Former chancellor Sebastian Kurz on trial
The trial against former chancellor Sebastian Kurz had an important chapter on Monday. Kurz's former ally Thomas Schmid took the stand and argued that the once wunderkind always had a say on nominations and appointments for public positions.
He contradicted Kurz on several matters, especially when stating that the then ÖVP politician wanted to have a say and influenced personnel matters on the state-run company ÖBAG. Schmidt was appointed head of the company, which he claimed was due to the former chancellor.
Kurz is on trial, accused of lying to authorities when he said he did not influence such personnel nominations. During a parliamentary committee investigation, he said that "he had been informed but not involved" in selecting personnel for the ÖBAG. He maintains those statements to this day.
READ ALSO: Austrian ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz to go on trial for false testimony
Is it possible to ski for cheap in Austria?
Skiing is an expensive sport but also a popular pastime in Austria. Are there places in the Alpine country where skiing is actually affordable and other ways to cut costs?
Austria is open to compromise over Bulgaria and Romania
Austria, which vetoed Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the Schengen area last year, said on Monday that it was inclined to ease rules for air traffic if Brussels strengthened its external borders.
“I can imagine that there will be changes in terms of airports for Romania and Bulgaria, but on the other hand there are clear demands (in exchange) for that,” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told Oe1 public radio on Monday.
The conditions include “massively strengthening the protection of (the bloc’s) external border”, keeping land border checks, and transferring “asylum seekers… (back) to Bulgaria and Romania,” Karner said.
“Otherwise, I will not agree to Air Schengen,” he warned, adding that it was now up to the European Commission.
READ MORE: ‘Air Schengen’: Austria open to compromise over Bulgaria and Romania
The government wants to cap rent increases at 2.5 instead of 5 percent
The ÖVP and Greens have proposed a rent cap amendment to limit rent increases for regulated tenancies to 2.5 percent annually for 2024 and 2025 or a maximum of 5 percent over two years. The building committee will discuss this amendment, outlining a significant change from the original plan, where category rent increases would not apply for 2024.
MP Nina Tomaselli (Greens) stated that the amendment assures all regulated tenancies of a maximum 2.5 percent annual rent increase, contrasting earlier discussions of a 5 percent cap. This cap is expected to notably impact non-profit housing, preventing a potentially significant growth in 2024 based on inflation from 2022 and 2023.
Furthermore, the proposal suggests a new valuation system from 2027. Instead of linking rent increases solely to the previous year's inflation rate, they will be based on the average inflation value over the past three years. Tomaselli explained that this change aims to mitigate the effects of any future surge in rental costs due to sharp increases in inflation.
READ ALSO: Which parts of Austria have the most expensive rent prices?
Austrians are the happiest EU citizens, survey says
In 2022, Austrians emerged as the most content citizens among the EU countries, according to a Eurostat survey on life satisfaction. Austrians rated their quality of life at an average of 7.9 points on a scale from zero (very dissatisfied) to ten (very satisfied). Poland and Romania closely followed with 7.7 points each, while Bulgaria scored the lowest with an average of 5.6 points, just behind Germany at 6.5 points.
The study highlighted that nations previously associated with lower incomes, such as Romania and Poland, reported some of the highest satisfaction levels. This underscores the complex relationship between subjective well-being and economic prosperity. However, individuals from higher-income households generally expressed higher satisfaction than those from lower-income households.
Across most participating countries, younger individuals (aged 16 to 29) reported higher life satisfaction compared to older people (over 65). Additionally, the study noted that education level also influenced personal satisfaction, with individuals holding higher levels of education consistently rating themselves as more satisfied than those with lower levels of education.
According to the study, in Austria, as well as in Malta, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, and Luxembourg, people residing in rural areas expressed slightly higher levels of satisfaction than those living in urban areas.
READ ALSO: Vienna ranked ‘least friendly city in the world for foreigners’
Refugees at a disadvantage in the labour market
A study conducted by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) reveals that refugees arriving in Austria during the 2015 and 2016 refugee wave encounter greater challenges in the job market compared to migrants immigrating for non-humanitarian reasons.
The study indicates that refugees take nearly three years to secure employment, whereas other migrants typically start working soon after arrival. Additionally, once refugees secure jobs, most of them find themselves in the low-wage sector.
Primarily, the study notes that many of these low-paying jobs are in the service industry, including catering or food delivery roles. While low-paid entry-level jobs are common among non-humanitarian migrants, the research suggests that refugees tend to remain in these precarious low-wage positions for longer periods and experience shorter job tenure.
Even refugees with higher levels of education face limited benefits compared to other migrants. The study authors emphasise that refugees struggle to find employment matching their qualifications. For many of them, integrating into the Austrian job market often results in professional downgrades compared to their qualifications from their home countries.
Sandra Leitner, an economist at wiiw and co-leader of the research project, highlighted in a press release that the disadvantages primarily stem from stringent restrictions on labour market access for asylum seekers, the non-recognition of educational qualifications, and a lack of proficiency in the German language.
READ ALSO: When do Austrians think an immigrant is successfully integrated?
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 news@thelocal.at.
Comments