Politics

A look at Austria's complex system of quality media, tabloid papers and government funding – and how it is evolving.

At the centre of this investigation: ÖVP insider Thomas Schmid, investor Siegfried Wolf and a dubious tax remission of €630,000.

The IAEA's Rafael Mariano Grossi asserted the agency's political neutrality amid hopes that the Iran nuclear deal might be revived.

Everything you need to know about the tax reform passed on Wednesday, a signature project of the turquoise-green coalition.

The new chancellor Karl Nehammer also has confirmed that the coronavirus lockdown will end on the coming weekend. "The opening will take place". It was only a question of how.

More than 40,000 took to the streets of Vienna on Saturday to protest the ongoing lockdown and the planned vaccine mandate.

Right-wing Freedom Party Dagmar Belakowitsch caused outrage by claiming that hospitals are filled with people with vaccination "damage".

The French newspaper "Liberation" raises serious allegations against Austria's EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).

Following Sebastian Kurz’s withdrawal from political life and chancellor Alexander Schallenberg’s offered resignation, a substantial government reshuffle is taking place.

Embattled former chancellor says he is stepping back from politics to spend time with his newborn; remains confident the ÖVP will continue to succeed.

With sky-high coronavirus levels among children and youth, virologists and educators differ on possible school closures.

In an interview with the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Linhart said that he was looking forward to getting to know his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov personally.

Parliamentary immunity was lifted for Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), under investigation for alleged bribery and corruption in the tabloid scandal.

"We all want a safe winter season for our guests, so joint regulations between the involved countries are necessary and sensible", said Minister for Tourism Elisabeth Koestinger.

Styrian authorities face allegations of environmental corruption: The businesses behind large-scale construction projects may have been allowed to write their own environmental impact reports.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) is due to meet with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in Jerusalem, with whom he will visit the Knesset.

A survey conducted by the Gallup institute and the Medienhaus Vienna found that public trust in media has plummeted following recent political scandals.

One year on, two-thirds of Austrians are not expecting further terror attacks. At the same time, the government intensifies its activities targeting “political Islam”.

When speaking about the climate crisis at the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, Alexander Schallenberg reminded everyone that we all need to act together.

With 150,000 people of Bosnian descent in Austria, the community is one of the biggest of the country. Efforts are now underway to get Bosnian Austrians officially recognized by the law as an ethnic group.

The opposition NEOS party has accused the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) of "systemic corruption" following multiple scandals and the resignation of Sebastian Kurz as chancellor.

Most Austrians consider motorway expansion and other highways development to be at odds with climate goals: 63% are in against it.

The anti-vaccine party entered the Upper Austrian assembly during the regional elections in September and now plans to run nationwide.

Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner criticized the EU and called for more action on a Common Security and Defence Policy

A video of a soldier with a far-right symbol on his helmet found its way into an Austrian army online game. The game has been taken offline.

Around 300 people were vaxxed against corona on Austria's National Day - most of them for the first time - in the "vaccination palace."

As of Jan. 1, 2022, a legal pathway for assisted dying in Austria will be available.

The Austrian labor minister was in Washington to discuss employment measures and pandemic recovery with his U.S. counterparts..

The sixth "Vienna Migration Conference" is all about migration partnerships and the focus of this years' discussions was Afghanistan.

The new "Einwegpfand" deposit system aims to encourage consumers to keep their disposable plastic bottles and cans out of the trash - but it won't begin until 2025.

According to interviews with several daily newspapers Austria's new Foreign Minister Michael Linhart of center-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) plans continuity in Austrian foreign policy.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had exchanged "in a friendly atmosphere" on topical issues with regard to the European Council this week.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer of the conservative People's Party (VP) travelled to the Netherlands on Friday for talks about migration.

Thousands of kindergarten teachers on strike this week said staff and children deserve better conditions - because early childhood education is education.

Foreign Minister Linhart spoke out in favor of the EUFOR peacekeeping force remaining in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He also emphasized the "extremely important task" of the Austrian contingent.

