Inflation rises to 3.7 percent in May
Austria’s inflation rate rose to 3.7 percent in May, up from 3.4 percent in April, according to Statistik Austria. Average prices were 0.1 percent higher than in April.
Transport was the biggest driver of inflation, with prices up by an average of 8.8 percent year-on-year. Flight tickets rose by 13.8 percent, while fuel prices remained sharply higher at 26.5 percent, and heating oil was 53.7 percent more expensive than a year earlier.
Without the price trend for flight tickets, inflation would have been 3.5 percent. Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 2.2 percent, below the overall inflation rate, while rents including new rentals were up by 5.1 percent.
READ ALSO:REVEALED: The everyday foods getting more expensive in Austria
Government approves €19.5 billion ÖBB rail framework plan
Austria’s federal government has approved the ÖBB framework plan for 2027 to 2032, with around €19.5 billion planned over six years, according to the Mobility Ministry. The plan sets out rail investment priorities during a period of budget consolidation.
The government says the Brenner northern access route remains in the programme, with full operation still aimed for 2039. Instead, the Flughafenspange project in Lower Austria is being delayed by two years.
Several other rail projects are being brought forward. The Nordbahn expansion between Wien Süßenbrunn and the state border near Bernhardstal is due to be completed earlier than originally planned, while the new Puchbergbahn is being accelerated by six years.
READ ALSO:How major rail works across Austria will impact passengers in 2026
Teenager convicted over killing at Vienna cemetery
A 14-year-old girl has been legally convicted over the killing of a 64-year-old woman at Baumgartner cemetery in Vienna-Penzing, Der Standard reported. She was sentenced to eight years in prison and placed in a forensic therapeutic centre.
The case concerned a fatal attack on February 23rd. The court heard that the teenager had previously spoken with friends about wanting to kill someone, and that she later called the police after returning to her supervised accommodation.
A psychiatric assessment was read behind closed doors. It found that the teenager was criminally responsible, but dangerous enough to require criminal-law placement in a forensic therapeutic facility.
Fresh indictment filed against Karl-Heinz Grasser and co-defendants
Austria’s Economic and Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has filed a new indictment against former finance minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, Walter Meischberger and Peter Hochegger over alleged tax evasion, according to ORF. The allegations relate to payments linked to the BUWOG privatisation and the rental of finance offices in Linz’s Terminal Tower.
The prosecutors accuse the three men of failing to declare alleged bribery payments in their income tax returns for 2005 to 2007. The suspected tax loss for the Republic is around €4.9 million.
Objections to the indictment are possible for another 14 days. The possible penalty range includes a fine or up to two years in prison, and the presumption of innocence applies to the new tax-evasion allegations.
READ ALSO:Austria’s top court halves prison sentence for former finance minister Grasser
Worth reading
Our guide to the things you won't see in Austria that are common elsewhere looks at some of the everyday differences foreign residents often notice, from Sunday shop closures and cash-only signs to the lack of ticket barriers on public transport and the two-duvet bed setup.
Members get access to this and other in-depth guides, explainers and practical stories on The Local Austria, helping readers make sense of daily life, culture and bureaucracy in the country.
What’s happening in Austria today
Austria is set for a hot day, with afternoon highs of 25C to 33C. Yellow high-temperature warnings are in place for several major cities, including Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, Linz, Klagenfurt and Bregenz, with increased heat stress expected for vulnerable people.
Graz also has a yellow thunderstorm warning from 3 pm to 9 pm. Thunderstorms with gusts are expected, and disruption to outdoor activities is possible.
READ ALSO:Neutrality to gymnastics: What issues are Austrians voting on this week?
Several rail works continue today. ÖBB restrictions affect the Feldkirch-Buchs SG line between Austria and Switzerland, the Ostbahn east of Vienna, the Nordbahn towards Břeclav, and regional routes in Lower Austria, Salzburg and Tyrol.
Digitalisation state secretary Alexander Pröll is presenting an AI chatbot for ID Austria and other digital infrastructure measures at the Bundeskanzleramt at 9 am. A separate briefing on the digitalisation budget is scheduled for 4:30 pm.
Five Volksbegehren remain open nationwide until June 22nd. Eligible voters can sign online with ID Austria or at municipal signing offices, while Vienna’s in-person signing offices are open today from 8 am to 8 pm.
AMS Wien Esteplatz is closed from 12 pm today. Jobseekers and benefit users are asked to use MeinAMS or call the Vienna ServiceLine instead.
READ ALSO:EXPLAINED: How can foreigners have their say in Austria
Vocabulary
der Verbraucherpreisindex – consumer price index
der ÖBB-Rahmenplan – ÖBB framework plan for rail investment
die Flughafenspange – airport link rail project
die Abgabenhinterziehung – tax evasion
das Volksbegehren – citizens’ initiative or petition
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles, or news tips for The Local, you can contact us at news@thelocal.at or leave a comment below.
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