Category: Austria

Austria is reshaping its frontline immigration operations as illegal border crossings fall to historic lows, prompting the government to shift asylum police officers in Burgenland into border-security roles, according to Austrian News Agency APA. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced the changes on Thursday, portraying them as part of a broader effort to strengthen national security. […]

Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) is pressing forward with a newly revised proposal to ban Islamic headscarves in Austrian schools, insisting he is confident the measure will survive constitutional review; even though a similar law was struck down in 2020 and he has no fallback plan. The earlier ban, passed under a conservative coalition, was […]

Austria’s government on Tuesday introduced a broad package of laws aimed at easing the cost of living and pushing inflation down to 2 percent next year, according to “Heute”. The ruling coalition, made up of the ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS, presented the measures as a central part of its pledge to make everyday life affordable […]

Austria’s government has reached agreement on an expansive new package aimed at cracking down on tax fraud, a move leaders say is essential as the country works to stabilize its budget, according to Austrian News Agency APA. Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler announced the plan Tuesday following a cabinet meeting, projecting that the measures will bring […]

Vienna’s Greens are intensifying their criticism of the city’s Social Democratic administration, warning that planned cuts to the Mindestsicherung, “Vienna’s minimum income support program”, will hit the city’s poorest residents with losses of up to 3,000 euros per year. According to calculations shared with ORF Vienna, long-term beneficiaries stand to lose as much as 3,016 […]

VIENNA: This week, the National Council will be debating, among other things, resolutions on simplifying large-scale proceedings and abolishing the adhesive vignette, according to ORF News. Recent events at the Chamber of Commerce and high food prices are also likely to be discussed. The Cabinet is expected to approve the new law against “shrinkflation,” i.e., […]

Austria’s national health insurer, the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK), is warning of deepening financial trouble, projecting nearly €800 million in losses by 2029 as structural pressures weigh heavily on the country’s health-care system, according to “KURIER”. The latest forecast shows the ÖGK expecting a deficit of €459.6 million in 2026, rising to €797.7 million three years […]

A quiet residential street in Stockerau, northwest of Vienna, became the center of a major police operation early Friday after an elderly couple was found dead in what authorities are describing as a tragic case of domestic violence likely rooted in desperation and declining health. Police in Lower Austria confirmed that the victims were an […]

Austria to Require Refugees to Sign “Integration Pledge” from 2026 Starting in 2026, refugees in Austria will be required to complete a five-day orientation course ending with a formal integration pledge; a document affirming their commitment to democratic values, gender equality, and the traditions of Austrian society. Refusal to sign could lead to sanctions, including […]

Austria Charges Former Syrian Regime Officials With Torture and Crimes Against Detainees Vienna — Austrian prosecutors have filed criminal charges against two former Syrian officials accused of torturing and abusing detainees during the early years of Syria’s civil uprising under President Bashar al-Assad, according to ORF News. According to the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office, the […]