Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Chancellor criticised after posting wrong Austrian flag, Van der Bellen condemns anti-Semitism and hatred in TV speech, almost two million people in Austria were born abroad and more news from Austria on Friday.
Austrian chancellor criticised after mistake in flag post
A post from Chancellor Karl Nehammer's X account on National Day generated some teasing on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the morning, the chancellor shared a message: "On today's National Day, I thank everyone who contributes to our beautiful country and makes Austria what it is: a strong, safe, and livable country. Believe in Austria! Happy #NationalHoliday!" Accompanying this message was a picture of the Austrian flag with the federal eagle, but it was mirrored incorrectly.
Am Nationalfeiertag das österreichische Bundeswappen falsch ausspielen (Adler muss richtigerweise nach links sehen).
Läuft bei Karl Nehammer.#Nationalfeiertag pic.twitter.com/dKlTZEqw44
— Raffaela (@DieRaffa) October 26, 2023
Instead of facing the left, as it should, the federal eagle was oriented to the right, according to a report by the newspaper Der Standard.
The Twitter community didn't miss the error, and the chancellor's post garnered some playful remarks. Subsequently, the post was corrected, and the appropriate federal eagle image was added. The report added that when approached for comment, the Chancellor's Office declined to provide one.
Am heutigen Nationalfeiertag danke ich allen, die einen Beitrag für unser wunderschönes Land leisten und Österreich zu dem machen, was es ist: ein starkes, sicheres und lebenswertes Land. Glaubt an Österreich! Schönen #Nationalfeiertag! 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/R3jMCYibyL
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) October 26, 2023
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Austrian National Day on October 26th
How much will Austria’s new mandatory TV licence fee cost you?
Austria’s ORF public broadcaster stands to rake in an extra €35 million for its annual budget once the mandatory licence fee comes into effect in January 2024. Here’s how much you’ll be on the hook for.
Austrian Armed Forces seeks female and male soldiers
Not only the private sector but also the Austrian Armed Forces are facing an urgent need for new personnel. Over the next few years, around 4,000 individuals will retire from the Austrian Armed Forces, making it crucial to attract young men and women to join their ranks, as broadcaster ORF reported.
Careers within the Austrian Armed Forces can encompass various roles, including national military defence, disaster relief, and international missions. The armed forces have recently received an increased budget for infrastructure and equipment, with an additional € 2 billion allocated compared to the previous financial framework.
However, there's a notable shortage of personnel who can operate advanced equipment being bought with the new budget increase. The impending retirement of 4,000 professional soldiers in Upper Austria is a significant challenge, the report added.
The Austrian Armed Forces are actively seeking recruits to address this issue. Lieutenant Colonel Maria Eder, head of the Austrian Armed Forces' personnel recruitment department, emphasises the importance of recruiting female soldiers. Currently, women make up just 4.4 percent of the Austrian Armed Forces' personnel, she told ORF.
During their training, soldiers can expect to earn approximately € 2,000 net. Additional allowances are provided later.
The Armed Forces actively engage with potential recruits at education fairs, sporting events, and large public gatherings.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why isn’t Austria in NATO?
Almost 2 million foreign-born in Austria
As of January 1st, 2023, Austria was home to 1.976 million individuals born outside the country, according to an analysis conducted by the Integration Fund and reported by Austrian media.
In 2022, Austria experienced a record level of immigration, with 261,900 newcomers (compared to 101,700 in 2021). Of these new arrivals, 55.6 percent came from countries outside the EU, while 100,700 were nationals of other EU or EFTA states, including individuals from the United Kingdom.
These immigrants now constitute 21.7% of the country's total population, marking a 16.4% increase since 2018.
The countries of Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey were the most common places of birth among these residents. The federal state with the highest proportion of its population born abroad was Vienna, at 39.3%.
READ ALSO: Is Vienna really a boring city to live in for foreigners?
Van der Bellen condemns anti-Semitism and hatred in TV speech
In his TV address on National Day, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen expressed his strong opposition to "any form of anti-Semitism" and hatred. He emphasised that "Anti-Semitism has no place here."
"We are celebrating our homeland today. We are celebrating Austria," Van der Bellen said. He added that people couldn't be grateful enough for the peace in the country. "Because we live in a world in which this peace can be anything but taken for granted," Van der Bellen recalled the Russian war on Ukraine and the attack on Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas.
"The terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel is terrible and despicable. The cold, calculating and systematic way in which children, mothers, fathers were targeted, how they were tortured and killed without any compassion, this is reminiscent in its deep, hopeless darkness of the blackest times in our history."
The head of state also called upon politicians from all political parties to avoid populism and instead concentrate on addressing concrete issues.
READ ALSO: Do Austrians still care about neutrality in 2023?
Over 1.5 million people have an annual public transport pass in Austria
The Klimaticket, introduced in Austria two years ago, has already been adopted by over 262,000 individuals, according to a Vienna.at report. Combined with the different offers by various federal provinces and the annual tickets provided by Wiener Linien in the capital, over 1.5 million people have access to an annual public transportation network ticket, as Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ) reported.
Commuters, in particular, stand to save a significant amount of money with the Klimaticket. This could equate to several thousand euros per year, depending on their route. The savings realised by switching from private vehicles to public transport can be akin to an additional 15th or 16th monthly salary, explained VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky.
