https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Austria in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed European leaders sending their troops to Greenland has - writes political columnist John Lichfield - called Donald Trump's bluff when it comes to military conflict. Instead the continent faces the prospect of a long and brutal trade war. https://www.thelocal.at/20260120/opinion-this-is-a-1938-moment-for-europe-but-the-war-will-be-a-trade-war Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:46:19 +0100 opinion-this-is-a-1938-moment-for-europe-but-the-war-will-be-a-trade-war Austria prides itself on pragmatism, yet stubborn resistance to cooling homes is leaving families to suffer in extreme heat. https://www.thelocal.at/20250630/opinion-austrias-hatred-for-air-conditioning-is-just-cultural-stubbornness Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:50:48 +0200 opinion-austrias-hatred-for-air-conditioning-is-just-cultural-stubbornness More than eight years after the UK's Brexit vote, a majority of EU citizens would like a closer relationship with Britain and many Brits are now prepared to ditch their Brexit red lines, a new survey has revealed. https://www.thelocal.at/20241212/brexit-reset-why-majority-of-eu-citizens-want-closer-ties-with-the-uk Thu, 12 Dec 2024 15:02:13 +0100 brexit-reset-why-majority-of-eu-citizens-want-closer-ties-with-the-uk The return of Donald Trump to the White House may be catastrophic for US democracy. It could be even more destructive for Europe, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.at/20241106/opinion-trumps-win-spells-crisis-for-europe-but-it-could-save-the-eu Wed, 06 Nov 2024 17:06:36 +0100 opinion-trumps-win-spells-crisis-for-europe-but-it-could-save-the-eu As countries within the EU reintroduce checks on their Schengen zone borders, columnist John Lichfield looks at why this threat to the 'invisible achievement' of open borders matters to the whole of Europe. https://www.thelocal.at/20241023/opinion-europes-open-borders-are-precious-fragile-and-under-threat Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:48:49 +0200 opinion-europes-open-borders-are-precious-fragile-and-under-threat Given they have lived in Austria for many years The Local's Amanda Previdelli and her husband wanted to become Austrian to secure rights for themselves and their children. But complications in the process forced them to drop their plans, as Amanda explains. https://www.thelocal.at/20241016/opinion-why-we-decided-to-give-up-on-trying-to-become-austrian Wed, 16 Oct 2024 17:12:11 +0200 opinion-why-we-decided-to-give-up-on-trying-to-become-austrian Whether coping with grumpy neighbours or rude people on the streets, The Local's editor in Vienna Amanda Previdelli lays out some tips for how to handle those Austrians who very much fit the unfriendly stereotype. https://www.thelocal.at/20240909/opinion-how-you-can-best-deal-with-angry-austrians Mon, 09 Sep 2024 17:56:54 +0200 opinion-how-you-can-best-deal-with-angry-austrians Retiring overseas is a dream for many of us, with Austria becoming a popular location for people searching for mountains and culture. https://www.thelocal.at/20210715/five-reasons-to-retire-in-austria Thu, 15 Jul 2021 17:30:37 +0200 five-reasons-to-retire-in-austria Knowing German can help you integrate in Austria, but to what extent depends on where you want to live in the country and what you define as being integrated, writes Vienna-based journalist Julia Jakobsson. https://www.thelocal.at/20230919/to-completely-integrate-in-austrian-life-you-need-german-but-it-takes-time Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:35:55 +0200 to-completely-integrate-in-austrian-life-you-need-german-but-it-takes-time Austria's Freedom party managed to strike a deal that would give it broad powers in the Lower Austria province. It is also leading voter poll preferences for a national election. But why are they so popular now? https://www.thelocal.at/20221114/why-is-support-for-austrias-far-right-fpo-rising Mon, 14 Nov 2022 13:56:02 +0100 why-is-support-for-austrias-far-right-fpo-rising No Austrian politician has become more disputed and exposed to the public than Michael Ludwig, the mayor of Vienna. But as his political opponents grow could the city's so-called "crisis manager" yet come out on top? https://www.thelocal.at/20220617/analysis-is-vienna-in-good-hands-with-crisis-manager-mayor-ludwig Fri, 17 Jun 2022 12:52:02 +0200 analysis-is-vienna-in-good-hands-with-crisis-manager-mayor-ludwig Would you prefer to travel across Europe by train rather than plane this summer? It’s not nearly as simple as it should be, especially given the urgency of the climate crisis, explains specialist Jon Worth. https://www.thelocal.at/20220408/opinion-trains-are-in-fashion-so-why-is-rail-travel-across-europe-still-so-difficult Fri, 08 Apr 2022 14:42:58 +0200 opinion-trains-are-in-fashion-so-why-is-rail-travel-across-europe-still-so-difficult Vienna's decision to keep Covid rules place puts it at odds with the rest of the country. Austrian journalist Stefan Haderer asks if the decision is prudent pandemic management or a barrier in the journey back to normality. https://www.thelocal.at/20220311/analysis-are-viennas-tighter-covid-measures-a-mistake Fri, 11 Mar 2022 13:18:14 +0100 analysis-are-viennas-tighter-covid-measures-a-mistake For those of us living in Europe now, this is a scary and dangerous time, writes The Local's James Savage. The threat from Russia leaves European leaders with no easy choices, but peace and democracy in Europe depend on what they do next. https://www.thelocal.at/20220224/opinion-this-is-russias-war-but-we-europeans-need-to-learn-fast-from-our-mistakes Thu, 24 Feb 2022 17:45:12 +0100 opinion-this-is-russias-war-but-we-europeans-need-to-learn-fast-from-our-mistakes Austria has approved its controversial vaccine mandate but it comes with much risk for the government and unclear benefits for the country, argues Marcus How. https://www.thelocal.at/20220204/opinion-austrias-vaccine-mandate-is-politically-high-risk-with-limited-benefits Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:00:34 +0100 opinion-austrias-vaccine-mandate-is-politically-high-risk-with-limited-benefits It is the best of decisions and the worst of decisions. Everyone can claim to be right. Everyone is partly wrong, writes John Lichfield on the pausing of the AstraZeneca vaccination campaign across Europe. https://www.thelocal.at/20210319/opinion-european-governments-were-cautious-on-astrazeneca-vaccines-but-they-were-neither-stupid-nor-political Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:09:29 +0100 opinion-european-governments-were-cautious-on-astrazeneca-vaccines-but-they-were-neither-stupid-nor-political With compulsory testing scrapped, Austria is placing its hopes for ending the country's third lockdown on so-called "entry tests" but is it the right way forward? Austrian journalist Stefan Haderer analyses the strategy's effectiveness. https://www.thelocal.at/20210111/testing-strategy-is-austria-betting-on-the-wrong-horse Mon, 11 Jan 2021 13:57:48 +0100 testing-strategy-is-austria-betting-on-the-wrong-horse The Local sat down with the man at the forefront of the World Health Organisation's quest for a coronavirus treatment to ask whether reopening our societies will create a second wave and what happens when populism meets science. https://www.thelocal.at/20200605/interview-were-very-vulnerable-to-new-rounds-of-coronavirus-contagion Fri, 05 Jun 2020 18:07:05 +0200 interview-were-very-vulnerable-to-new-rounds-of-coronavirus-contagion