Stronach’s Test in Tyrol
There was one consolation for Frank Stronach in the regional elections in Tyrol on 28 April: His namesake East Tyrolean village of Iselberg-Stronach supported his “Team Stronach” with 17%, or 49 votes of its 617 inhabitants. With the first exit polls published at 17:00, it was clear that the remarkable result – Frank’s party came [...]
GmbH-Neu: Easing Business Start-ups
On 22 March, Justice Minister Beatrix Karl and Economics Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner presented the government’s proposal for revised rules for setting up new companies in Austria – specifically lowering the required capital to register a GmbH or limited company, and reducing fees. The aim is to lower the barriers for starting new businesses. “A strong [...]
Life is not Fair
Walking through the snowy Vienna streets so close to April, it’s hard to ignore the many complaints. That’s nothing new from the Viennese, but one comment made me smile: “It was so warm for a few days and I got used to it, this snow is just not fair.” Fair? Really? Since when is weather [...]
April Fool’s Schmäh
April Fool’s Day is the day every practical joker looks forward to. Even Jack Frost, known as a mischievous spirit, has had his fun with us this year by sending yet another chill of winter, covering Vienna in a blanket of snow. But it was the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that pulled off one of the biggest hoaxes of [...]
Grand Illusion
There was still snow on the ground and a snap in the air at the end of February when suddenly shop windows sprouted spring fashions. Bright colours, thin, playful fabrics, short everything, sleeves, skirts, trousers…. It seemed bizarre, like some kind of bad joke. What world were they living in? Just two days earlier, another [...]
Humble and ‘in Awe’
Michael Haneke and Christoph Waltz don’t have all that much in common. One is a seasoned director, a believer in artistic filmmaking, who casually accepted his golden statuette in Hollywood on 24 February. Two of his previous films had been nominated, but Amour was the first to put Haneke on the stage of the [...]
Horsing Around
The fact that there are increasing numbers of reports on horsemeat in beef lasagne doesn’t bother me too much. But many felt disgusted that they may have unknowingly consumed horsemeat due to false labelling. A week ago, the local media was still reassuring consumers that the case poses no “danger” for Austrian consumers. But while [...]
Snow Job
In Britain, people constantly complain about the weather. In Austria, people complain about everything else. Gleefully embracing every opportunity to throw snide remarks across the channel, we revel in their ineptness at an inch of the white stuff. This year, the heavy snowfall in mid-January was the first test for the £36 million snow removal [...]
Lost Generation?
The Great Continent has gone through some precarious times. To deal with the debts and imbalances emerging from the financial crisis of 08-09, European governments embraced chilling austerity measures to curb government spending. Too often, young people have borne the brunt of this crisis. Budget cuts and lower investment have curtailed education and later employment [...]
House EditorialMay 17, 2013No CommentRead More