Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Retailers want to close shops earlier, police warn of telephone scams, Vienna's green plan and more news from Austria on Friday.
- Retailers want to close shops earlier in Austria
Retailers in Austria are considering shorter closing times as a way to both save energy and attract more workers - in response to the country's rising energy prices and staff shortage challenges.
Groups such as Ikea already cut their opening hours by one hour to 8 pm. as a result of the Covid crisis and have not yet returned to their former business hours.
Kastner & Öhler has also cut down work hours at its headquarters in Graz in the fall, as did retail chains from Dorotheum to Fussl. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to make employees understand that they have to be present until 8pm or 9 pm., because hardly any customers come at that time", Karin Saey, who manages the Dorotheum's retail operations, told Der Standard.
READ ALSO: Why everything in Austria is closed on Sundays – and what to do instead
- EXPLAINED: Why Vienna's U2 metro line might take longer to reopen
A significant stretch of the busy U2 metro line has been closed for construction work since May 2021 but was expected to resume operation by autumn 2023. Now, the U2 might be closed for longer.
- Romania's ambassador returns to post in Vienna
Romania's ambassador to Austria, Emil Hurezeanu, is returning to his post. The gesture is aimed at signalling "openness" toward Austria so that the most "dynamic dialogue possible can be conducted through all available channels," the Romanian presidential office announced Wednesday.
According to the Romanian President's Office, the decision was taken after President Klaus Johannis and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen "exchanged views" on the veto against the EU member state's admission to the border control-free Schengen area.
As a result of the telephone conversation, Romania's head of state decided to send Ambassador Hurezeanu back to Vienna to promote dialogue and find constructive solutions together, a statement from the Presidential Office said.
READ ALSO: Romania recalls Austria envoy after Schengen veto
- Police warn of telephone scams
Scammers have duped an elderly couple in Villach-Land, in Carinthia, and managed to get more than €11,000, according to the local police department.
The people pretended to be the couple's daughter, said she had lost her phone and urgently asked them for help to "pay debt" totalling €21,000. Before the couple realised the scam, part of the money had already been transferred to a foreign bank account.
This scam has become more prevalent in Austria, and police ask people not to transfer any money before checking in person or calling the alleged family members asking for help.
READ ALSO: Six tourist scams to be aware of in Austria
- City of Vienna plans to convert 580,000 gas boilers by 2040
The City of Vienna has announced its plans to "get rid of gas" and become climate neutral by 2040, Austrian media reported. The plans include converting 580,000 gas boilers and 460,000 cooking gas appliances in Viennese apartments by that date, Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) announced in a press conference on Thursday.
According to Ludwig, "targeted subsidies" are needed to achieve the phase-out of gas. The investment sums for the conversion are likely to be enormous: the administration estimated the demand at €30 billion by 2040 - of which one third, i.e. €10 billion, could be covered by subsidies.
The Greens said that they see the city's efforts in the oil and gas sector as basically positive.
However, with the increased investment in district heating, a form of heating is being cemented in place "which still consists largely of gas and must therefore be made renewable as quickly as possible," the left-leaning party said in a statement.
In addition, the Greens criticised Wiener Wohnen, Vienna's public housing administrator, for neglecting the expansion of photovoltaic and solar thermal systems to date.
READ ALSO: When will households in Austria benefit from falling gas prices?
- Weather
Screenshot from ZAMG
Apart from a few clearings with some sunshine, heavy clouds will prevail, in the morning it will snow only locally, in the afternoon the snowfall will slowly become more frequent along the northern side of the Alps.
Early temperatures minus 9C to minus 1C, daily highs minus 2C to plus 3C.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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- Retailers want to close shops earlier in Austria
Retailers in Austria are considering shorter closing times as a way to both save energy and attract more workers - in response to the country's rising energy prices and staff shortage challenges.
Groups such as Ikea already cut their opening hours by one hour to 8 pm. as a result of the Covid crisis and have not yet returned to their former business hours.
Kastner & Öhler has also cut down work hours at its headquarters in Graz in the fall, as did retail chains from Dorotheum to Fussl. "It is becoming increasingly difficult to make employees understand that they have to be present until 8pm or 9 pm., because hardly any customers come at that time", Karin Saey, who manages the Dorotheum's retail operations, told Der Standard.
READ ALSO: Why everything in Austria is closed on Sundays – and what to do instead
- EXPLAINED: Why Vienna's U2 metro line might take longer to reopen
A significant stretch of the busy U2 metro line has been closed for construction work since May 2021 but was expected to resume operation by autumn 2023. Now, the U2 might be closed for longer.
- Romania's ambassador returns to post in Vienna
Romania's ambassador to Austria, Emil Hurezeanu, is returning to his post. The gesture is aimed at signalling "openness" toward Austria so that the most "dynamic dialogue possible can be conducted through all available channels," the Romanian presidential office announced Wednesday.
According to the Romanian President's Office, the decision was taken after President Klaus Johannis and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen "exchanged views" on the veto against the EU member state's admission to the border control-free Schengen area.
As a result of the telephone conversation, Romania's head of state decided to send Ambassador Hurezeanu back to Vienna to promote dialogue and find constructive solutions together, a statement from the Presidential Office said.
READ ALSO: Romania recalls Austria envoy after Schengen veto
- Police warn of telephone scams
Scammers have duped an elderly couple in Villach-Land, in Carinthia, and managed to get more than €11,000, according to the local police department.
The people pretended to be the couple's daughter, said she had lost her phone and urgently asked them for help to "pay debt" totalling €21,000. Before the couple realised the scam, part of the money had already been transferred to a foreign bank account.
This scam has become more prevalent in Austria, and police ask people not to transfer any money before checking in person or calling the alleged family members asking for help.
READ ALSO: Six tourist scams to be aware of in Austria
- City of Vienna plans to convert 580,000 gas boilers by 2040
The City of Vienna has announced its plans to "get rid of gas" and become climate neutral by 2040, Austrian media reported. The plans include converting 580,000 gas boilers and 460,000 cooking gas appliances in Viennese apartments by that date, Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) announced in a press conference on Thursday.
According to Ludwig, "targeted subsidies" are needed to achieve the phase-out of gas. The investment sums for the conversion are likely to be enormous: the administration estimated the demand at €30 billion by 2040 - of which one third, i.e. €10 billion, could be covered by subsidies.
The Greens said that they see the city's efforts in the oil and gas sector as basically positive.
However, with the increased investment in district heating, a form of heating is being cemented in place "which still consists largely of gas and must therefore be made renewable as quickly as possible," the left-leaning party said in a statement.
In addition, the Greens criticised Wiener Wohnen, Vienna's public housing administrator, for neglecting the expansion of photovoltaic and solar thermal systems to date.
READ ALSO: When will households in Austria benefit from falling gas prices?
- Weather
Apart from a few clearings with some sunshine, heavy clouds will prevail, in the morning it will snow only locally, in the afternoon the snowfall will slowly become more frequent along the northern side of the Alps.
Early temperatures minus 9C to minus 1C, daily highs minus 2C to plus 3C.
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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