Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Every weekday, The Local brings you an English-language summary of the news you need to know in Austria.
Health Minister to be replaced, according to reports
The Krone newspaper claims that Austria's Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein is to be replaced. It says, according to its “well-informed circles” the Greens have been working on this plan for some time, and have even identified a candidate for his replacement – Johannes Rauch.
The paper says the 62-year-old Rauch is not “particularly enthusiastic” about getting the job, but has promised Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler he will take on the role as a gesture of friendship.
Mückstein's likely resignation comes less than a year after taking over the top job from colleague Rudolph Anschober, who resigned in April 2021 due to exhaustion.
‘15 months has felt like 15 years’: Why Austria’s health minister called it quits
Inflation hits record 5.9 percent
Inflation is hitting Austria hard, as drivers are already aware. Diesel now costs more than 1.50 euros per litre of diesel, while premium petrol is around 1.6 euros per litre.
According to a flash estimate by Statistics Austria, inflation in Austria is likely to reach 5.9 percent in February compared to the same month last year.
At the beginning of the year, the inflation rate exceeded the five percent threshold for the first time since November 1984. The price of natural gas has reached a new record high in Europe and oil prices are also rocketing.
Austria offers support to refugees
As thousands more people flee Ukraine, the Austrian Agency for Care and Support Services (BBU) has created an online platform to bring together people offering accommodation to refugees on social media.
Many people are offering private accommodation for incoming refugees from Ukraine on social networks.
It is hard to know how many Ukrainian refugees are entering Austria. An “arrival hall” has been organised in Vienna and in Burgenland, the Nova Rock Hall has been converted into accommodation for arrivals. In the rest of Austria, people are collecting donations and transporting them across the border.
READ MORE: How Austria is preparing to accept Ukrainian refugees
OSCE employee dies in Ukraine
The Vienna-based Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has lost a Ukrainian employee. The woman died in the shelling of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday when she was trying to get supplies for her family, broadcaster ORF reports.
She was a member of the OSCE Monitoring Mission SMM - which monitors the ceasefire line between state troops and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The OSCE decided last Thursday to temporarily end its mission in the face of the Russian invasion and to evacuate its unarmed international team.
Oligarchs targeted by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler
The Vice Chancellor of Austria has said he wants to target oligarchs in Austria with sanctions. Speaking to the Puls24 programme he said he would look at assets and property held by Russian oligarchs. The programme reports 650 Austrian companies have branches in Russia.
Kogler said he did not believe large Austrian businesses should be compensated for losses due to sanctions, as they had made “huge profits” through business with Russia in the past. However, he added small and medium sized businesses active in Ukraine could be treated more sympathetically.
Russian Sberbank compensation will cost almost one billion
The Financial Market Authority (FMA) prohibited the Russian Sberbank Europe from continuing business operations on March 1st, meaning Austrian deposit insurance is now responsible for the deposits of its former bank customers.
READ MORE: Austria-based Russian bank declared insolvent due to sanctions
Around 35,000 customers held deposits totalling one billion euros at Sberbank Europe AG, based in Vienna, of which 913 million euros were secured, according to a press release from the FMA on Wednesday.
Broadcaster ORF reports that the general director of the Raiffeisenverband Salzburg, Heinz Konrad said: "This is a substantial loss that is then shared among all Austrian banks according to their share of the deposit business."
Comments
See Also
Health Minister to be replaced, according to reports
The Krone newspaper claims that Austria's Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein is to be replaced. It says, according to its “well-informed circles” the Greens have been working on this plan for some time, and have even identified a candidate for his replacement – Johannes Rauch.
The paper says the 62-year-old Rauch is not “particularly enthusiastic” about getting the job, but has promised Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler he will take on the role as a gesture of friendship.
Mückstein's likely resignation comes less than a year after taking over the top job from colleague Rudolph Anschober, who resigned in April 2021 due to exhaustion.
‘15 months has felt like 15 years’: Why Austria’s health minister called it quits
Inflation hits record 5.9 percent
Inflation is hitting Austria hard, as drivers are already aware. Diesel now costs more than 1.50 euros per litre of diesel, while premium petrol is around 1.6 euros per litre.
According to a flash estimate by Statistics Austria, inflation in Austria is likely to reach 5.9 percent in February compared to the same month last year.
At the beginning of the year, the inflation rate exceeded the five percent threshold for the first time since November 1984. The price of natural gas has reached a new record high in Europe and oil prices are also rocketing.
Austria offers support to refugees
As thousands more people flee Ukraine, the Austrian Agency for Care and Support Services (BBU) has created an online platform to bring together people offering accommodation to refugees on social media.
Many people are offering private accommodation for incoming refugees from Ukraine on social networks.
It is hard to know how many Ukrainian refugees are entering Austria. An “arrival hall” has been organised in Vienna and in Burgenland, the Nova Rock Hall has been converted into accommodation for arrivals. In the rest of Austria, people are collecting donations and transporting them across the border.
READ MORE: How Austria is preparing to accept Ukrainian refugees
OSCE employee dies in Ukraine
The Vienna-based Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has lost a Ukrainian employee. The woman died in the shelling of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday when she was trying to get supplies for her family, broadcaster ORF reports.
She was a member of the OSCE Monitoring Mission SMM - which monitors the ceasefire line between state troops and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The OSCE decided last Thursday to temporarily end its mission in the face of the Russian invasion and to evacuate its unarmed international team.
Oligarchs targeted by Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler
The Vice Chancellor of Austria has said he wants to target oligarchs in Austria with sanctions. Speaking to the Puls24 programme he said he would look at assets and property held by Russian oligarchs. The programme reports 650 Austrian companies have branches in Russia.
Kogler said he did not believe large Austrian businesses should be compensated for losses due to sanctions, as they had made “huge profits” through business with Russia in the past. However, he added small and medium sized businesses active in Ukraine could be treated more sympathetically.
Russian Sberbank compensation will cost almost one billion
The Financial Market Authority (FMA) prohibited the Russian Sberbank Europe from continuing business operations on March 1st, meaning Austrian deposit insurance is now responsible for the deposits of its former bank customers.
READ MORE: Austria-based Russian bank declared insolvent due to sanctions
Around 35,000 customers held deposits totalling one billion euros at Sberbank Europe AG, based in Vienna, of which 913 million euros were secured, according to a press release from the FMA on Wednesday.
Broadcaster ORF reports that the general director of the Raiffeisenverband Salzburg, Heinz Konrad said: "This is a substantial loss that is then shared among all Austrian banks according to their share of the deposit business."
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.