READ ALSO: Every 18 year-old in Austria to get free KlimaTicket
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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Austrian chancellor criticised after mistake in flag post
A post from Chancellor Karl Nehammer's X account on National Day generated some teasing on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the morning, the chancellor shared a message: "On today's National Day, I thank everyone who contributes to our beautiful country and makes Austria what it is: a strong, safe, and livable country. Believe in Austria! Happy #NationalHoliday!" Accompanying this message was a picture of the Austrian flag with the federal eagle, but it was mirrored incorrectly.
Am Nationalfeiertag das österreichische Bundeswappen falsch ausspielen (Adler muss richtigerweise nach links sehen).
— Raffaela (@DieRaffa) October 26, 2023
Läuft bei Karl Nehammer.#Nationalfeiertag pic.twitter.com/dKlTZEqw44
Instead of facing the left, as it should, the federal eagle was oriented to the right, according to a report by the newspaper Der Standard.
The Twitter community didn't miss the error, and the chancellor's post garnered some playful remarks. Subsequently, the post was corrected, and the appropriate federal eagle image was added. The report added that when approached for comment, the Chancellor's Office declined to provide one.
Am heutigen Nationalfeiertag danke ich allen, die einen Beitrag für unser wunderschönes Land leisten und Österreich zu dem machen, was es ist: ein starkes, sicheres und lebenswertes Land. Glaubt an Österreich! Schönen #Nationalfeiertag! 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/R3jMCYibyL
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) October 26, 2023
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Austrian National Day on October 26th
How much will Austria’s new mandatory TV licence fee cost you?
Austria’s ORF public broadcaster stands to rake in an extra €35 million for its annual budget once the mandatory licence fee comes into effect in January 2024. Here’s how much you’ll be on the hook for.
Austrian Armed Forces seeks female and male soldiers
Not only the private sector but also the Austrian Armed Forces are facing an urgent need for new personnel. Over the next few years, around 4,000 individuals will retire from the Austrian Armed Forces, making it crucial to attract young men and women to join their ranks, as broadcaster ORF reported.
Careers within the Austrian Armed Forces can encompass various roles, including national military defence, disaster relief, and international missions. The armed forces have recently received an increased budget for infrastructure and equipment, with an additional € 2 billion allocated compared to the previous financial framework.
However, there's a notable shortage of personnel who can operate advanced equipment being bought with the new budget increase. The impending retirement of 4,000 professional soldiers in Upper Austria is a significant challenge, the report added.
The Austrian Armed Forces are actively seeking recruits to address this issue. Lieutenant Colonel Maria Eder, head of the Austrian Armed Forces' personnel recruitment department, emphasises the importance of recruiting female soldiers. Currently, women make up just 4.4 percent of the Austrian Armed Forces' personnel, she told ORF.
During their training, soldiers can expect to earn approximately € 2,000 net. Additional allowances are provided later.
The Armed Forces actively engage with potential recruits at education fairs, sporting events, and large public gatherings.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why isn’t Austria in NATO?
Almost 2 million foreign-born in Austria
As of January 1st, 2023, Austria was home to 1.976 million individuals born outside the country, according to an analysis conducted by the Integration Fund and reported by Austrian media.
In 2022, Austria experienced a record level of immigration, with 261,900 newcomers (compared to 101,700 in 2021). Of these new arrivals, 55.6 percent came from countries outside the EU, while 100,700 were nationals of other EU or EFTA states, including individuals from the United Kingdom.
These immigrants now constitute 21.7% of the country's total population, marking a 16.4% increase since 2018.
The countries of Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey were the most common places of birth among these residents. The federal state with the highest proportion of its population born abroad was Vienna, at 39.3%.
READ ALSO: Is Vienna really a boring city to live in for foreigners?
Van der Bellen condemns anti-Semitism and hatred in TV speech
In his TV address on National Day, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen expressed his strong opposition to "any form of anti-Semitism" and hatred. He emphasised that "Anti-Semitism has no place here."
"We are celebrating our homeland today. We are celebrating Austria," Van der Bellen said. He added that people couldn't be grateful enough for the peace in the country. "Because we live in a world in which this peace can be anything but taken for granted," Van der Bellen recalled the Russian war on Ukraine and the attack on Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas.
"The terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel is terrible and despicable. The cold, calculating and systematic way in which children, mothers, fathers were targeted, how they were tortured and killed without any compassion, this is reminiscent in its deep, hopeless darkness of the blackest times in our history."
The head of state also called upon politicians from all political parties to avoid populism and instead concentrate on addressing concrete issues.
READ ALSO: Do Austrians still care about neutrality in 2023?
Over 1.5 million people have an annual public transport pass in Austria
The Klimaticket, introduced in Austria two years ago, has already been adopted by over 262,000 individuals, according to a Vienna.at report. Combined with the different offers by various federal provinces and the annual tickets provided by Wiener Linien in the capital, over 1.5 million people have access to an annual public transportation network ticket, as Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ) reported.
Commuters, in particular, stand to save a significant amount of money with the Klimaticket. This could equate to several thousand euros per year, depending on their route. The savings realised by switching from private vehicles to public transport can be akin to an additional 15th or 16th monthly salary, explained VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky.
READ ALSO: Every 18 year-old in Austria to get free KlimaTicket
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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