Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Austria to reserve medical study spots for students that will work locally, COVID-19 drug in short supply, start of the new year with a little more confidence again and more news from Austria on Friday.
Austria to have dedicated medical study spots for students committed to working locally
A new initiative in Austria allows for the dedication of medical study places in the "public interest".
Starting from the upcoming academic year, various entities, including federal states, the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Defense, can allocate 85 study places to selected candidates. The condition attached to these placements is that upon completing their studies, these new doctors commit to working in the respective federal state or for the particular institution.
Across the Austrian provinces, 59 students can secure a contractual commitment to work in their partner province for eight years post-studies and specialist training.
They'll receive a job opportunity and a monthly bonus of € 1,000 from the beginning of their studies. Should a student leave the program prematurely, the stipend amount will need to be reimbursed, as Karl Cernic, Managing Director of the Carinthian Health Fund, told Der Standard. The goal is to avoid competition among the provinces and preserve a collaborative approach.
The allocation of study places to regions is based on population size, with Burgenland receiving two places, Carinthia four, Upper Austria ten, Lower Austria eleven, Salzburg four, Styria eight, Tyrol five, Vorarlberg three, and Vienna twelve.
The idea behind the project is to help with the shortage in Austria's health sector. Authorities state that international students in particular (especially from Germany) study in Austrian public and free universities but then move away to their respective countries, leaving Austria with a shortage of health professionals.
What are the strict rules in Austria for New Year’s Eve fireworks?
With New Year's Eve coming up, many people get ready for fireworks displays and may want to light up some fireworks themselves. Here are the rules in Austria.
Significant increase in party funding in 2023
In 2023, federal and state expenditures on party funding saw a significant surge, totalling €237.4 million, a 6.9 percent increase from 2022. This equates to €26 per resident and serves to support the political activities of parties, parliamentary clubs, and political academies, according to an ORF report.
The largest portion of funding, nearly €80 million, was allocated to the centre-right ÖVP, followed by the centre-left SPÖ with € 63.1 million, the far-right FPÖ with €39.4 million, and the Greens with €30.8 million. NEOS received €16.7 million, the KPÖ €2.2 million, and the vaccine-sceptic party MFG €1.3 million.
Allocation of funds to parties depends on election results in federal states or National Council elections. The FPÖ notably saw a 13 percent increase in funding, owing to strong showings in Lower Austria and Salzburg and minor gains in Carinthia.
While party funding typically increases with inflation, club funding correlates with civil servants' salary increments, though the specific rules differ among states.
Vienna experienced a notable rise in funds disbursed, increasing by eleven percent to €46.4 million after two years of frozen funding in 2021 and 2022.
COVID-19 drug remains in short supply
The shortage of the Covid-19 drug Paxlovid during the peak of infections in mid-December has sparked significant criticism. The Ministry of Health responded with additional orders, yet availability remains severely limited, according to an ORF report.
Reports from various pharmacies in Vienna indicate the scarcity of Paxlovid. Some pharmacies mentioned receiving only a fraction of their ordered quantities – for instance, a pharmacy in Hietzing ordered five packs but received only two, the report said. Another pharmacy in Floridsdorf reported receiving merely nine packs in December, with delayed deliveries of subsequent orders.
The Ministry of Health, in response to inquiries, assured that Paxlovid availability had been consistently secured since a "short-term bottleneck" at the start of December. They claimed that current deliveries can meet the existing demand.
Austrians start the new year with a little more confidence again
A report by the IMAS Institute at the turn of the year showed that Austrians are relatively more optimistic about the coming year, with 35 percent expressing confidence in 2024. This percentage marks a significant increase compared to recent reports, as in the past three years, fewer than 30 percent of respondents were optimistic.
The survey, conducted since 1972, revealed that 32 percent of respondents remained sceptical, 28 percent were worried, and 5 percent didn't express a particular opinion about the upcoming year.
The report highlighted that individuals with higher education and younger demographics were generally more optimistic than older individuals and those with lower levels of education. The reasons cited for their optimism were often tied to personal mood or individual situations.
The prevailing sentiment of "It can only get better" was central to this increased optimism.
The study surveyed 1,009 Austrians aged 16 and above through personal interviews, aiming for statistical representativeness within the population.
Austria says Schengen talks with Romania, Bulgaria still ongoing
Austria insisted Thursday that talks on partially expanding Europe's border-free Schengen area to Romania and Bulgaria are ongoing after Bucharest announced that the three countries had reached a "political" agreement.
Romania and Bulgaria -- both members of the EU since 2007 -- were rejected at the end of 2022 by Austria from the vast zone within which more than 400 million people can travel freely without internal border controls.
On Wednesday, however, Romania's interior ministry announced that a "political agreement" had been reached between the three countries on extending the zone "to the air and sea borders" of Romania and Bulgaria "from March 2024".
Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov also hailed the agreement and confirmed that "an agreement in principle" had been reached with Vienna.
But Austria's interior ministry on Thursday merely stated that "negotiations on a Schengen-Air for Bulgaria and Romania are currently continuing", stopping short of confirming any kind of agreement.
The ministry reiterated the conditions that would need to be met in exchange for a partial "Air-Schengen", which include strengthening the EU's external borders.
Moreover, land border checks would need to be stepped up, it said, while Romania and Bulgaria should be prepared to "accept asylum seekers -- especially from Afghanistan and Syria."
