04. 11. 09. - 16:00

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

04. 11. 09. - 16:00

FPÖ to file complaint against the EU Lisbon Treaty

By Lisa Chapman

The right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) is planning to file a complaint against the new EU Lisbon Treaty as soon as it comes into force on 1 December.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the Czech instrument of ratification yesterday (Tues) afternoon after the Czech Constitutional Court had dismissed complaints against the treaty. The Czech Republic had been the last hold-out in ratification of the treaty.

FPÖ MEP Andreas Mölzer said: "The FPÖ will file a complaint against the Lisbon Treaty at the Austrian Constitutional Court. There may be an unpleasant surprise in store for EU centralists.

"The enactment of the treaty means that all EU member states, including Austria, will have lost the rest of their sovereignty. They will be degraded to the status of provinces of Brussels. The fight for a different and better Europe, for a Europe of free states and peoples, will continue," he pledged.

FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache also weighed in, arguing that the Lisbon Treaty served the interests only of centralism and economic liberalism. "On the day that the treaty comes into force, the FPÖ will file a complaint against it," he confirmed.

In comparison, many Austrian officials welcomed ratification of the treaty. Chamber of Commerce (WKO) President Christoph Leitl said: "Klaus has opened the way to a democratic and stronger Europe, and that is good. Europe faces tremendous challenges.

"The theoretical basis for a more capable European Union is in place. The new opportunities at the EU level must be taken advantage of and turned into concrete policies," he added.

Social Democratic (SPÖ) MEP Hannes Swoboda, vice president of the European Parliament’s (EP) social democratic faction, said: "Klaus has finally realised he cannot hold the European Union hostage to his individual, anti-European ideology."

Swoboda called on EU heads of state and government to act quickly to fill the new positions of EU Council president and high representative for foreign and security policy. He stressed that the high representative needed to be a strong character who could represent Europe in the best possible way to the rest of the world.

Other Austrian MEPs were also pleased by the Czech court’s ruling yesterday.

MEP Ernst Strasser, the head of the People’s Party (ÖVP) faction in the EP, said: "The court’s strong 'yes' finally opens the way to a new Europe and a strong EP."

ÖVP MEP Othmar Karas called on national parliaments to make use of the new abilities the treaty would give them.

SPÖ MEP Evelyn Regner said: "It is a good day for Europe and another big step towards the overdue ratification of the Lisbon Treaty."

Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) President Erich Foglar said: "The treaty is a step in the right direction but is a long way away from what we as trade unionists want a social Europe to be."

He said trade unions should become more involved in EU decision-making, because "we want, for example, basic social rights to take precedence over economic freedom."

Austrian Times

Related articles: right-wing Austria

1. Greens slam Nazi tower plans

   » General News 2010-02-09

   The Vienna Greens have slammed plans to turn a Nazi anti air raid tower in the capital into a data centre.

2. FPÖ leader faces tax evader protection accusations

   » General News 2010-02-08

   Freedom Party (FPÖ) boss Heinz-Christian Strache has been accused of trying to protect tax evaders.

3. Politicians boycott Villacher Fasching over HGAA disaster

   » Business 2010-02-04

   One of national broadcaster ORF’s most popular programmes will be broadcast without any federal political representatives this year, it has emerged.

4. Wuff changes flyers after IKG criticism

   » General News 2010-02-04

   Austrian dog magazine Wuff is to change controversial flyers after protests from Jewish groups.

5. State Opera boss and ORF star at war as Opera Ball approaches

   » Panorama 2010-02-03

   The Opera Ball, Austria’s biggest high society event, has been overshadowed by bickering between the State Opera’s director and a popular TV presenter.

6. Award-winning writer fears deportation

   » General News 2010-02-03

   An award-winning Serb writer who helped expose the Srebrenica massacre has said he is facing certain death of he is deported from Austria back to his homeland.

7. IKG lashes out over dog mag yellow star

   » General News 2010-02-03

   The Austrian Jewish Community (IKG) has hit out at a dog magazine after it used a yellow star on its cover to publicise a debate over new laws on dog ownership.

8. Church speaks out after Wagner comments on earthquake

   » General News 2010-02-02

   Senior Catholic figures in Austria have been forced to speak out after controversial comments by an ultra-conservative pastor over the Haiti earthquake.

9. Catholic Church 'sect' attack

   » General News 2010-02-02

   Lay Catholics have claimed the Pope is "ruining" a Church which is now a corrupt "sect".

10. Prohibited Vienna demonstration ends with 14 arrested

    » General News 2010-02-01

    Protestors set a police car and a shop ablaze as police tried to break up an illegal demonstration against Vienna’s Corporation Ball organised by right-wing student unions.

Related articles: EU

1. German GLS Bank to open Vienna office

   » Business 2010-02-09

   German GLS Bank announced yesterday (Mon) it will open an office in Vienna this year.

2. GM Vienna jobs 'safe' as European cull announced

   » Business 2010-02-09

   Workers at car maker Opel’s plant in Vienna will not be affected by massive job cuts announced by General Motors’ (GM) today (Tues).

3. Molterer gets EVP job

   » General News 2010-02-09

   Former People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer has been elected new head of a task group of the European People’s Party (EVP).

