social democrats reaffirm that Austria needs property taxes.
August 5, 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: Opposition Puts Forward Constitutional Challenge
Fiscal Pact undermines sovereignty of parliament and forces the country to severe austerity measures.
March 9, 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
Austria Shows Growing Inequality in Wealth Distribution
According to a study of OeNB (Austrian National Bank), the 3,77 million Austrian households have assets of € 265,033 on average. Median assets reach € 76,445.
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
Austrian Industry Claims Tax Cut
The Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) wants a tax relief. In the coming years, the tax quota should be reduced to 38%.
September 20, 2012
Faymann Demands Property and Inheritance Tax
Austria´s Chancellor Werner Faymann calls for a re-introduction of a property and inheritance tax.
September 17, 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
Property Taxes: Controversy Between Austrian Government Parties
The Austrian social democrats still push for introducing property taxes. The coalition partner ÖVP rejects the idea.
August 14, 2012
IHS Pleads for Inheritance Tax
Christian Keuschnigg, director of the Austrian Institute of Advanced Studies, thinks that an inheritance tax would be a contribution for more equality.
August 4, 2012
Constitutional Court: ESM Examination Takes up to 6 Months
According to the biggest Austrian opposition party FPÖ, the European Stability Mechanism violates the Austrian constitution.
July 25, 2012
Resistance Against Enlargement of ÖIAG
The chairman of ÖBB´s (Austrian Railways) supervisory board Horst Pöchhacker rejects the idea of integrating ÖBB, Verbund or Asfinag into the publicly held Austrian industrial holding ÖIAG.
July 19, 2012
SPÖ Supports Idea of Forced Loans
Like their German counterparts, the Austrian Social Democrats want to introduce forced loans for rich persons.
July 14, 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
Fischer Wants to Check ESM
Austria´s Federal President Heinz Fischer does not sign the ESM approval by the Austrian Parliament yet. „I am not under time pressure.“ he says.
July 11, 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
ÖIAG Looking for New Leader
After the resignation of Markus Beyrer, the Austrian publicly held ÖIAG (Austrian Industrial Holding) seeks for a new CEO.
July 5, 2012
Banking Supervision: Satisfaction and Criticism
Austrian Members of the European Parliament welcomed the decisions taken by the euro summit. By contrast, the opposition party FPÖ criticizes the result as „final step towards a debt union“.
July 3, 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
ÖIAG: No Solution in Sight
Today, the supervisory board of the Austrian Industrial Holding (ÖIAG) had a meeting. A clear strategy will not be found anyway.
June 28, 2012
„ÖIAG Should Manage Banking Interests“
Austria´s Finance Minister Maria Fekter wants to upgrade the Austrian state holding ÖIAG.
June 23, 2012
Green Party: ESM Approval Depends on Financial Transaction Tax
The Austrian Green party will only vote for the ESM if there is a basic consent for the financial transaction tax.
June 22, 2012
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