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Austria's Initial Federal Deficit for 2024 Better Than Expected

Austria's federal deficit for 2024 ended up being 1.7 billion euros lower than initially forecast, standing at 19.1 billion euros. This positive outcome comes despite economic challenges, with lower-than-expected government spending helping offset revenue shortfalls.

Yesterday

Increase in Business Insolvencies in Austria Amid Economic Challenges

Austria's business landscape saw a challenging year in 2024, with a significant increase in corporate insolvencies driven by economic factors such as rising inflation, recession, and the end of pandemic-related support. While businesses struggled, a notable rise in new company formations offered a mixed picture.

Yesterday

Austria Opens New Cultural Forum in Sofia

The Austrian Cultural Forum was officially opened in Sofia. With the inauguration of this new center for art and culture, Austria is sending a further signal for bilateral exchange with Bulgaria and for its commitment to cultural diplomacy.

February 7, 2025

Shock for Austrian Foreign Trade: Weak Demand from Abroad Depresses Exports

The Austrian economy is facing a new challenge: exports slumped more sharply in November 2024 than they have for years. In particular, weak demand from Germany and the EU is causing concern - experts are warning of long-term consequences for industry and the labor market.

February 7, 2025

Minister and Chancellor Schallenberg Met with his Luxembourgian Counterpart

Austria and Luxembourg have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a rule-based international order. This was the central theme of a recent bilateral meeting between Austrian Chancellor and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel in Vienna. The discussions underscored the importance of diplomatic dialogue and international cooperation in addressing pressing global issues.

February 6, 2025

Scientists Warn Against Potential FPÖ-Led Government

Fearing for the country's democratic foundations and the integrity of its research institutions, leading scientists and scholars have united their voices in an open letter against a potential FPÖ-led Government. Their message is clear: the future of Austria’s liberal democracy, human rights, and academic freedom hangs in the balance.

February 6, 2025

A Sign of Friendship: The New Year's Meeting of the Austrian-Polish Society in Vienna

Bilateral relations between Austria and Poland are an important pillar of European cooperation and thrive not only through diplomatic meetings, but also through cultural and scientific exchange. The New Year's meeting of the Austrian-Polish Society in Vienna was an impressive example of how tradition and a vision for the future come together in a festive setting.

February 6, 2025

Labor Market in Austria 2024: Number of Vacancies Significantly Decreased

The Austrian labor market is facing an apparent contradiction: while companies are complaining about an acute shortage of skilled workers, vacancies fell significantly in 2024. Rising unemployment figures meet unfilled positions, and many industries are struggling with economic uncertainties. What is behind this development?

February 6, 2025

Austria's Federal President Van der Bellen Calls on Diplomacy for Unity

In his traditional speech at the New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps in Vienna's Hofburg, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen highlighted the challenges of the current global situation. He emphasized the need for closer international cooperation, warned against increasing disinformation, and called for greater efforts to combat the climate crisis.

February 5, 2025

Chinese New Year Celebrations Strengthen Chinese-Austrian Friendship

The Chinese New Year was celebrated in Vienna with festive events underscoring the close diplomatic and cultural ties between China and Austria. The celebrations attracted not only high-ranking political representatives but also numerous members of the Chinese community and interested Viennese.

February 5, 2025

Austria Commemorates the 80th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation

January 27, 2025, marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. This milestone was being observed with solemn ceremonies in Austria and at the historic site in Poland, where world leaders, Holocaust survivors, and dignitaries gathered to honor the victims and reinforce the commitment to remembrance.

February 5, 2025

Austria and Liechtenstein Take Over EUSALP Chairmanship

In 2025, Austria and Liechtenstein have taken on the co-chairmanship of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP), a framework that fosters cross-border cooperation among seven countries and 48 regions. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and resilience, this initiative aims to ensure that the Alpine region remains a thriving and livable space for future generations.

February 5, 2025

Austria Welcomes the World: FIS Alpine Ski World Championships 2025 Kick Off in Saalbach

Saalbach-Hinterglemm has once again become the epicenter of the alpine skiing world as the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships 2025 officially begin. With athletes, fans, and officials from across the globe gathering in the Austrian Alps, the event promises thrilling races, unforgettable moments, and a celebration of winter sports excellence.

February 4, 2025

Austria’s Fight Against Cancer: Progress and Challenges on World Cancer Day

Cancer remains one of the most significant health challenges worldwide, affecting millions of people every year. In Austria alone, approximately 42,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, with around 20,000 deaths attributed to the disease. However, thanks to advancements in research, early detection, and innovative treatments, survival rates are steadily improving.

