Economic sanctions are increasingly wielded as geopolitical leverage, even against the EU. The Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) strengthens the EU's capacity to counter such threats by deterring them through credible threads of economic countermeasures and responding with its own trade restrictions if necessary.

"Alpine winter tourism, which has been highly successful in Austria in recent decades, is facing major challenges. Only if the adaptations to changing climatic conditions are effective, guests from Austria and abroad will continue to spend their winter vacations in Austria in the future," write Anna Burton, Oliver Fritz (WIFO) and Robert Steiger (University of Innsbruck) in a current article in the WIFO-Monatsberichte (monthly reports).

The results of the WIFO-Konjunkturtest (business cycle survey) in March show a slight improvement in the generally sceptical assessment of the economy. At –7.1 points (seasonally adjusted), the WIFO economic climate index was 2.6 points above the previous month's value (–9.7 points) but remained in negative territory.

The Austrian federal government has agreed on a new chairperson of the Austrian Pension Commission (Alterssicherungskommission): Christine Mayrhuber, Deputy Director responsible for External Relations at the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), will take over the role in April 2024.

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) has published a new study on the use and effects of educational leave, which for the first time in a long time examines the causal effects on the labour market integration of participants.