BRUSSELS ― The European Commission has approved an Austrian plan to slash public spending that looks set to underpin the program of a potential far-right-led government.

At a beer-fueled meeting of Austria's far-right Freedom Party this week, members of parliament referred to Afghan refugees as “knife-wielding sex offenders” and to the EU's “repression of speech”, hidden camera footage has revealed.

Austrian advocacy group Noyb has filed privacy complaints against TikTok and five other Chinese companies in the EU. Noyb claims that these tech firms are unlawfully transferring the data of users in the European Union to China.

The leader of Austria's Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, addresses a news conference, in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025

During these “trying times and surprising developments,” the EU should “have trust” in the strength of Austria’s democratic institutions. He added that the rule of law, separation of powers, fundamental rights, and international law “are non-negotiable” in coalition talks.

Austrian negotiators trying to form a nationalist-conservative government will target €6.3 billion ($6.4 billion) in immediate budget spending cuts to avoid being reprimanded by the European Union.

The European Commission has decided not to formally reprimand Austria for breaching the EU’s budget rules, in a major victory for Herbert Kickl's Freedom Party (FPÖ) which is poised to lead Vienna’s first far-right government since World War II.

Austria’s caretaker chancellor Alexander Schallenberg is in Brussels today, aiming to assure EU chiefs that Vienna will remain a reliable partner even if its next government is led by a far-right politician with a penchant for Nazi slogans, writes Alice Hancock.

None of Your Business (NOYB), a prominent Austria-based advocacy group, filed GDPR complaints on Thursday against TikTok and five other Chinese companies

Slovenia is aiming to become the first European Union member to issue sustainability-linked bonds, the country’s Treasury chief said.

TikTok, Shein, Xiaomi and three other Chinese companies were named in a privacy complaint filed on Thursday by Austrian advocacy group Noyb, which alleged the firms were unlawfully sending European Union user data to China.

BRUSSELS — As Austria teeters on the brink of forming its first far-right-led government since World War II, the most immediate clash between Vienna and Brussels won’t center on Russian sympathies or anti-migrant rhetoric. Instead, it’s shaping up to be a battle over public spending.