February 4, 2025

Wiiw Forecast: Economic Growth in Central and Eastern Europe Defies Global Uncertainties

Despite weakening industry, private consumption remains a strong growth driver and makes a significant contribution to the region's economic stability. At the same time, the unpredictable economic policy decisions of the USA under President Trump pose considerable risks for the export-oriented countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

February 4, 2025

Raiffeisen Bank International: Profit Slump due to Provisions for Russia

Raiffeisen Bank International's consolidated profit decreased by over 50% in 2024 due to a €840 million provision from a Russian court ruling, which ordered the bank to pay EUR 2 billion in damages.

February 4, 2025

Schallenberg Attended EU-Summit Calling for Unity in Trade and Security Policies

European leaders gathered in Brussels for an informal EU summit to discuss pressing issues related to security, defense, and transatlantic relations. Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg emphasized the need for a united European stance amid growing geopolitical tensions, particularly in response to potential trade disputes with the United States.

February 3, 2025

Vienna Hosted European Cities Conference on Democracy

Two-day summit fosters exchange on citizen participation and democratic innovation. The event served as a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and forging new alliances.

February 3, 2025

Coalition Negotiations Between FPÖ and ÖVP Enter Decisive Phase

The coalition negotiations between the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) are reaching a critical juncture. According to party sources, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and ÖVP chairman Christian Stocker are meeting today and tomorrow in a smaller circle for discussions. The goal is to overcome unresolved issues and lay the foundation for a joint government. However, differences remain significant.

February 3, 2025

Slovenia Takes over the Presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River

Slovenia has officially assumed the presidency of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) for 2025. Dr. Lidija Globevnik, Director-General of the Slovenian Water and Marine Directorate at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, succeeds the previous Slovak President, Vladimír Novák. The annual rotation of the presidency highlights the ICPDR's ongoing commitment to sustainable and coordinated water management in the Danube region.

February 3, 2025

Poland as a New Military Power in Europe: A Bulwark against Russia and a New Strategic Leadership Role in the EU

In recent years, Poland has developed into one of Europe's most important defense powers. Given the ongoing threat from Russia, Warsaw is focusing on a massive rearmament, stronger military cooperation with allies, and an active role in European security policy. By assuming the EU Council Presidency in January 2025, Poland will also have the opportunity to anchor its security policy priorities at the European level and set a new security policy course.

February 2, 2025

Poland Takes Over EU Council Presidency: Ceremonial Opening by Polish Embassy in Vienna

The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union was ceremoniously opened in the magnificent ballroom of Vienna City Hall by the Polish Embassy in Vienna. Around 180 high-ranking guests from politics, diplomacy, business, and society took part in the festive event, which marked a symbolic start to Poland's six-month term at the head of the Council of the European Union.

February 2, 2025

Austria's Industry and Economy under Pressure: Economic Experts Discuss Solutions

The situation in Austrian industry has deteriorated continuously since mid-2021. The Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) is now issuing an urgent warning about the consequences of this development. “Industry is in a bleak situation,” explained IV chief economist Christian Helmenstein. There is no sign of a recovery shortly, which is seriously jeopardizing the competitiveness of the location and the prosperity of the country.

February 2, 2025

Suspected Terrorist from Austria: Investigation into Mecca Attack Raises Questions

The Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) has announced that no suspicious data was found on the seized laptop belonging to Hasan E., a 20-year-old from Lower Austria who allegedly carried out a terrorist attack in Mecca in March 2024. At the same time, the authorities rejected accusations that errors were made in the investigation.

February 2, 2025

OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu Completed First Official Visits

Türkiye's top diplomat, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, has been appointed the new Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He will take office at the beginning of 2025 and will lead the world's largest regional security organization during a time of global crises and geopolitical tensions. The unanimous election of the 57 OSCE member states underlines the international trust in his many years of experience and diplomatic expertise.

January 29, 2025

Ex-ÖBB Boss Christian Kern Criticizes German Railways: “It Will Never Work Out Like This”

The ongoing problems at Deutsche Bahn (DB) are again causing sharp criticism. This time, the former head of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and former Chancellor of Austria, Christian Kern, is unusually outspoken about the situation of the German state-owned company.

January 29, 2025

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong Meets Austrian Chancellor Schallenberg in Vienna

Austria's Foreign Minister and interim Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg received his Australian counterpart Penny Wong for a bilateral working meeting in Vienna. This high-level visit marks another milestone in the strategic cooperation between Austria and Australia, which has been steadily deepening since the signing of the Agreement on Strategic Cooperation (ASCo) in 2021.

