Austria

Austria's far-right Freedom Party, a party rooted in Nazi ideology, just celebrated an unprecedented election victory on Sunday night, with its leader talking about a new era for the far right. This is seen as another worrying sign for Europe, as a surge by populist far-right forces shows no sign of slowing down.

Since late 2022, Bulgaria and Romania have been primarily focused on Austria regarding their inclusion in the Schengen Agreement. This agreement, initiated in 1985, allows for border-free travel across Europe. However, Austria's unexpected veto halted the EU's plan to incorporate both countries into the Schengen zone.

Sofia Zisi, director general of Greece's General State Chemical Laboratory, has been elected chair of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) management board for the next two years.

Zisi succeeds Paul Krajnik from Austria's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, who served for two full terms.

Herbert Kickl, leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), described the historic victory in Sunday’s elections as the beginning of a new era.

Kickl’s party secured 29.2% of the vote and 58 seats in parliament, although this does not grant them a majority (Austria’s parliament has 183 seats).

With all ballots now counted, Austria's far-right Freedom Party has secured nearly 29 percent of the vote, marking its first victory in parliamentary elections. Despite the win, it remains unclear if the party will lead the next government, as it is viewed as an undesirable partner by most other parliamentary parties.

Herbert Kickl (C), leader and top candidate of right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPOe) addresses supporters at the party's election event after exit poll numbers were announced at the Stiegl-Ambulanz restaurant in Vienna, Austria on Sept. 29, 2024, during Austria's general election.

The European Commission reaffirmed today that Romania and Bulgaria are fully prepared for complete accession to the Schengen area, according to a spokesperson cited by the Agerpres agency and reported by BTA.

The National Public Health Organization (EODY) recorded three more deaths from West Nile virus between September 18 and 25, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 30.

All the deceased patients were over 60 years old, with the median age being 81 years.

During the past week, 12 new domestic cases of West Nile virus and 3 deaths were diagnosed/reported, according to the epidemiological report of the EODY.

Boyko Borissov, leader of GERB, stated during a forum in Sofia focused on Schengen and Eurozone integration that Bulgaria must regain its role as a guarantor of the European Union's external borders. He emphasized that a recent "change" has taken the country "thousands of kilometers away" from joining Schengen and the Eurozone.