28th March 2018
Vienna, Austria
As a British diplomat in Austria (I am Second Secretary for Economic and EU issues), I have found one of the most surprising things about Austrian politics is how people feel about trade. Austria’s export ratio (i.e. goods exports as a ratio of GDP) is high – 52%, compared to the High Income Country average […]
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23rd March 2018
Vienna, Austria
What are the greatest treasures in Vienna? What can you see? And what is lost? I was privileged recently to attend a press conference at the Jewish Museum in Vienna at which Victor de Waal and museum Director Danielle Spera announced important news which connects the UK to Austria. The de Waal and Ephrussi families […]
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22nd February 2018
Vienna, Austria
A terrorist organisation tries to buy military technology from Country A. But Country A refuses to sell. What is to stop the organisation from going to Country B and buying there? Welcome to the world of multilateral export control regimes. If you don’t know much about export control regimes, don’t worry: not many people do. […]
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16th February 2018
Vienna, Austria
The room is crammed with over 40 financial services companies. In the next few hours, 27 British Fintech companies and 15 Austrian financial institutions will hold over 120 meetings to explore business opportunities. Why did this event work so well? The UK hosts the world’s strongest Fintech ecosystem, closely followed by California and New York. […]
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1st February 2018
Vienna, Austria
Where did the clock come from? How old is it? I would like to know. My Vienna wall-clock, bought broken at the Naschmarkt flea market in Vienna in 1985, was the inspiration for my #ViennaMemories blogs. I treasure it because: It is old. I do not know its date, but surmise the 1950s. I would […]
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12th January 2018
Vienna, Austria
I recently attended the annual diplomatic reception for ambassadors given by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. Result: a minor social media storm. Why? And why was this a good thing? The President’s annual diplomatic reception has taken place for years; someone recently sent me a picture of Kaiser Franz Josef meeting the diplomatic corps […]
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10th January 2018
Vienna, Austria
A corrupt official takes an illegal bribe. Why does matter? And if it does matter, what can we do about it? This isn’t just about morality. Research shows that corruption raises the cost of doing business and reduces economic growth. A 1% reduction in corruption perception scores can raise growth by 0.57% in developed economies […]
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4th December 2017
Vienna, Austria
During my first posting to Vienna 1984-87, as now, I used to admire the number of fascinating exhibitions in the city. Occasionally, I would be so impressed that I bought a souvenir. One such souvenir was this poster advertising an exhibition of the works of the famous Austrian photographer Ernst Haas, from October 1986. He […]
Read more on #ViennaMemories #4: Ernst Haas: prisoners of war | Reply
15th November 2017
Vienna, Austria
One of the most beautiful, and enigmatic, artworks in the British Embassy in Vienna is Anne Lucy Grenville, Lady Nugent, by the renowned portrait painter Sir Thomas Lawrence. It dates from 1813, around the time that Anne Lucy Poulett (her maiden name), aged 23, married George Nugent Grenville, second Baron Nugent of Carlanstown. The portrait […]
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8th November 2017
Vienna, Austria
Several Austrian friends have asked me recently why I am wearing a small, red flower – a poppy – on my jacket lapel. It’s because the United Kingdom together with other Commonwealth nations will commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11th, the day in 1918 which marked the end of hostilities in the First World War. […]
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