January 28, 2025

Austrian Citizen in Custody for Knife Attack in Mecca

Saudi Arabia confirms the arrest of a 20-year-old Austrian from the district of Bruck an der Leitha — the charge: a knife attack in front of the holy Al-Haram mosque in Mecca. But the story goes further - to foiled plans to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.

January 28, 2025

Austria's Security Situation: Publication “Risk Report 2025” Presented

The Federal Ministry of Defense presented the publication “Risikobild 2025 - Gewählt! Democracy and the free world”. This annual analysis highlights the greatest security policy challenges facing Austria and Europe in the coming months. With contributions from numerous experts, the publication provides a comprehensive overview of risks such as the erosion of the rules-based world order, hybrid threats, and the consequences of the so-called “super election year 2024”.

January 27, 2025

Bitpanda Receives EU-Wide MiCAR License and Plans Further Growth

The Viennese crypto platform Bitpanda is one of the first companies to receive the coveted MiCAR license. This license, issued by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), has been fully valid since January 2025 and enables crypto service providers to operate their business within the European Union under a uniform legal framework.

January 27, 2025

Talks Between Austria and the Taliban on Deportations to Afghanistan

The Austrian Ministry of the Interior has held talks at the official level with representatives of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to explore the possibility of returning rejected asylum seekers. A delegation consisting of two high-ranking officials from the ministry was in the Afghan capital Kabul for this purpose.

January 24, 2025

Rene Benko Arrested: From “Wunderwuzzi” to the Protagonist of a Billion-Dollar Scandal

Rene Benko, once a celebrated real estate entrepreneur and founder of the Signa Group, was arrested at his villa in Innsbruck. The Public Prosecutor's Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) in Vienna justified the arrest warrant because of the risk of concealment and the commission of a crime. Benko is suspected of concealing assets and manipulating evidence. His arrest marks the climax of one of the biggest business scandals in Austrian history.

January 24, 2025

EU Stops Erasmus Funding for Modul University in Vienna

The EU Commission has decided to withdraw funding from the Erasmus exchange program at Modul Private University in Vienna. The reason for this is the ownership structure of the university: 90 percent of it is owned by a Hungarian foundation, which is subordinate to the Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) think tank. This is seen as a cadre factory of the Hungarian government under Viktor Orbán.

January 23, 2025

Meet the Ambassador of the French Republic to the Republic of Austria

Matthieu Peyraud, France's Ambassador presented his credentials to Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna. Meet Matthieu Peyraud the ambassador of the French Republic to Austria.

January 21, 2025

Austria's Finance Minister Mayr Must Explain Letter to Brussels in Austrian Parliament

Finance Minister Gunter Mayr is facing a political test. At the initiative of the SPÖ, the Standing Subcommittee on EU Affairs must meet to discuss the letter with which the coalition negotiators wanted to avert the threat of deficit proceedings by the EU. According to regulations, the meeting must take place within the next two weeks. The focus will be on the planned austerity measures amounting to 6.4 billion euros outlined in the letter to the EU Commission.

January 21, 2025

Austria Signs Letter of Intent for Southern Hydrogen Corridor

In a pioneering initiative, Austria, Italy, Germany, Algeria, and Tunisia signed a declaration of intent for the construction of the “SouthH2 Corridor” in Rome today. This pioneering infrastructure project will transport green hydrogen from North Africa to Europe over a distance of 3,300 kilometers and make the continent's energy supply more sustainable and independent.

January 21, 2025

AUA to Fly to Tel Aviv Again from February

After a longer break, Austrian Airlines (AUA) will resume flight operations to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv from February 1, 2025. This decision was announced in a company press release on Thursday and affects the entire Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings in addition to AUA. The resumption of flights to Tel Aviv signals a certain easing of the security situation in the region but remains characterized by caution.

January 21, 2025

Racetrack Magna Racino: A New Owner and an Uncertain Future

The Magna Racino in Ebreichsdorf (Baden district) has once again changed ownership. As confirmed by the town's mayor, Wolfgang Kocevar (SPÖ) the horse racing track now belongs to Irish billionaire Luke Comer. Comer purchased the property from the Lürßen Group, which had owned it since 2020. While the purchase price and the new owner's plans remain undisclosed, the public and local authorities are eagerly awaiting further developments in the coming months.