4. New investigation calls as BAE lobbyist walks free

   » Business 2010-02-08

   Political leaders in Austria have called for a new investigation into alleged bribery involving an aristocrat lobbyist after British justice authorities dropped all charges against him.

5. Austrian arms lobbyist free after €330mn plea bargain deal

   » Business 2010-02-07

   Austrian lobbyist Alfons Mensdorff-Pouilly has had all charges dropped after the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO) agreed a "plea bargain" with British defence company BAE Systems.

6. Erste subsidiary to open Romania's largest shopping centre

   » Business 2010-02-05

   Sun Plaza shopping centre in Romanian capital Bucharest, the largest in the country, will open on 25 February following a 200 million Euro investment.

7. Experts at odds after Brit accused of beating Austrian on AUA flight

   » General News 2010-02-05

   Legal experts are at loggerheads over whether Austrian law can be applied in a legal battle after an Austrian beaten up by a Brit on an Austrian Airlines (AUA) plane has to take place.

8. Ferrero-Waldner says she may go into business

   » General News 2010-02-05

   Austria’s outgoing EU Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner has said she may go into business.

9. 'Bribery' lobbyist Mensdorff-Pouilly in London house arrest

   » Business 2010-02-05

   An Austrian lobbyist accused of bribery was released on bail after being put in custody in London last Friday.

10. Minister says Germans more flexible in choice of work

    » Business 2010-02-05

    Austrian Social Democratic (SPÖ) Labour Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said today (Fri) Germans were more flexible than Austrians in choosing work.

Related articles: CEE news

1. Foreign minister praises Ukrainian presidential election

   » General News 2010-02-09

   People’s Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger today (Tues) hailed the problem-free Ukrainian presidential elections on Sunday a sign of the country’s "democratic development".

2. Bulgarian cigarette smugglers arrested

   » General News 2010-02-09

   Two Bulgarians have been arrested after trying to smuggle more than 35,000 cartons of cigarettes to the UK.

3. Austrian embassy in Croatia to sponsor lace festival

   » Panorama 2010-02-08

   The Austrian embassy in Croatia will be the main sponsor of the Festival of Lace on northern Pag Island this June, it was revealed.

4. Croatia Sesvete to trial Austrian defender

   » Sports 2010-02-08

   Austrian footballer David Feiner has arrived for a test with Croatian side Sesvete in top Croatian national league HNL.

5. Erste subsidiary to open Romania's largest shopping centre

   » Business 2010-02-05

   Sun Plaza shopping centre in Romanian capital Bucharest, the largest in the country, will open on 25 February following a 200 million Euro investment.

6. Austria biggest foreign investor in Croatia

   » Business 2010-02-05

   Austria was the biggest foreign investor in Croatia in the first nine months of 2009 when Austrian companies invested one billion Euros in the country.

7. FlyNiki starts Vienna - Bucharest service

   » Business 2010-02-04

   Austrian budget airline FlyNiki has opened a Vienna – Bucharest route.

8. Police smash Moldovan gang

   » General News 2010-02-04

   Police have smashed a Moldovan crime gang that caused 800,000 Euros in damage in break-ins in Upper and Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria and Vienna.

9. Award-winning writer fears deportation

   » General News 2010-02-03

   An award-winning Serb writer who helped expose the Srebrenica massacre has said he is facing certain death of he is deported from Austria back to his homeland.

10. Contemporary art from Austria on show in Montenegro

    » Panorama 2010-02-03

    Contemporary art from Austria is now on display at Petrovic Castle in Podgorica, Montenegro, the Austrian Foreign Ministry announced today (Weds).

Bulgarian cigarette smugglers arrested
Two Bulgarians have been arrested after trying to smuggle more than 35,000 cartons of cigarettes to the UK.

ChemFreight acquires Logwin's Krems facility
Goods transport firm ChemFreight Transport, Logistik & Waggonvermietung GmbH said today (Tues) it had bought freight firm Logwin’s facility in Krems, Lower Austria, after approval of the deal by the Austrian competition authority.

Crooks behind 47 Styrian robberies arrested
Crooks behind almost 50 burglaries in Styria have been arrested, police said today (Tues).

Beer quarrel ends in axe murder
A 20-year-old hacked his mum’s boyfriend to death with an axe in after accusing him of drinking his beer, police have said.

Artec starts bankruptcy proceedings
Machine builder Artec Maschinenbau GmbH entered bankruptcy proceedings today (Tues) in Upper Austria, according to the Credit Protection Agency of 1870 (KSV) and Creditreform.

Inner tube sledge girl seriously injured
A nine-year-old is in hospital with serious injuries after she crashed into a tree as she sledged on a tyre’s inner tube.

Post to pay employees huge bonus for police work
The Austrian postal service (Post) is to pay its employees a bonus of 10,000 Euros to transfer to police work, according to today’s (Tues) edition of the newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten.

Flight bookings up
Travel agencies have reported an increase in flight bookings, according to booking platform Amadeus Austria.

A piece of heaven for the ice skaters
For anybody who likes ice skating and fancies something a bit different than the regular rink or the crowded location at the front of the Vienna City Hall might want to consider a visit to Engelmann.

Stevens extends Red Bull contract
Huub Stevens has extended his contract with champions Red Bull Salzburg, it was announced today (Tues).