Talk Elections

Seven months after his conservative party’s coalition with the far right collapsed in a spectacular scandal, Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s former chancellor, announced a new government with the leftist Green party late Wednesday.

“These were demanding negotiations, but the result is a very good one,” Mr. Kurz told reporters. “Both we and the Greens will be able to honor the central election promises we made.”

Since Austria’s snap elections in September, it had been unclear whether Mr. Kurz would revive a politically costly coalition with the far right or reach across the political spectrum to the Greens, his ideological opposites.

With the pivot, Mr. Kurz seems intent on demonstrating a willingness to make the ideological compromises needed for a stable government. For the Greens, the coalition presents a chance to show that their party is capable of governing with an establishment conservative party at a national level.

Punkt 3:

Soweit nicht ohnehin das Recht auf freie Werknutzung, insbesondere gemäß § 42 UrhG besteht, erteilt der Bund die

nicht übertragbare,
nicht ausschließliche,
zeitlich und räumlich unbeschränkte
Bewilligung das Bildmaterial des Fotoservice, an dem dem Bund die Rechte zustehen, kostenfrei

zu nicht kommerziellen Zwecken,
zu redaktionellen Zwecken von Medien und
zu Zwecken im Bereich der politischen Bildung
zu vervielfältigen, zu verbreiten, zu senden, öffentlich vorzuführen oder im Internet zur Verfügung zu stellen.

Alma Zadic arrived in Vienna from Bosnia when she was 10. Now, she is the justice minister in an awkward coalition of liberal Greens and hard-line, anti-immigrant conservatives.

Methode: Telefonische und Online-Befragung
Zielgruppe: Österr. Bevölkerung ab 16 Jahren
Max. Schwankungsbreite der Ergebnisse: ±3,4 Prozentpunkte
Sample: 804 Befragte
Feldarbeit: 10. bis 14. Februar 2020

Population reaches 8.9 million at the beginning of 2020

Vienna, 2020-02-27 – According to preliminary results of Statistics Austria, 8 902 600 people were living in Austria on 1 January 2020. During 2019, the resident population increased by 43 825 (+0.5%). Hence, population growth was slightly higher than in the previous year (2018: 36 508; +0.4%).

At the beginning of 2020, some 1.49 million foreign citizens were living in Austria, representing a share of 16.7% of the total population (compared to 16.2% on 1 January 2019). Germans (200 059 persons; +4.0%) were still the largest group of foreigners living in Austria; for the first time, Romanian nationals (123 461; +9.6%) followed in the second place.

Births and deaths in 2019: 1 918 more newborns than deaths

Vienna, 2020-02-27 – In 2019, the number of live births amounted to 84 221, while 82 303 people died, as Statistics Austria reports on the basis of provisional figures. This resulted in a natural population increase of +1 918 and corresponded to ten births and nine deaths per 1 000 inhabitants. Compared to 2018, the number of births decreased by 1.5% and the number of deaths declined by 2.0%.

Since 2015, data also include births and deaths occurring abroad of people with a main residence in Austria. These accounted for 465 births (0.6%) and 637 deaths (0.8%) in 2019.

In 2019, 234 children died under one year of age. This translated into a provisional infant mortality rate of 2.8‰.

44 997 marriages in 2019, 990 of them by same-sex couples

Vienna, 2020-02-27 – In 2019, 44 997 marriages and 1 257 registrations of partnerships took place in Austria, according to provisional figures released by Statistics Austria.

Starting from 1 January 2019, the institution of marriage was opened to same-sex couples, while at the same time heterosexual couples were allowed to form registered partnerships in Austria. As a consequence, the number of registered partnerships increased significantly (+170.9% compared to 2018, when 464 cases were registered). Among the partnerships registered in 2019, a vast majority of 1 124 were mixed-sex couples, while only 133 were same-sex couples.

On the other hand, 990 same-sex couples made use of the new legal framework to enter into marriage. The total number of marriages (44 997) also includes 191 couples who transferred their registered partnership into marriage. Yet, there has been no case so far where a marriage was changed into a registered partnership. Overall, the number of marriages decreased by 3.2% compared to 2018.

