Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Traffic jams and packed trains warning, concerns over gas, no subway for Graz and more news on Wednesday.
Packed trains and traffic jams expected in coming days
Trains and roads in Austria are expected to be packed over the coming days as people head off on their holidays. The ÖBB train website warns people should make a reservation on trains before travelling, and says it will provide up to 10,000 additional seats on Ascension Day, Pentecost and Corpus Christi.
The number of train travellers in Austria has increased sharply due to the waning of the pandemic, the Klima ticket and the high cost of petrol, broadcaster ORF reports.
According to the Austrian motorist club ÖAMTC, drivers can expect “heavy traffic” over the long weekend.
READ MORE:
- Reader question: Will Austrian trains soon require seat reservations?
- EXPLAINED: How to not be ‘bumped’ from an overcrowded Austrian train
- Warm weather and bad traffic: What to expect in Austria this Ascension Day
Graz decides against subway
The city of Graz has finally decided against building a subway, but has instead decided to build two new S-Bahns instead and a tunnel through the city centre, it was revealed on Tuesday. Experts spent a year examining five concepts before coming up with the decision. The subway was the most expensive option, and would have cost more than 3.5 billion euros, whereas the two S-Bahn tunnel projects are significantly cheaper, costing 2 .2 billion euros, broadcaster ORF reports.
Experts weigh in over mask requirement
As The Local reported on Tuesday, masks will no longer be required in Austria’s public transport and essential retail from the beginning of June. As usual, Vienna will keep stricter rules in place than the rest of the country, and require masks on public transport. However, experts meeting in Vienna from the research platform "Covid-19 Future Operations" on Tuesday called for the government to be prepared for the “worst case scenario” in the autumn and winter.
Some experts were critical of the relaxed rules in place from June, with virologist Dorothea van Laer saying she would have kept the mask requirement in pharmacies and in essential shops in order to be able to protect vulnerable groups, broadcaster ORF reports.
READ MORE:
- ‘The pandemic is not over’: Vienna keeps mandatory masks in public transport
- Austria to ‘pause’ Covid mask mandate from June 1st
Concerns over emergency plans for gas
Businesses are raising concerns that no emergency plans are in place in the event Russia stops delivering gas to Austria. Austria is one of the most dependent countries on Russian gas in the EU. Der Standard reports Voestalpine, a large steel company based in Linz, has had only “sporadic” talks with the government about the possible crisis. Katharina Koßdorff, Managing Director of the Food Industry Association says there are no “concrete emergency plans” for this scenario, adding the Austrian food industry is almost 100 percent reliant on Russian gas.
Austria has started to buy gas for its strategic reserve. On Monday the government spent almost one billion euros on 7.7 terawatt hours (TWh) of gas. Leonore Gewessler's climate ministry, which is responsible for energy, said it was unclear where the gas comes from, as there are no proofs of origin on the gas market. It can be assumed that Russian gas makes up part of what has been purchased, according to a spokesman for Gewessler (Greens).
READ MORE: REVEALED: What is Austria’s emergency plan if Russia cuts gas supply
Van der Bellen speaks out over citizenship and Austria’s military
Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen has told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper he believes in making it easier to become naturalized as an Austrian. In the interview he said the hurdles for obtaining citizenship were currently "too high". He has also given an interview to Der Standard in which he says Austria should spend more on its army and increase the number of diplomats, though he draws the line at joining NATO, arguing Austria does not need to be so “bellicose”.
Van der Bellen has gathered further support for his aim to be re-elected in the autumn from the ÖVP government team. Although the People's Party does not officially recommend his election, State Secretary Florian Tursky (ÖVP) has said he would support his fellow Tyrolean. However, Van der Bellen will face competition from the head of Austria’s Beer Party Dominik Wlazny, who also goes by the name of his alter ego, Marco Pogo, as well as candidates from the anti-vaccination MFG party and the far right FPÖ.
READ ALSO: Could presidential criticism lead to Austrian citizenship rule changes?
