Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Austrian government makes reassurances over gas storage, Covid-19 quarantine set to be relaxed, humid but cooler weather today and more news from Austria on Tuesday.
Energy Minister reassures Austria that households will not freeze this winter
Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) appeared on the "ZiB 2" programme on Monday evening to talk about energy in Austria. She says Austria is on a “good course” to achieve gas storage targets of 80 percent before autumn. The first OMV storage facility has already reached the 80 percent target. Gewessler also reassured people in Austria over the reduced gas coming from Nord Stream 1. Austria gets most of its gas from a different pipeline via Ukraine and more non-Russian gas is now coming to the country.
However, she did ask people to try to reduce their energy consumption by making small changes – such as boiling water with the lid on the pan, or turning the central heating down a few degrees. Compared to 2021, gas consumption is already ten percent lower in Austria this year, and any large reductions in gas supply will hit large industrial companies before households are affected.
READ ALSO: Colder schools, fewer street lights: Austria prepares for a gas shortage
Nord Stream 1 supplies reduced to 20 percent of capacity
Russia is once again drastically reducing gas supplies through the “Nord Stream 1” Baltic Sea pipeline that leads to Germany. As the Russian Gazprom group announced on Monday, daily gas deliveries will be reduced to 33 million cubic meters from Wednesday morning. This corresponds to around 20 percent of the capacity of the pipeline.
READ ALSO: Russia further reduces gas supplies to Austria
Covid-19 quarantine looks set to be relaxed
Although a formal announcement has not been made, it seems likely the federal government will announce a relaxation or the end of the quarantine at Austria’s Council of Ministers on Wednesday, following a meeting of the federal and state governments. Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig said he thought it was a “step in the wrong direction” but added if quarantine is abolished at a national level, Vienna will not go a different way and keep quarantine, as it would be too difficult to implement with the city receiving 300,000 commuters every day, broadcaster ORF reports.
Surprisingly the wife of Austria’s Health Minister Johannes Rauch has also criticised the plan to relax quarantine. Gabi Sprickler-Falschlunger, who is the Vorarlberg SPÖ state party leader, says it is certainly the “wrong decision” and predicts a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 infections, according to the newspaper Heute.
READ ALSO: Will Austria end quarantine and isolation for positive Covid-19 cases?
Fallow land to be used for agriculture in Austria
Austria has approved the EU Commission's proposal to extend the use of fallow land for agricultural production until the end of 2023. This will help maintain the global food supply, which is affected by the war in Ukraine. Every additional tonne of grain and food is crucial," Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) told APA today, broadcaster ORF reports. The EU Commission also proposed that the new, mandatory crop rotation requirement for 2023 be postponed by one year.
Concern from Jewish groups over rhetoric of Hungary's Prime Minister
The International Auschwitz Committee has said it is "alarmed and appalled" by the recent outbursts of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban has been invited to Vienna on Thursday by Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). The committee called on Nehammer to speak to Orban about the speech he made at the weekend, in which he denounced “mixed race” nations and said countries where European and non-European people mingle were “no longer nations”.
Nehammer has not yet commented on Orban's speech on Saturday. Announcing the visit on Thursday, the Chancellor highlighted the alignment with Orban in the fight against "illegal" migration and described Hungary as an "important neighbour and partner". "I look forward to welcoming Viktor Orban to Vienna," said the ÖVP leader on Twitter.
Humid, but cooler today
Austria will experience brisk, sometimes stormy westerly winds, dense clouds and sometimes heavy rain showers on Tuesday, with thunderstorms also possible. Although it is no longer as hot, it will be muggy and warm with a maximum of 26 degrees.
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Energy Minister reassures Austria that households will not freeze this winter
Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) appeared on the "ZiB 2" programme on Monday evening to talk about energy in Austria. She says Austria is on a “good course” to achieve gas storage targets of 80 percent before autumn. The first OMV storage facility has already reached the 80 percent target. Gewessler also reassured people in Austria over the reduced gas coming from Nord Stream 1. Austria gets most of its gas from a different pipeline via Ukraine and more non-Russian gas is now coming to the country.
However, she did ask people to try to reduce their energy consumption by making small changes – such as boiling water with the lid on the pan, or turning the central heating down a few degrees. Compared to 2021, gas consumption is already ten percent lower in Austria this year, and any large reductions in gas supply will hit large industrial companies before households are affected.
READ ALSO: Colder schools, fewer street lights: Austria prepares for a gas shortage
Nord Stream 1 supplies reduced to 20 percent of capacity
Russia is once again drastically reducing gas supplies through the “Nord Stream 1” Baltic Sea pipeline that leads to Germany. As the Russian Gazprom group announced on Monday, daily gas deliveries will be reduced to 33 million cubic meters from Wednesday morning. This corresponds to around 20 percent of the capacity of the pipeline.
READ ALSO: Russia further reduces gas supplies to Austria
Covid-19 quarantine looks set to be relaxed
Although a formal announcement has not been made, it seems likely the federal government will announce a relaxation or the end of the quarantine at Austria’s Council of Ministers on Wednesday, following a meeting of the federal and state governments. Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig said he thought it was a “step in the wrong direction” but added if quarantine is abolished at a national level, Vienna will not go a different way and keep quarantine, as it would be too difficult to implement with the city receiving 300,000 commuters every day, broadcaster ORF reports.
Surprisingly the wife of Austria’s Health Minister Johannes Rauch has also criticised the plan to relax quarantine. Gabi Sprickler-Falschlunger, who is the Vorarlberg SPÖ state party leader, says it is certainly the “wrong decision” and predicts a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 infections, according to the newspaper Heute.
READ ALSO: Will Austria end quarantine and isolation for positive Covid-19 cases?
Fallow land to be used for agriculture in Austria
Austria has approved the EU Commission's proposal to extend the use of fallow land for agricultural production until the end of 2023. This will help maintain the global food supply, which is affected by the war in Ukraine. Every additional tonne of grain and food is crucial," Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) told APA today, broadcaster ORF reports. The EU Commission also proposed that the new, mandatory crop rotation requirement for 2023 be postponed by one year.
Concern from Jewish groups over rhetoric of Hungary's Prime Minister
The International Auschwitz Committee has said it is "alarmed and appalled" by the recent outbursts of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban has been invited to Vienna on Thursday by Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). The committee called on Nehammer to speak to Orban about the speech he made at the weekend, in which he denounced “mixed race” nations and said countries where European and non-European people mingle were “no longer nations”.
Nehammer has not yet commented on Orban's speech on Saturday. Announcing the visit on Thursday, the Chancellor highlighted the alignment with Orban in the fight against "illegal" migration and described Hungary as an "important neighbour and partner". "I look forward to welcoming Viktor Orban to Vienna," said the ÖVP leader on Twitter.
Humid, but cooler today
Austria will experience brisk, sometimes stormy westerly winds, dense clouds and sometimes heavy rain showers on Tuesday, with thunderstorms also possible. Although it is no longer as hot, it will be muggy and warm with a maximum of 26 degrees.
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