According to provisional figures of Statistics Austria, 16 245 divorces took place in Austria in 2019, a decrease of 0.4% compared to 2018. At the same time, 122 registered same-sex partnerships were dissolved by court decision, an increase of 24.5% compared to the previous year.

Zur Umfrage

Auftraggeber: "Heute"
Methode: Telefonische und Online-Befragung
Zielgruppe: Österreichische Bevölkerung ab 16 Jahren
Stichprobengröße: 500 Befragte
Maximale Schwankungsbreite der Ergebnisse: +/- 4,4%
Feldarbeit: 23. bis 27. März 2020

Methode: Telefonische und Online-Befragung
Zielgruppe: Österr. Bevölkerung ab 16 Jahren
Max. Schwankungsbreite der Ergebnisse: ±3,4 Prozentpunkte
Sample: n = 806 Befragte
Feldarbeit: 13. bis 16. April 2020

Die Religionszugehörigkeit der Befragten fiel besonders ins Gewicht, erklärte Edtmaier. So seien muslimische Jugendliche bzw. jene mit türkischer und ex-jugoslawischer Migrationsgeschichte innerhalb des Antisemitismus-Spektrums überrepräsentiert. Fast zwei Drittel aller Jugendlichen, die sich (potenziell) antisemitisch äußerten, gaben an, muslimischen Glaubens zu sein. Sie äußerten besonders im Kontext des Israel-Palästina Konflikts Abneigung gegen Juden und ergriffen meist klar Partei für die Palästinenser.

Methode: Telefonische und Online-Befragung
Zielgruppe: Österr. Bevölkerung ab 16 Jahren
Max. Schwankungsbreite der Ergebnisse: ±3,4 Prozentpunkte
Sample: n = 802 Befragte
Feldarbeit: 11. bis 14. Mai 2020

"If there's a major second wave of infections in Austria, should there be another complete shutdown of society and the economy ?"

The Vienna police confirmed a corresponding report on Krone.at on Sunday afternoon. According to the report, the two prominent guests also had drinks on the table during the routine police check-up at 0.18 a.m. - which, according to Covid 19 law, is prohibited after 11 p.m.

This could have expensive consequences for the host. For violations of the Covid 19 measure laws, restaurateurs - for example, keeping open after 11:00 p.m. - are subject to a fine of up to 30,000 euros. Officially, the restaurant was already closed at this point.

Immunity

The Austrian President enjoys full sovereign immunity from any type of official prosecution, including civil suit and criminal prosecution. The president may only be prosecuted with the explicit consent of the Federal Assembly. If a government authority intends to prosecute the president, it must refer a request for extradition to the National Council. If the National Council approves, the chancellor must convene the Federal Assembly, which will then decide over the request for extradition.

Bei der aktuellen Umfrage wurden 800 wahlberechtigte WienerInnen ab 16 Jahren zu politischen Themen befragt. Die Umfrage wurde zwischen dem 5. und 10. Juni 2020 durchgeführt, die maximale Schwankungsbreite der Ergebnisse liegt bei +/- 3,4 %.

Dear Mr. xxxxx,

The municipal department 62, as the department responsible for organizing the Vienna municipal and district elections 2020, may thank you for the submitted proposals. We are very happy if citizens are very interested in the so important democratic instrument of an election and also submit suggestions for improving the organizational process.

At the same time, we can assure you that the organizational planning for the 2020 municipal and district elections in Vienna is likely to result in a higher or even very high number of postal voting votes as well as the necessary health protection measures for both those entitled to vote and for the handling electoral staff. Accordingly, the number of employees will be increased to the extent necessary.

The citizens of Vienna will of course also be informed about the measures taken in good time before the elections.

We are at your disposal for any further questions.

Sincerely yours

Magistrate of the City of Vienna
Municipal Department 62
Elections and various legal matters
Lerchenfelder Strasse 4, 1082 Vienna
Tel. + 43/1 / 4000-89401, fax. + 43/1 / 4000-99-89402
http://www.wien.at/verwaltung/ma62

Vienna election: City recommends own pen

Vienna will vote on October 11th. The corona virus pandemic poses special challenges for the city. In order to take precautions, an extensive package of measures has now been put together. It is recommended to take your own pen with you.

