Category: Austria

A taxpayer-funded birthday celebration for former Austrian Interior Minister Ernst Strasser has ignited a political firestorm, drawing sharp criticism from the far-right FPÖ and the liberal NEOS party. Held on April 29, 2026, at the Interior Ministry in Vienna, the event cost nearly €9,000 of public money. Of the 77 guests invited, 61 attended, including […]

A violent home invasion disguised as a routine service visit has led to prison sentences for five men, after a court in Vienna heard how an elderly woman was attacked and left seriously injured. At the center of the case is a 19-year-old Serbian man, sentenced to seven years in prison for aggravated robbery. Prosecutors […]

Pension Reform Debate Intensifies in Austria Austria’s coalition government is facing renewed tensions over how to strengthen private retirement savings, as a proposal to introduce tax-free stock gains after a long holding period divides its partners. The conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) has proposed exempting capital gains from tax if shares are held for at […]

Austria’s government has moved forward with a plan to ban social media use for children under the age of 14, aiming to shield young users from addictive features and harmful online content. The draft law was presented on Monday during a summer cabinet meeting in Salzburg and is being sent for public consultation as well […]

Austria’s data protection authority has ruled that Vienna police unlawfully used automated facial recognition during a climate protest in March 2023, saying the practice had no clear legal basis. The case stemmed from a demonstration against a gas conference, where police detained about 140 people over three days. The protest was later broken up by […]

VIENNA, Jul. 24 — Austria’s doctors’ association says it has so far been left out of the discussion about specialist medical centers, even as the government pushes ahead with plans to expand outpatient care. Edgar Wutscher, vice president of the chamber and head of its panel for doctors in private practice, said Thursday on ORF […]

Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner has weighed in on a growing political row over a video released by Europe’s border agency Frontex, which appears to show a possible transfer of migrants from suspected smugglers to the rescue ship Sea Watch 5 in the central Mediterranean. The footage, made public after Frontex surveillance, has fueled sharp […]

Austria needs more than celebration, and that was the clear message from President Alexander Van der Bellen as he opened the 80th Bregenz Festival with a forceful appeal for democracy, respect, and unity. Speaking at the anniversary event, Van der Bellen praised the festival’s long success, saying its stage had shown for eight decades what […]

A 23-year-old Serbian man suspected of taking part in a fake police officer scam has been arrested in Vienna, as investigators continue working to uncover what they believe is part of a larger criminal network. Authorities are now urging anyone who may have fallen victim to the scheme to come forward, reported by 5 Minuten. […]

Austria has recorded more deportations than new asylum applications for the first time in over 20 years, marking a significant shift in the country’s migration landscape. The latest figures from the Interior Ministry show a sharp decline in asylum requests, reflecting a trend that officials say has been developing since 2023. Between January and June, […]