The ministry also emphasised that there are "currently no negotiations" on the opening of land borders.
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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Austria to have dedicated medical study spots for students committed to working locally
A new initiative in Austria allows for the dedication of medical study places in the "public interest".
Starting from the upcoming academic year, various entities, including federal states, the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Defense, can allocate 85 study places to selected candidates. The condition attached to these placements is that upon completing their studies, these new doctors commit to working in the respective federal state or for the particular institution.
Across the Austrian provinces, 59 students can secure a contractual commitment to work in their partner province for eight years post-studies and specialist training.
They'll receive a job opportunity and a monthly bonus of € 1,000 from the beginning of their studies. Should a student leave the program prematurely, the stipend amount will need to be reimbursed, as Karl Cernic, Managing Director of the Carinthian Health Fund, told Der Standard. The goal is to avoid competition among the provinces and preserve a collaborative approach.
The allocation of study places to regions is based on population size, with Burgenland receiving two places, Carinthia four, Upper Austria ten, Lower Austria eleven, Salzburg four, Styria eight, Tyrol five, Vorarlberg three, and Vienna twelve.
The idea behind the project is to help with the shortage in Austria's health sector. Authorities state that international students in particular (especially from Germany) study in Austrian public and free universities but then move away to their respective countries, leaving Austria with a shortage of health professionals.
What are the strict rules in Austria for New Year’s Eve fireworks?
With New Year's Eve coming up, many people get ready for fireworks displays and may want to light up some fireworks themselves. Here are the rules in Austria.
Significant increase in party funding in 2023
In 2023, federal and state expenditures on party funding saw a significant surge, totalling €237.4 million, a 6.9 percent increase from 2022. This equates to €26 per resident and serves to support the political activities of parties, parliamentary clubs, and political academies, according to an ORF report.
The largest portion of funding, nearly €80 million, was allocated to the centre-right ÖVP, followed by the centre-left SPÖ with € 63.1 million, the far-right FPÖ with €39.4 million, and the Greens with €30.8 million. NEOS received €16.7 million, the KPÖ €2.2 million, and the vaccine-sceptic party MFG €1.3 million.
Allocation of funds to parties depends on election results in federal states or National Council elections. The FPÖ notably saw a 13 percent increase in funding, owing to strong showings in Lower Austria and Salzburg and minor gains in Carinthia.
While party funding typically increases with inflation, club funding correlates with civil servants' salary increments, though the specific rules differ among states.
Vienna experienced a notable rise in funds disbursed, increasing by eleven percent to €46.4 million after two years of frozen funding in 2021 and 2022.
COVID-19 drug remains in short supply
The shortage of the Covid-19 drug Paxlovid during the peak of infections in mid-December has sparked significant criticism. The Ministry of Health responded with additional orders, yet availability remains severely limited, according to an ORF report.
Reports from various pharmacies in Vienna indicate the scarcity of Paxlovid. Some pharmacies mentioned receiving only a fraction of their ordered quantities – for instance, a pharmacy in Hietzing ordered five packs but received only two, the report said. Another pharmacy in Floridsdorf reported receiving merely nine packs in December, with delayed deliveries of subsequent orders.
The Ministry of Health, in response to inquiries, assured that Paxlovid availability had been consistently secured since a "short-term bottleneck" at the start of December. They claimed that current deliveries can meet the existing demand.
Austrians start the new year with a little more confidence again
A report by the IMAS Institute at the turn of the year showed that Austrians are relatively more optimistic about the coming year, with 35 percent expressing confidence in 2024. This percentage marks a significant increase compared to recent reports, as in the past three years, fewer than 30 percent of respondents were optimistic.
The survey, conducted since 1972, revealed that 32 percent of respondents remained sceptical, 28 percent were worried, and 5 percent didn't express a particular opinion about the upcoming year.
The report highlighted that individuals with higher education and younger demographics were generally more optimistic than older individuals and those with lower levels of education. The reasons cited for their optimism were often tied to personal mood or individual situations.
The prevailing sentiment of "It can only get better" was central to this increased optimism.
The study surveyed 1,009 Austrians aged 16 and above through personal interviews, aiming for statistical representativeness within the population.
Austria says Schengen talks with Romania, Bulgaria still ongoing
Austria insisted Thursday that talks on partially expanding Europe's border-free Schengen area to Romania and Bulgaria are ongoing after Bucharest announced that the three countries had reached a "political" agreement.
Romania and Bulgaria -- both members of the EU since 2007 -- were rejected at the end of 2022 by Austria from the vast zone within which more than 400 million people can travel freely without internal border controls.
On Wednesday, however, Romania's interior ministry announced that a "political agreement" had been reached between the three countries on extending the zone "to the air and sea borders" of Romania and Bulgaria "from March 2024".
Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov also hailed the agreement and confirmed that "an agreement in principle" had been reached with Vienna.
But Austria's interior ministry on Thursday merely stated that "negotiations on a Schengen-Air for Bulgaria and Romania are currently continuing", stopping short of confirming any kind of agreement.
The ministry reiterated the conditions that would need to be met in exchange for a partial "Air-Schengen", which include strengthening the EU's external borders.
Moreover, land border checks would need to be stepped up, it said, while Romania and Bulgaria should be prepared to "accept asylum seekers -- especially from Afghanistan and Syria."
The ministry also emphasised that there are "currently no negotiations" on the opening of land borders.
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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