Strict security regulations will apply to polling stations if necessary. It is also possible that the end result will come later than usual. A separate pen is also recommended. In the past few weeks, a team consisting of lawyers, health and logistics experts, among others, has been working on how the ballot can be carried out, explained the responsible city councilor Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ) and the head of the municipal department 62 (elections and various legal matters), Christine Bachofner, on Thursday.

Submission deadline is August 14th

The aim is that all persons authorized to do so can exercise their right to vote and that the best possible protection against the risk of infection with the corona virus is granted, it said. As one of the first steps, an amendment to the municipal electoral code will be adopted at the state parliament session on Thursday. Specifically, the deadline is set on July 14th, which is an advance by one week. The deadline for submitting the candidate lists ("election proposals") ends on August 14 for the district and district election proposals and on August 17 for the city election proposals ("state lists").

The deadlines will be brought into line with the National Council regulations - and there is one week more for the organizational handling of the election card issuance. Because in the town hall it is expected that more people than ever will opt for postal voting. There are no estimates yet of how high the share will be, but a massive increase will also make the counting a challenge.

The counting of postal votes is expected to take a long time

For this reason, a further legal clarification will take place: The counting of postal votes does not have to be completed on Monday after the election day, as is currently the case. The preliminary end result could therefore only be available on Tuesday. In any case, there will be more personnel for the counting in the municipal district offices.

It is also not entirely ruled out that, in view of possible safety regulations when counting, the result of the votes cast in the polling station on Sunday will be slightly delayed. This is usually at 8 p.m. The election deadline in Vienna is uniformly at 5:00 p.m. This will not change this year either.

Strict security regulations planned

In order to keep the rush on election day as low as possible, the city itself will increasingly point out the possibility of postal voting. Anyone who comes to the polling station may expect strict security regulations. How strict the measures will be will depend on the corona virus situation or the corresponding legal requirements.

In any case, the following are provided: Compliance with the one-meter distance in the building and in the polling station. Additional folders should ensure this. Extensive cleaning measures are also planned. Furthermore, voters are asked to bring their own pen with them to be checked. However, promises will be made in the pub that they will be disinfected after each use.

Challenge for flying electoral authorities

Polling stations that are smaller than 40 square meters will not be used this year. Also, voting options in nursing homes may only be used by people who live there. If wearing a mouth-nose guard is mandatory on October 11, plexiglass walls will also be built. Because: At least briefly voters will have to remove the protection in order to be identifiable.

The so-called flying electoral authorities who visit people at home are specially equipped. They use double mouth-nose protection and carry, among other things, writing pads that are used only once. The equipment will be far more extensive when visiting Coronavirus infected or suspected cases. In addition to medical masks, protective gowns are then worn, which are destroyed immediately after each use. Medical personnel are also involved in these cases.

13,000 people in action

The local council or the state parliament and the district representations are elected. Around 1.356 million people are eligible to vote. Including assessors, confidants and election witnesses of the parties, around 13,000 people are involved in the Vienna election, according to the town hall.

June 26 (Reuters) - Austrian economic output will likely not reach its pre-crisis level by the end of 2021 after experiencing a short but deep recession this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, economic institute Wifo said on Friday.

The Vienna-based think tank, which compiles data for the government, expects gross domestic product to shrink by 7% this year - the steepest decline since World War Two - before growing by 4.3% next year.

“The low point has already been passed and the recovery phase has started, but there is still a lot of uncertainty about how things will pan out,” Wifo said, adding this particularly applied to how the pandemic develops and what countermeasures will be taken.

Additionally, the IHS institute on Friday forecast that the Austrian economy would contract by 7.3% this year and expand by 5.8% in 2021 as long as there is not a big second wave of coronavirus infections.

