Folie 1

1
Political and Economic Developments in Austria
2005 / 2006 Klagenfurt 2006 Convention Austria -
Italy - Slovenija Dr. Rudolf THURNER Head of
Human Ressources Verbund
2
Political Developments

• Second Coalition Government of ÖVP and Freedom
  Party since February 2002
• Socialists win regional elections in Styria and
  gain the seat of the Regional President for the
  first time since WW II
• Strong gains for the Socialists in the regional
  elections in Vienna and Burgenland
• The new Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ)
  under the Leadership of Jörg Haider fails to
  enter the regional parliaments of all three
  provinces

3
Political Developments

• EU Presidency of Austria January 2006 June 2006
• Impending national elections in October 2006
  overshadow day-to-day politics
• No big reform projects planned for 2006
• Next project reform of the health sector

4
Crisis of the Austrian Trade UnionFederation
(ÖGB)

• In March the ÖGBs bank (BAWAG) revealed
  information on huge losses incurred by shady
  derivatives trading in the Carribean
• Several high-ranking officials of the ÖGB were
  held to be responsible for these losses and had
  to resign, amongst them the President of the ÖGB
• In May the BAWAG could only be safed from
  bankruptcy by a loan given by various other
  Austrian banks and a financial guarantee of the
  Austrian state
• The ÖGB had to take liablity for all losses and
  loans and is therefore now on the verge of
  bankruptcy
• This scandal is generally believed to have
  weakend the trade unions movement in Austria an
  is probable to influence the oncoming national
  elections

5
Unemployment in Austria in
Prozent
Jahr
Quelle Arbeitsmarktservice
6
VERBUND
ATX-Development
7
National Deficit 2001 - 2007 Development in of
GNP (Maastricht)
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006 Prog.
2007 Prog.
Quelle APA
8
Economic Growth 1990 - 2007 Change in of real
GNP
Quelle Statistik Austria, WIFO