Austria is holding the terror alert at level 4 after reports of IS escapes in Syria, while a new deal charts expanded e-card services to 2030 plus more stories from Austria on Friday.
Austria keeps terror alert high after reports of IS escapes in Syria
Austria’s Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence Service said it currently sees no immediate worsening of the threat situation, according to Der Standard. The assessment follows reports that an unknown number of detained IS fighters escaped in northern Syria after attacks on the Kurdish autonomous zone.
Figures being discussed range from 100 to 1,000 people, with no independently confirmed number. Austria remains at terror alert level 4 out of 5 nationwide, but the DSN said it has no concrete indications so far of direct impacts on Austria’s security situation.
Political scientist Thomas Schmidinger told Der Standard he believes it is relatively likely that Europeans are among those who escaped, but that only a very small number of Austrians are involved, citing two men he knows of and possibly two women.
E-card services set for major expansion under new deal
Austria’s social insurance umbrella group and the Austrian Medical Chamber have agreed on a plan to expand e-card system services through to 2030, according to ORF.
The “Zukunftsvereinbarung E-Health” includes new digital services such as expanded electronic referrals, an electronic prescription-style system for orders and prescriptions, and an electronic appointment service for practices.
Paper referrals are meant to be fully replaced in areas including CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, human genetics, clinical psychological diagnostics, X-ray, ultrasound and bone density measurements. It said electronic referrals should become mandatory next year for contract doctors and for private doctors with more than 300 patients using e-card services, with a software module required.
Health minister Korinna Schumann said there will still be “controversial issues” in the reform process, while both sides praised renewed cooperation. Claudia Neumayer-Stickler, who chairs the social insurance conference, called it an “entscheidenden Schritt für eine moderne Gesundheitsversorgung”.
Austrian CEOs sink to five-year low on growth outlook
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Only 12 percent of Austrian CEOs expect their companies to grow over the next 12 months, down sharply from last year, according to Die Presse. The paper said PwC’s latest CEO Survey shows a much darker mood in Austria than globally, where 30 percent of CEOs expect revenue growth.
PwC Austria chief Rudolf Krickl told Die Presse the result was the worst in five years and surprised him, adding that the survey was conducted in autumn, before improved growth forecasts late in the year. The share of CEOs pessimistic about Austria’s overall economic growth eased slightly to 76 percent.
Krickl also pointed to concerns about artificial intelligence, saying 68 percent of CEOs do not know whether they will take the necessary steps in time. The survey suggests Austrian CEOs spend 56 percent of their time on short-term operational tasks and 11 percent on strategic decisions.
Report warns of new generation of neo-Nazis and rising offences
A new right-wing extremism report from the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance says it is seeing a new generation of neo-Nazis, with right-wing extremist acts up 23 percent in 2024, according to vienna.at. Younger members are particularly radicalised, especially in Vienna.
The report recorded 1,486 right-wing extremist acts in 2024, up from 1,208 in 2023. It says around 60 percent were linked to offences under the Verbotsgesetz, including Holocaust denial, while the remaining 40 percent were other criminal acts such as assault, deprivation of liberty, coercion or property offences.
It also describes the Identitarian Movement as a central “new right” grouping and says the relationship between the Identitarians and the FPÖ, especially its youth wing, became closer in 2024, calling it “symbiotic”. The report cites “Remigration” as an example of terminology pushed by parts of the far right, and notes political dispute over the report’s funding and conclusions.
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What’s happening in Austria today
Vienna’s city government is holding a one-day retreat at City Hall, with the SPÖ-NEOS coalition saying the focus is on measures aimed at economic growth and employment.
In Vorarlberg, the Landes-Rechnungshof is holding a 10 am press conference in Bregenz on compliance with legal funding conditions for election advertising ahead of the 2024 state election.
Austria is also scheduled for its fourth Universal Periodic Review at the UN’s Geneva seat.
Separately, proceedings continue in Vienna in the espionage and abuse-of-office trial against former domestic intelligence officer Egisto Ott and a co-accused police officer, with a hearing listed from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Ott denies the allegations.
For transport, major ÖBB works in Tyrol continue, with the Weststrecke closed between Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof and Rum until January 29th, affecting long-distance and regional travel. Kitzbühel is introducing road restrictions from 1 pm linked to the Hahnenkamm weekend, including a time-limited closure window at a level crossing. Vienna’s U6 station Perfektastraße has lift renewal work affecting step-free access in the direction of Floridsdorf until February 1st.
GeoSphere Austria is forecasting another cold day, with early temperatures of -12C to -3C and daytime highs of -4C to 6C, with the west milder. Cold warnings are in effect for January 23rd in affected locations, and avalanche bulletins continue to flag risks in the mountains, including isolated wind slabs on very steep, shady slopes at altitude in Tyrol.
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Vocabulary
die E-Card – Austria’s health insurance card used to access services
die E-Zuweisung – electronic referral to tests or specialists
die E-Verordnung – electronic ordering or prescribing system for certain documents and services
das Verbotsgesetz – law banning Nazi activity, including certain symbols and propaganda
die Wiederbetätigung – prohibited re-engagement in Nazi activity under Austrian law
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