(Reporting by Thomas Seythal in Berlin - Editing by Michelle Martin)

Austrian population reached 8.901 million on 1 January 2020 – increase of 0.48% in 2019

Vienna, 2020-07-06 – 8.901.064 people lived in Austria on 1 January 2020, according to the final results of Statistics Austria. Compared to the beginning of 2019, this represents an increase of 42.289 inhabitants (+0.48%). Population growth thus was slightly higher than in the year before: In 2018, the Austrian population had increased by only 0.41% (+36.508 people). About 96% of Austria's population growth in 2019 was due to international migration gains of 40.613 people. However, natural population growth also contributed to the overall increase.

1.566 more births than deaths in 2019

Vienna, 2020-07-06 – In 2019, there were 84.952 births and 83.386 deaths in Austria, according to final results released by Statistics Austria. Thus, the excess of births over deaths amounted to +1.566 – a marginally higher natural population change than in 2018 (+1.560). Compared to the previous year, the number of births decreased by 583 (-0.7%) and the number of deaths declined by 589 (-0.7%). These figures also include 730 live births and 1.648 deaths of Austrian residents occurring abroad during 2019.

In 2019, 250 infants died during their first year of life. This translated into an infant mortality rate of 2.9‰.

Net Migration of 2019 (+40 613) 15% higher than in 2018

Vienna, 2020-07-06 – In 2019, Austria registered 150.419 immigrations and 109.806 emigrations, as Statistics Austria reports. This resulted in an international net-migration gain of 40.613 people, an increase of 15% compared to the previous year (2018: +35.301), but still below the results of all years between 2012 and 2017, where net migration fluctuated around +43.797 (2012) and +113.067 (2015). Continuing a longstanding trend, more Austrian citizens left the country than migrated back to Austria, translating into a migration loss of 4.343 people in 2019. At the same time, a migration gain of 44.956 foreign citizens was recorded in 2019; an increase of 12.3% against 2018 (+40.017).

Methode: Telefonisch und Online-Befragung
Zielgruppe: Österr. Bevölkerung ab 16 Jahren
Max. Schwankungsbreite der Ergebnisse: ±3,4 Prozentpunkte
Sample:n=801 Befragte, Feldarbeit: 13. bis 16. Juli 2020

Team HC Strache: "Media hype without substance"

Höbart rejected on Saturday that Strache did not have his center of life in Vienna: "The daily allegations without content and attempts to attack HC Strache are such a transparent spectacle that drives many voters into our arms."

The attempt "to prevent HC Strache's candidacy on October 11 with a staged residence scandal" will "go nowhere." It was "once again a media hype without any substance".

With Strache's planned presentation next week, "this media-staged matter" will be resolved in a few days - "especially since, for example, the declaration of support submitted by HC Strache as Viennese has already been officially confirmed by the municipal district office," said Höbart.

Strache's mother has been in a nursing home since March

Regarding the apartment concerned, the ex-FPÖ politician explained that Strache has now taken it fully over: "Unfortunately, HC Strache's beloved mother had to go to a nursing home in March 2020 and he has at that time - before the end of the main registration period on July 14, 2020 - said apartment fully taken over and uses it.

Before that, there were other apartments in Vienna that served him as residences, primarily for security reasons.

“His center of life, whether as party chairman or as vice chancellor, has been Vienna for the past 15 years and still is. No matter whether it is political, social or private, ”says Höbart.

Today, Chancellor Kurz was holding a State of the Union Address and talked about the Coronavirus, special vacation for parents and a "pact against isolation". According to him, the next summer will be normal again. However, the time until then will be challenging.

First, Kurz talked about the year 2020 and that it was very challenging for all citizen. However, "there is light at the end of the tunnel" says Kurz and that the crisis will last shorter than many experts believed at the beginning.

He is thus referring to national and international health researchers and experts as laboratories are researching intensively for a vaccine, new testing methods and treatments. This should lead to a normal summer 2021 as we used to know it.

Now it is very important to reserve enough vaccine to vaccinate everyone who wants to. The vaccine will only be authorised when it has been tested properly. Moreover, Kurz reaffirms that there will not be any compulsory vaccination in Austria.