Only three days after his swearing-in ceremony, the new chancellor Alexander Schallenberg travelled to Brussels for his first foreign visit.

Former chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who stepped down last week amid corruption accusations, has joined parliament as head of the ÖVP faction

Opposition says budget draft for 2022, presented by Finance Minister Gernot Blümel on Wednesday, is short-sighted and lacks ambition

Finance minister Gernot Bluemel announced momentum in the Austrian economy, and announced a return to "sustainable budget policy" after overcoming the corona crisis.

Polling analyst Sabine Beinschab was arrested on Tuesday, October 12 in connection with the Conservative Party (ÖVP) scandal

New Austrian Chancellor speaks: While VP and Greens call for stability, opposition parties see Kurz influence as a democratic threat

Justice minister Zadić and the EU commissioner for Justice Reynders discussed rule of law this Monday amid the ruling party's corruption scandal.

Alexander Schallenberg (Conservative Party, VP) has been sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen as the new Chancellor of Austria.

This past week, Austrian politics has once again been at the center of widespread attention. We collected some media reactions from across Europe.

Sebastian Kurz announced today that he will step down as chancellor. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) is tapped to take over.

In 2019, it was a secretly filmed video that broke the coalition between ÖVP and FPÖ. For the ÖVP-Green government, chats may spell the end of the coalition.

The Austrian government is on the brink of collapse following allegations of corruption against chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the ÖVP. Here’s what could come next.

After the raids Wednesday, October 6, on ÖVP offices and allegations that favorable newspaper coverage was paid for with taxpayer money, the chancellor is under intense political pressure.

The political fall-out continues after Chancellor Kurz and associates are implicated in bribery and corruption allegations

Allegations are coming hard and fast in scandal already dubbed the “Ibiza of the ÖVP“: Chancellor Kurz and tabloid Österreich under extreme scrutiny

"This is supposed to be a positive incentive and not punishment", said Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel on television on Tuesday.

President Alexander Van der Bellen continued his Poland trip on Tuesday with an official visit to the capital, Warsaw.

"We are counting on continuing our established cooperation with the future German government", said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

In the preliminary final results on Monday morning, the vaccine skeptics were set to join the Upper Austrian parliament with seven percent, while the...

After US president Joe Biden's speech at the UN General Debatein New York on Tuesday, Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP), says he is pleased that the "US has made a clear commitment to multilateralism".

Austrian defense minister Klaudia Tanner and her Greek counterpart Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos signed a "memorandum of understanding" in Vienna.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) stands by his declared tough line on immigration, while Austria has in fact welcomed more refugees than almost any other European country in the last 10 years. Civil initiatives and the opposition see much room for improvement when it comes to the government’s migration and integration policy.

The Austrian unemployment continues to fall, with the pre-crisis level within reach.

A push by the SPÖ to simplify the path to becoming a citizen provokes strong reactions, with the ÖVP, FPÖ and NEOs opposed and the Greens receptive.

The controversial website has been temporarily removed after an incident involving the right-wing "Identitären" movement.

Popular among party hardliners, the former interior minister and vocal Kurz critic assumes leadership following the sudden resignation of Norbert Hofer.

With negotiations concluded, the "hell of all hells" will now be turned into a "place of remembrance," memorial and education center.

A Labor Day rally promoting feminism, climate change policy and anti-capitalism ended in several arrests and police violence.

The recent murder in Vienna’s 20th district marks the ninth femicide in less than five months.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel testified before the German Bundestag last Friday regarding her actions on behalf of the now disgraced company.

A newcomer on the national stage, the general practitioner has taken on arguably the most demanding job in the country.

Just three months on from January’s low point, the European Union’s vaccination effort has rebounded, predicting 70% of adults protected by mid July.

After 15 months leading Austria’s response to the pandemic, the widely respected leader stepped down on April 13.

Recovered chats reveal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Finance Minister Gernot Blümel’s involvement, previously denied, in the appointment of state holding CEO Thomas Schmid.

In a rare show of unity, the Austrian Economic Chambers and Trade Union Federation call the latest anti-COVID measures “not feasible” in a joint statement.

