Austria heads into the final days of the year with safety warnings around fireworks, fresh political debate, and a busy night of winter sports, as many public services operate on special opening hours between the holidays.
Vienna police seize more than 1,300 illegal fireworks
Vienna police have seized more than 1,300 illegal pyrotechnic items during targeted checks carried out between December 27th and 28th, according to Vienna.at. The operations focused on preventing the sale and use of prohibited fireworks ahead of New Year’s Eve.
Officers confiscated banned fireworks in categories F3 and F4, as well as several illegal weapons, including knives, knuckle-dusters, a stun gun and a baton. Fourteen reports were filed under the Pyrotechnics Act and five under the Weapons Act.
Police said the suspects were mainly teenagers aged between 13 and 16 and again warned that illegal fireworks pose a serious risk, especially to young people, who account for most injuries.
Family report shows fewer births and more single households
Austria’s birth rate continues to fall, while single-person households and couples without children are becoming more common, according to the latest “Familien in Zahlen” report published by the Federal Chancellery and reported by ORF.
The study shows that around 40 percent of households now consist of just one person. In 2024, Austria recorded 77,238 births, down again on the previous year, with the fertility rate falling to 1.31 children per woman.
Experts cited difficulties combining work and family life, rising living costs and a lack of childcare as key factors. Family Minister Claudia Plakolm said politics could only set the framework, while opposition parties criticised what they described as a failure of family policy.
ÖVP pushes plan to ban application of Sharia law
The People’s Party is pushing ahead with plans to explicitly ban the application of Sharia law in Austria, according to Der Standard.
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The proposal is expected to be presented during the government’s January retreat and would form part of a broader package covering migration, inflation, and industrial policy. Chancellor Christian Stocker said the move was intended to send a clear signal that religious legal systems have no place in Austria’s legal order.
Coalition partners SPÖ and Neos have reacted cautiously, while critics argue the proposal risks stigmatising Muslim communities, even though existing cases have not conflicted with Austrian law.
Forest fire on Innsbruck’s Nordkette mostly extinguished
Firefighters have largely brought a forest fire on Innsbruck’s Nordkette under control after days of operations, Kurier reported.
The fire, which affected around eight hectares, was sparked when a 12-year-old boy reportedly ignited a pyrotechnic device during a family hike. The child is below the age of criminal responsibility, but police are investigating the incident and will submit a report to prosecutors as standard procedure.
Authorities said the total cost of the operation cannot yet be estimated and again warned about the dangers of fireworks in natural areas.
What’s happening in Austria today
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December 30th is not a public holiday, but schools across Austria remain closed as part of the Christmas holidays, which run until January 6th. In many regions, the day also falls within the traditional Rauhnächte period and is sometimes referred to as Bauernsilvester, an informal “peasant New Year’s Eve”.
In Vienna, municipal waste and recycling centres are open today with holiday-period hours, while several district offices are holding substitute consultation days for businesses. Similar reduced or special services are running in Graz, Salzburg, Linz and Innsbruck.
Rail passengers may face delays on the Vienna–Floridsdorf to Korneuburg line due to an overhead line fault. Weather conditions are mostly dry and sunny nationwide, though fog is likely in low-lying areas and morning temperatures are well below freezing.
Key vocabulary
die Pyrotechnik – fireworks and explosive articles used for celebrations
das Böllerverbot – ban on certain fireworks or firecrackers
der Einpersonenhaushalt – single-person household
die Geburtenrate – birth rate
die Gesetzesnovelle – legislative amendment
die Rauhnächte – traditional period between Christmas and Epiphany
der Bauernsilvester – traditional “peasant New Year’s Eve” on December 30th
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