Austria News

As the Football Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland is coming closer and closer, a drastic increase of Austrian flags on the streets is discoverable.
Such a patriotic development was a thorn in the flesh of some politicans and lawyers.

They have warned enthusiastic Austrians through the medias, that it’s not allowed to show the Austrian flag […]

Yesterday local politicans of Graz were discussing if it should be legal to use mobile phones in public transports in their provincial capital of Styria.
The answer was unmistakable and crystal clear. It is a crime, and it’s going to be prohibited.

The prime mover of the “mobile phone prohibition” is Graz mayor Siegfried Nagl from the […]

If all those horrible things, which recently happened in Austria, have something positive, it’s a political discussion about a harder punishment for child abusers and sex offenders.
Now also Freedom Party chairman Heinz Christian Strache promised to fight for a harder punishment for sex maniacs. Strache demands: “No freedom for child abusers!”

Child abusers and sex offenders […]

Tirols provincial capital Innsbruck seems to have too little apartments.
The waiting list for council homes has already 2.000 names, says Innsbrucks city council woman Pokorny Reitter from the Socialdemocrats.

Now the Socialdemocratic woman demands a new and wide building activity for apartments.
Such plans are ambitious. She wants that the waiting time for an apartment in Innsbruck […]

Yesterday the Austrian parliament has ratified the disputed EU Reform Treaty.
After an emotional debate over the whole day, the parliament members of Socialdemocrats, Peoples Party and the Greens, decided with a clear majory against Freedom Party and the orange “Alliance For The Future Of Austria” (BZÖ), to ratify the treaty of the European Union.

The government […]

New laws should bring better occupational outlook for girls in Austria.
This was the latest message of Austrias Women minister Doris Bures (Socialdemocrats).

Doris Bures told that it’s very important for young people to have a good occupational outlook. But it’s much more important to gain a better occupational outlook for girls, claims the Women minister.
The Socialdemocratic […]

The embassy of China in the city centre of Vienna was the place of dramatic scenes last week on Thursday.
A Tibetan protester climbed up to the balcony, and broke down the Chinese flag.

Afterwards staff members of the Chinese embassy pulled him into the building and started to beat him. One Chinese woman even kicked him […]

Austrias most popular mayor can be found in the federal state of Carinthia.
His name is Valentin Deutschmann. He is 80 years old, and since 50 years he is the mayor of a little village in the east of Carinthias provincial capital Klagenfurt.
Grafenstein is the name of the municipality.

Now the 80-year-old has enough. He won’t run […]

The Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer met the president of the UEFA, Michel Platini, yesterday in Vienna.
The reason for such an usual meeting were talks about the preparations for the Football Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.

Michel Platini wanted to show his admiration for the Austrian politican, and brought a gift to Mr.Gusenbauer. Alfred Gusenbauer received […]

Orange coloured BZÖ politican Peter Westenthaler is amused about the confusion of Austrias Socialdemocratic politicans in the parliament.
The Socialdemocrats have refused a suggestion to decrease taxes. The funny point in the case: it was their own application.
Westenthaler amused: “The Socialdemocrats are afraid to vote for their own applications.”

Westenthaler confirms that it’s important to decrease the […]

The leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Heinz Christian Strache has ambitious plans.
In two years he wants to be the mayor of Vienna.

In 2010 is the next election for the mayor position of Vienna. Strache wants to run for that kind of job, and he is sure to succeed.
Strache complains about an animosity against the […]

In an interview of todays published newspaper called “Österreich”, the minister president of Carinthia Jörg Haider, offers the Socialdemocrats to support a minority government under Socialdemocratic leadership.
“Everything which stops that horrible government is wonderful”, says Haider in that interiview.

Haider thinks that his orange BZÖ-party can make “intelligent things” in a minority government with the Socialdemocrats.
The […]

The chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer from the Socialdemocrats, wants to give a 100 Euro bank note to every poor Austrian.
His coalition partner “The Peoples Party” is against such plans. “100 Euro are two tank fillings of an average car. Austrians don’t need such kind of pittance”, said Peoples Party member Martin Bartenstein, who is the minister […]

The 15 Austrian soldiers who were brought to the African country of Chad, have to hide in the cellar of the Hotel Kempinski, in the capital called N’Djamena.
This reports Austrias biggest newspaper “Kronen Zeitung” in todays issue.