A recent survey found that every second Austrian prefers staying silent over voicing an opinion.

March 25 marks the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, as well as the birthday of the former Vice-Chancellor – an occasion to reflect on the European ideal.

City officials remain optimistic as they try to find new ways to attract investors.

As the pandemic adds more strain to the system, Vienna’s immigration authority introduces new measures to combat delays.

Press freedom in Central Europe is under renewed threat. Yet there are no systematic arrests of journalists as in Belarus or Turkey, less of the blatant acts of censorship common in Russia and few of the gruesome killings of reporters that are common in autocratic countries around the world. Instead, they are now following the Hungary model.

As criticism and corruption allegations pile up against his administration, the biggest cause for concern is Sebastian Kurz’s deliberate attempts to undermine the nation’s checks and balances.

The European Commission is working on a digital certificate that will enable free travel. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is an advocate, despite Austria’s slow inoculation rate.

If the measure passes, the Republic will dismantle its nearly 100-year-old Official Secrecy Laws – the last EU country to do so – and launch new measures increasing public insight into state operations.

A year after the start of the pandemic, trust in the government has plummeted to new lows, as frustrations mount amid evidence of a new ÖVP scandal.

Concerns over virus mutations have led Germany to close its frontier to Tyrol, setting off traffic jams on the streets and brawls among top officials. Even Brussels has chimed in.

Students of all ages and programs can find a quiet spot in some of Vienna’s traditional 'Kaffeehäuser' and the district 'Volkshochschulen.'

10,000 maskless protestors marched on Sunday, Jan 31 against COVID-19 restrictions, despite a governmental ban.

In the night of January 27-28, two girls born in Austria were deported with their mother to Georgia. To the surprise of the authorities, dozens of demonstrators turned up, including some prominent faces. An eyewitness report.

Set to open in 2026, excavated streets and squares will lead to traffic detours around the Rathaus and along the Alserstraße for some time to come.

Over the last few days, Austria’s immigration authorities have deported children from Lower Austria and Vienna to Armenia and Georgia. Most of them have spent the majority of their lives in Austria or were born here.

Vienna police have taken a former FPÖ MP and BVT-security head in custody for assisting the escape of Jan Marsalek, mastermind of one of Europe’s greatest postwar financial scandals.

With schools in distance learning until February and cultural institutions closed perhaps through March, the government is stepping up support measures.

After extending the current lockdown until at least Feb. 7, the government promised additional support for businesses and workers.

Pushing for clearer laws covering abuse on social media, Green Party leader Sigrid Maurer faces more delays and disingenuous.

The Hollywood actor passionately drew on history and personal experience in response to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

A government minister resigns in disgrace. But the bigger scandal is the value of Austrian universities' degrees.

An invitation to a prayer breakfast in the Parlament managed to offend almost everyone, Christians and secularists alike. It also raised the specter of a far darker time.

The Austrian Republic's longest corruption trial ended sensationally. If it has ended. Ex Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser and close friends have been found guilty and sentenced to prison.

One month after, Austrian society is still reeling from the terrorist attack on November 2.

Following three weeks of intense negotiations, the Vienna’s SPÖ and NEOS have presented a 212-page coalition program for their administration. Here are the most important takeaways.

Investigations surrounding the Jihadist attack in Vienna’s inner city have revealed hiccups in the Austrian secret service and shed new light on the country’s large extremist scene.

Attacks by young Islamists at Antonskirche and Stephansdom prompted strong rebuke from the IGGÖ: “We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms.”

On Monday evening, at least one ISIS “sympathizer” attacked diners sitting outside in the inner city. Four civilians and one gunman were killed, and 22 others injured, some severely. Police are still looking for possible accomplices. This is a developing story.

Conflict over remedial German classes in schools continues, as politicians, experts and teachers debate how best to support children with poor language skills.

On Austria’s National Day, October 26, 2020, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen addressed Austrians and “all people living in our country” with a calm plea for reasons, fortitude and unity.