Today, scientists have a way greater knowledge about the virus, and it is known that COVID-19 already mutated. If this leads to a milder progression in general is not known yet.

Nevertheless, what is already known is where clusters are mostly formatted and for whom the virus is more dangerous.

With this knowledge, Kurz says it is also clear that the upcoming months are getting difficult. It is getting colder again, and schools are starting in September with many people indoor. It is will be difficult to distinguish between a normal flue and the Coronavirus.

The chancellor further puts in view that with decreasing numbers of infections the restrictions will be eased. "As much freedom as necessary and as much restriction as necessary." he says.

He appeals to all Austrian to stick to all regulations and to stay disciplined until the pandemic is over.

"We are now also facing a global economic crisis that we have not experienced on this scale for a long time." Austria will not be spared from the crisis as the economy will collapse by seven percent this year.

The government will now concentrate on easing new business foundations to create as many jobs as possible. A work foundation will be founded in order to bring more jobs in the healthcare industry closer to job seekers. Additionally, about an improved legal basis for the home office will be discussed with the Social Partners.

Kurz further addressed the difficulty for parents when their children are sent home for digital schooling. Therefore, it will be again possible to take a three weeks special vacation to support and care taking of children at home. He also mentioned that a new technical university will be built in Linz, Upper Austria.

In order to support Austrian companies and farmers, the public sector will buy from now on mostly regional products for canteens. If 20% of the products are bought regionally 46,000 workplaces can be created, calculated Kurz.

Finally, he addressed the problem of isolation which occurred for many people, mostly old people, in the last few months. Therefore, the government will be working on a "pact against isolation" to provide an "aging with dignity".

You can vote in Vienna from September 14th

Reading time 3 min

The Vienna municipal council and district council elections are scheduled for October 11th. However, you can cast your votes a month earlier: voting cards will be issued from September 14th. And you can fill this out in Vienna when you pick it up at the municipal district office and return it again. Because of the corona pandemic, a postal voting record is expected.

The City of Vienna is particularly promoting the option of postal voting this year - in order to prevent an excessive drop in voter turnout due to fear of contagion. The Styrian municipal council elections held at the end of June showed that this concern is justified: participation fell by almost eleven percentage points (to 62.6 percent). After the very high participation of 74.75 percent in 2015, opinion researchers expect the same for Vienna.

In Styria you could also see that postal voting is even more popular than usual in Corona times: three times more Styrians than 2015 requested voting cards for the municipal council elections, although the number of eligible voters remained almost unchanged at just over 800,000: More than 173,000 - so almost 22 percent - did not want to go to the polling station this year, but use the postal vote. How high the percentage actually was is not shown - because in Styria the voting cards are counted together with the ballot box votes on Sunday.

This is not the case in Vienna, as postal votes and voting cards handed in in "foreign" constituencies are not evaluated by the district electoral authorities until Monday. Provisions are made for the expected major attack: the electoral authorities are given additional support staff. And the stipulation that the final result including postal voting will be available on Monday has been removed from the election regulations. So it could be Tuesday this year too, until the outcome of the election is certain.

How many of the 1,133,010 voters for the municipal council and 1,362,789 for the district council elections (citizens of other EU countries are also allowed to participate) will use postal votes this year is difficult to estimate. Already in 2015, almost a fifth of voters did not go to the polling station on Sunday, but cast their votes by post or when they picked up the voting card at the district office.

For this year, opinion pollers expect that at least 30, maybe 40 percent of the votes will be cast by voting card. In any case, a very large chunk will still be missing in the preliminary overall result announced on Sunday evening. The projections will also become more difficult with the expected postal voting record - especially since postal voters no longer follow the previous pattern (ÖVP and Greens do better with them, SPÖ and FPÖ worse than with ballot box voters).

Voting cards for the Viennese elections can already be requested. The ballot papers and voting cards are currently in production - and will be delivered to the district election authorities in the course of the next week. You have until shortly before the election to decide whether or not to go to the polling station on election Sunday. Voting cards can be requested online, in writing (letter, email, fax) up to the Wednesday before the election - and in person (or by an authorized representative who will take them with them) until Friday, October 9th.