January 16, 2025

Political Scandal at FPÖ Regulars' Table: Outrage with EU-critical and Derogatory Statements

A secretly recorded video from a FPÖ Regulars' Table or "Stammtisch" in Vienna-Simmering has sparked outrage. FPÖ National Council members Harald Stefan and Markus Tschank sharply criticized the ÖVP and the European Union, made derogatory remarks about refugees, and caused consternation with their praise for the Taliban regime.

January 16, 2025

Austria's Foreign Minister Schallenberg Awarded “Arms Control Person of the Year”

A significant success for international diplomacy: Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and the Austrian Foreign Ministry have been named “Arms Control Person of the Year” in 2024 by the renowned US Arms Control Association (ACA). This prestigious award recognizes the special commitment of Schallenberg and his team to the regulation of autonomous weapons systems (AWS) as well as the organization of the Vienna conference “Humanity at the Crossroads: Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Challenge of Regulation”.

January 15, 2025

Austria and Ukraine Deepen Partnership in Culture, Education and Science

Ambassador Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Head of the Section for Foreign Culture at the Austrian Foreign Ministry, and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Khymynets sealed a forward-looking agreement with a handshake. For the first time, a comprehensive bilateral work program for cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and science was adopted. At a time of geopolitical challenges, this initiative is an important signal of solidarity and the common will to shape the future.

January 15, 2025

Greens Launch Petition for the Preservation of the Climate Ticket

The Greens have today launched a petition to preserve the climate ticket in its current form. The background to this is speculation that a possible FPÖ-ÖVP coalition is planning to cancel or restrict the annual ticket for Austria's public transport system.

January 15, 2025

OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu Travels to Helsinki for His First Official Visit

The Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, is expected to make his first official visit to the Finnish capital Helsinki on 16 January 2025. The visit marks an important stage in his still young term of office, which he took up in December 2024. In addition to talks with high-ranking Finnish politicians and diplomats, the focus will be on security policy issues, which are urgent in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

January 15, 2025

Austria Confirms Brussels Budget Negotiations and Resilience of International Partnerships

Over the past few days, Austria has been at the center of European attention in several respects. While Finance Minister Gunter Mayr presented a new budget path in Brussels, interim head of government Alexander Schallenberg focused on strengthening international relations during his inaugural visit to the EU. Both developments are crucial for Austria's role within the European Union.

January 13, 2025

Viennese Woman Kidnapped in Niger: Unclear Situation and Intensive Efforts for Clarification

Following the kidnapping of a 73-year-old Viennese woman in Niger, there are still no clues as to her whereabouts or the identity of the kidnappers. The Austrian Foreign Ministry confirmed the events and stated that the crisis team coordinated the investigation. A representative of the Austrian embassy in Algiers, which is responsible for Niger, is already on her way to the West African country to help on the ground.

January 13, 2025

Susanne Raab: Austria's Candidate for the Head of the ICMPD

The Austrian Federal Minister for Women, Family, Integration, and Media, Susanne Raab, has officially announced her candidacy as Director General of the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). After the end of the current government, Raab intends to continue her career at the international level. The election for the new head of the ICMPD will take place in spring 2025 by the representatives of the 21 member states.

January 12, 2025

Alexander Schallenberg Takes Over the Chancellery and Focuses on Continuity

Following the resignation of Karl Nehammer on January 10, 2025, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has entrusted the previous Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg with the continuation of the business of the Federal Chancellery and the chairmanship of the provisional Federal Government. Schallenberg, who already served as Chancellor from October to December 2021, will remain Foreign Minister. He sees his new role as a responsibility to ensure stability in a difficult political phase and to lead the country until a new government is formed.

January 12, 2025

Belarus Refuses OSCE Election Observation: International Concern Grows

The Belarusian government's decision not to invite the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to observe the upcoming presidential elections on 26 January has caused international criticism and concern. The OSCE, in particular the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), strongly condemned this step and warned of the consequences for the country's democratic development.

January 9, 2025

ECJ Ruling Censures Austrian Data Protection Authority: Excessive Complaints or Structural Problem?

A ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) caused quite a stir: The Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) was reprimanded by the ECJ because it had rejected the processing of complaints as “excessive” due to their sheer number. The Court clarified that such a limitation of complaints is inadmissible as long as no abusive intention on the part of the complainant can be proven.

January 9, 2025

Signa Insolvency: Ex-managers to be Liable for One Billion Euros

Insolvency administrator Norbert Abel is stepping up the pace in the case surrounding the spectacular insolvency of Signa Prime Selection AG: 13 months after filing for insolvency at the end of November 2023, letters of liability were sent to former members of the company's Management Board and Supervisory Board shortly before the turn of the year.

January 9, 2025