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Packed trains and traffic jams expected in coming days
Trains and roads in Austria are expected to be packed over the coming days as people head off on their holidays. The ÖBB train website warns people should make a reservation on trains before travelling, and says it will provide up to 10,000 additional seats on Ascension Day, Pentecost and Corpus Christi.
The number of train travellers in Austria has increased sharply due to the waning of the pandemic, the Klima ticket and the high cost of petrol, broadcaster ORF reports.
According to the Austrian motorist club ÖAMTC, drivers can expect “heavy traffic” over the long weekend.
READ MORE:
- Reader question: Will Austrian trains soon require seat reservations?
- EXPLAINED: How to not be ‘bumped’ from an overcrowded Austrian train
- Warm weather and bad traffic: What to expect in Austria this Ascension Day
Graz decides against subway
The city of Graz has finally decided against building a subway, but has instead decided to build two new S-Bahns instead and a tunnel through the city centre, it was revealed on Tuesday. Experts spent a year examining five concepts before coming up with the decision. The subway was the most expensive option, and would have cost more than 3.5 billion euros, whereas the two S-Bahn tunnel projects are significantly cheaper, costing 2 .2 billion euros, broadcaster ORF reports.
Experts weigh in over mask requirement
As The Local reported on Tuesday, masks will no longer be required in Austria’s public transport and essential retail from the beginning of June. As usual, Vienna will keep stricter rules in place than the rest of the country, and require masks on public transport. However, experts meeting in Vienna from the research platform "Covid-19 Future Operations" on Tuesday called for the government to be prepared for the “worst case scenario” in the autumn and winter.
Some experts were critical of the relaxed rules in place from June, with virologist Dorothea van Laer saying she would have kept the mask requirement in pharmacies and in essential shops in order to be able to protect vulnerable groups, broadcaster ORF reports.
READ MORE:
- ‘The pandemic is not over’: Vienna keeps mandatory masks in public transport
- Austria to ‘pause’ Covid mask mandate from June 1st
Concerns over emergency plans for gas
Businesses are raising concerns that no emergency plans are in place in the event Russia stops delivering gas to Austria. Austria is one of the most dependent countries on Russian gas in the EU. Der Standard reports Voestalpine, a large steel company based in Linz, has had only “sporadic” talks with the government about the possible crisis. Katharina Koßdorff, Managing Director of the Food Industry Association says there are no “concrete emergency plans” for this scenario, adding the Austrian food industry is almost 100 percent reliant on Russian gas.
Austria has started to buy gas for its strategic reserve. On Monday the government spent almost one billion euros on 7.7 terawatt hours (TWh) of gas. Leonore Gewessler's climate ministry, which is responsible for energy, said it was unclear where the gas comes from, as there are no proofs of origin on the gas market. It can be assumed that Russian gas makes up part of what has been purchased, according to a spokesman for Gewessler (Greens).
READ MORE: REVEALED: What is Austria’s emergency plan if Russia cuts gas supply
Van der Bellen speaks out over citizenship and Austria’s military
Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen has told the Kleine Zeitung newspaper he believes in making it easier to become naturalized as an Austrian. In the interview he said the hurdles for obtaining citizenship were currently "too high". He has also given an interview to Der Standard in which he says Austria should spend more on its army and increase the number of diplomats, though he draws the line at joining NATO, arguing Austria does not need to be so “bellicose”.
Van der Bellen has gathered further support for his aim to be re-elected in the autumn from the ÖVP government team. Although the People's Party does not officially recommend his election, State Secretary Florian Tursky (ÖVP) has said he would support his fellow Tyrolean. However, Van der Bellen will face competition from the head of Austria’s Beer Party Dominik Wlazny, who also goes by the name of his alter ego, Marco Pogo, as well as candidates from the anti-vaccination MFG party and the far right FPÖ.
READ ALSO: Could presidential criticism lead to Austrian citizenship rule changes?
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