In a surprising election outcome, Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ), led by Herbert Kickl, has emerged as the largest party, raising concerns for Ukraine, the EU, and NATO. With close ties to Vladimir Putin and a history of opposing aid to Ukraine, Kickl's leadership may lead to a significant shift in Austria's foreign policy. The FPÖ's platform includes stringent immigration controls, calls for a [...]

Jeffrey Sachs is a well-known American economist, academic, and public policy analyst who has made significant contributions to the fields of sustainable development and economic development. He has held various prestigious positions throughout his career, including serving as the director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University and as a special advisor to the United Nations Secretary-Genera [...]

In this video, watch Professor Jeffrey Sachs speak with Dr. Heinz Gärtner at the International Conference for Peace in Vienna (June 2023). Dr. Sachs' lays out clearly and succinctly how belligerent the foreign policy of the United States is and how a small group of elites keeps dragging the country's diplomacy to the brink of nuclear war—time and again. Jeffrey Sachs: de-dollarization will h [...]

Pro-Russian politicians in the vein of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán are on the rise in Austria and Slovakia. Austrian politician Herbert Kickl is a pro-Russian, anti-American conspiracy theorist who champions horse dewormer as a remedy for COVID-19 and wants to turn the Alpine country into a “fortress” against migration. [...]

Politicians in Austria walked out of a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, placing signs in their places that said “A place for peace” and “A place for neutrality.”  "We're DONE with you!" - Zelensky STUNNED as they walk out in Austria [...]

As Brussels is preparing to hit Moscow with another round of economic sanctions over the situation in Ukraine, Austria’s former minister of foreign affairs, Karin Kneissl, points at the bigger picture of the sanction wars, saying that trust between the East and the West is broken. [...]

The Austrian economy could encounter its worst crisis in almost eight decades, the Finance Ministry says. Magnus Brunner pointed to EU sanctions against Russia as the primary cause of the downturn and said predicting an end to the crisis is impossible, as the current situation could recur in the coming years. [...]

Ukraine angry at Austrian comments.The Ukrainian foreign ministry is outraged by the Austrian foreign minister’s remarks on Kiev’s EU membership bid. Kiev is “disappointed” by the “short-sighted” statements of Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg who suggested that full EU membership might not be the best option for Ukraine. [...]

Austria has become the first European nation to mandate Covid-19 vaccines for those over the age of 18 to be vaccinated on Saturday, February 5th. While several countries have mandated the vaccine for medical staff, care workers, or people over a certain age, Austria is first in the EU to broaden the measure to cover the entire adult population. Despite the measures coming into force, authorities [...]

VIENNA (Sputnik) - The European Union is working on a new extensive package of economic and financial sanctions against Russia in case the situation around Ukraine escalates, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said. "At the moment, the work is underway behind the scenes to develop an extensive package of economic and financial sanctions. In the event of an escalation, a very clear, u [...]

Austria’s former chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, announced on Thursday that he will step back from politics after serving about 10 years in government. “I am looking forward to the new chapter ahead, but it has been the honor of my life to serve the Republic of Austria,” Kurz wrote on social media. “I did not take this decision lightly but am leaving without any hard feelings.” The [...]

As Austria becomes the first European country to reintroduce lockdown, the people are taking to the streets in protest – and it’s not just far-right extremists, but families too, writes Melissa Eddy. Daniel Zeman wasn’t able to sell any of his handmade apple and ginger liqueur last year during the Christmas season because Austria, along with the rest of Europe, was in lockdown. He fina [...]

VIENNA—Austria said on Friday it is barring those not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from cafes, restaurants, and hairdressers as infections approach the record set a year ago and the government struggles to convince holdouts to get the shot. Roughly 64 percent of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in line with the European Union average but one of the lowest rate [...]

One in two Austrians prefers to keep their opinions to themselves, partly due to fear of being labeled an “alt-right,” a new survey shows, as people in the Alpine land appear to grow wary of “exaggerated” political correctness. An increasing need to watch one’s mouth, which is in no small way influenced by modern “woke” trends, seems to be “getting on the nerves” of many [...]

A court in Austria has sentenced a teenage refugee from Afghanistan to 30 months in prison, of which he is only obliged to serve 10 months after he sexually abused a girl, age seven. The victim was awarded €500 in compensation. On Wednesday a court in Ried, Upper Austria reached a verdict concerning the shocking case of an Afghan teen who had lured a seven-year-old neighbor to a basement be [...]

Austria’s top diplomat has warned ties between Moscow and the EU have hit historic lows and argued that both sides now need to urgently work to turn things around and form a partnership, given the importance of economic relations. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday following talks with his Russian counterpart, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg lamented the dismal sta [...]

VIENNA - Austria will deploy approximately 400 soldiers to its eastern border to stem the influx of illegal migrants, the ORF public broadcaster reported on Saturday, citing Interior Minster Karl Nehammer. The minister stated that the practice of giving migrants asylum in the European Union had failed and Vienna had to overcome shortcomings of the EU border control effort by strengthening  its ow [...]

Austria is reeling from a tragedy that saw a 13-year-old girl die after being drugged and gang-raped. Yet a local feminist group seemed more enraged by media reporting the suspects’ nationality and casting a shadow on refugees. A group of activists from the group ‘Alerta Feminista’ broke into the offices of oe24 – the web portal of the Vienna-based daily newspaper Osterreich – lat [...]

Diplomatic sources told the Financial Times this week that French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were willing to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to a summit of European leaders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the European Union had to create a "format for dialogue" with Russia and its President Vladimir Putin to settle differen [...]

VIENNA - Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober announced on Tuesday his intention to step down from the ministerial post due to health problems and exhaustion from combating the coronavirus pandemic. The 60-year-old recently had to take sick leave twice due to blood circulation problems. "After consultations with my doctors, I decided to step down from my duties as minister of social [...]

Australia has declined to purchase a vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson, because its mechanism is similar to the one used in AstraZeneca’s jab. Both vaccines are currently being investigated for links to blood clots. The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine is “an adenovirus vaccine, the same type of vaccine as the AstraZeneca vaccine,” a spokesperson for Australian Health Minis [...]

Austria is to order a million doses of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, one month after a successful phone call between Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the Kremlin. It will be the third EU country to receive the formula. The news came from the chancellor himself, who revealed that Vienna and Moscow are engaged in talks, and said a deal should be agreed soon. On Tuesday, Kurz explained th [...]