The rebels have invaded the capital, and conducted fierce battles with the army of the government.
After this weekend it […]

The election in Austrias second biggest city has a clear winner.
It’s the Peoples Party with 37,64 percent, and a plus of 1,52. The Greens win 6,3 percent, and get 14,56 percent of votes.

Winnings also for the BZÖ (Alliance For The Future Of Austria) from zero to 4,43 percent, and the Freedom Party with 3,11 to […]

The leader of the Austrian Freedom Party Heinz Christian Strache shows his satisfaction about the impressing election victory of Vladimir Putin in Russia.
Strache sent his congratulations to Putins party, and hopes that Russia is going to be a stable and predictable partner of the Western countries.

“The election was fair and there were no manipulations”, confirms […]

The leader of Austrias Freedom Party Heinz Christian Strache, assess the situation about the extension of the Schengen EU border as a “bitter christmas present for the Austrians”.
Strache thinks the extension of European Unions Schengen border in the east comes too early.

Andreas Mölzer, who is a member of the EU parliament, agrees in Straches opinion. […]

The boss of the orange BZÖ party Peter Westenthaler, reported the Lower Austrian green politican Madeleine Petrovic to the police.
Petrovic has declared during an event this month, that she is going to help hiding illegal immigrants. Westenthaler don’t want to accept such kind of help, and wants to see his political colleague punished.

Now the police […]

A survey of the IFES-institute shows the wishes and thoughts of the female Austrians.
Most of the women in Austria want to be employed, and don’t want to see their job as “necessary evil”. The job should be part of their “self created” life.

The survey was made on order by Austrians women minister Doris Bures of […]

The demonstration against the immigration policy of the government was organized by the green party.
The protests took place on the Minoritenplatz square. It was the spokeswoman of the Greens, Eva Glawischnig, who demanded the resignation of Austrias Interior Minister Günther Platter (Peoples Party).

Other protsters wants to have “free borders” and “unlimited right of residence for […]

On Saturday the town of Frankenburg in Upper Austria, was the scene of a demonstration for declined Albanian asylum seekers from Kosovo.
The family was taken back to their homeland, but one girl of the family escaped, hides herself from the police, and sends video messages to politicans. In her video messages she demands a permission […]

The UEFA European Football Championship 2008 in Austria and Switzerland brings not only the best football nations, a lot of football fans, and huge amounts of journalists to our country.
The huge football event now also brings open shops on a Sunday.

The discussion if shops should open on Sunday or not, lasted several months. Usually all […]

The green party of Austria complains about a “horrific opacity” of election campaign expenses of Socialdemocrats and Peoples Party.
The Greens want a new law which should promise harsh sanctions if the allowed volume of election campaign expenses exceeds.

During the last election campaign both parties were talking about 17,3 and 14,5 mio EUR, but the expenses […]

The Austrian justice minister Maria Berger of the Socialdemocrats has a new idea. She wants to throw alcoholised car drivers into prison.
Heinz Christian Strache of the Austrian Freedom Party is not amused about such a plan.

“She wants to throw car drivers into prison, and release criminals”, says Strache. The justice minister wants to see drunk […]

The Viennese Peoples Party is upset about the drug policy of the ruling Socialdemocrats in Vienna.
Especially the situation on the Karlsplatz square is cause for concern, in the view of the Peoples Party. The Socialdemocrats refuse the reproaches.

“We must renew the concept against drugs in Vienna”, says one spokesman of the Peoples Party. “Socialdemocrats are […]

Good news for the ones in Austria, who are waiting for an addition to their families in the next year.
The 1st January 2008 should be the magic day when the new child benefit regulation comes into force.

“I am very happy about such a result”, says Austrias women minister Doris Bures of the Socialdemocrats, after the […]

After the arresting of Islamic terrorist suspects in Vienna, and the protest of 700 Viennese citizens against the erection of a mosque in the Viennese district of Brigittenau, the Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer rises to speak and clarifies his position.
In the Austrian TV program “Pressestunde”, Gusenbauer underlines the freedom of religion in Austria. “Politicans should […]