Austria/EU

Laszlo Nagy laughs modestly and brushes off the suggestion that he is a Hero of Democracy. Despite the many honors bestowed on him over the two decades since he helped organize the Pan European Picnic at Sopronpuszta near the Neusiedl Lake, he insists he had no idea at the time that the event would unfurl into one of the most dramatic and defining events in the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

Buying real estate in Austria can be a complex process – and an expensive one. And professional legal assistance is not only advisable, but often essential to navigate the vagaries of the Austrian system, particularly the ins and outs that apply to foreigners.

After a five months vacancy, financier and businessman William Eacho was nominated on Jun. 25 as the new U.S. ambassador to Austria.

A graduate of Harvard, Eacho (55) has no previous diplomatic experience, but as with many other current and past diplomatic appointments to the so-called “safe countries” of the EU and former British commonwealth, he represents a choice in the U.S. tradition of citizen government. He has also long been active in Democratic politics and is reported to have contributed more than $500,000 to the Obama campaign, consistent with at least nine of the other 14 that landed ambassadorships.

Since the inauguration in January, President Barack Obama has appointed fourteen new U.S. ambassadors, each of which was a large campaign contributor.

On Jun. 7, 27 European countries voted to elect their representatives in the European Parliament. It was a vote that, among other things, showed a growing apathy and dissatisfaction on the part of the European population. The low turnout at the polling station proved once again people’s disappointment with their local governments – disappointment that turned into a worrying lack of interest.

So, say you are a citizen of a non-EU country and you want to live and work in Austria? Sounds like a great plan! But before your first day of legal residence and work in Austria you have to overcome the obstacles of the Austrian Migration System. This article gives you a first glimpse into how to proceed if you want to receive a residence permit in Austria.

The Basics

Frigid rain couldn’t keep opposing parties from meeting head-on in Vienna’s streets on May 14.

A makeshift stage had been erected in front of the Parliament building on the Ringstraße where a small crowd clung, listening intently to a speaker bawling into a megaphone against the “hate” that had brought on the demonstration, while a throng of right-wing marchers snaked through the streets behind the Rathaus.

When H. C. Strache, leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) waved a wooden crucifix in front of a rain-soaked yet heated crowd at an anti-mosque demonstration in Vienna’s first district last month, he opened the flood gates of criticism from Austria’s leaders.

Not only are Austria’s top politicians now saying “enough is enough” to a man that Chancellor Faymann has recently dubbed a “hate-preacher,” but the country’s highest-ranking Catholic clerics are also adding their voices to the rising condemnation of Strache’s strategies.

Research into the origins of life is at the heart of the scientific prospect. But navigating the seas of research and its stormy implications for ministerial budgets is sometimes an art, as Minister of Science and Research Johannes Hahn found out this month.

May 7 was, as one Austrian physicist said, “a dark day for scientists in Austria.” Minister Hahn suddenly announced that, after 50-years of membership, Austria would withdraw from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), shocking researchers around the world.

Vienna is the best place to live and work – a stunning finding for some, but no surprise for residents of the Austrian capital, particularly those who have lived elsewhere.

The Mercer 2009 Quality of Living Survey shows that the city of Mozart and the famous Sachertorte has beaten Zurich to take the top spot as the world’s “city with the best quality of living.” Geneva is in third place, while Vancouver and Auckland are now jointly fourth in the rankings.

One month before the elections for the European Union Parliament, knowledge about the EU is more important than ever. The issues on the main agenda will influence everyone’s lives in both new and old member states. However, a widespread lack of information among Austrians about the EU – both programs and powers – appears to translate into a deep skepticism towards the Union and its bodies.