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Download this reportDoing Business in Austria
Inside this issue
• Squabbles in the coalition between the Social Democrats and the People’s party are putting a brake on reforms demanded by industry
• Exposure to southern Europe is small but the biggest headache for Austria’s banks is Hungary - -
Content
Economy thrives as politics stalls
In spite of popular discontent and a sense of fatigue in the ruling coalition, business is in surprisingly fine fettle, writes Haig Simonian
Maria Fekter: Iron Lady steeled for ‘solid programme’ to reduce debt
Haig Simonian meets Austria’s new finance minister
Politics: Squabbles in coalition put brake on reforms
Eric Frey finds that constructive deals between partners are in short supply
Banking: €5bn loans to Hungarians are biggest headache
Southern European exposure is small but a controversial move by Budapest is causing concern, writes Eric Frey
Debt burden weighs on future prosperity
The political courage to implement structural reform has been lacking, says former finance minister Hannes Androsch
Business climate: Coalition’s internal strife fails to deter inward investors
Workforce harmony and skills remain key attractions, says Haig Simonian
Infrastructure: A tale of two tunnel visions on transport
Well-funded roads ease bottlenecks but rail projects appear too costly, writes Eric Frey
Industry: Germany’s appetite keeps factories’ plates full
Ed Hammond finds a strong recovery after the dark days of 2008
Federalism: A popular system – but does it make sense?
Eric Frey weighs the pros and cons of separating spending and taxing powers
Red Bull: Where marketing goes into overdrive
Ed Hammond visits Red Bull’s volcano-shaped head office and imbibes the wisdoms of its co-founder
