Austrian central bank chief faces Greens' demand for clarity on Serbia visit

The Austrian Greens have demanded transparency over a weekend meeting in Serbia involving OeNB General Council president Johannes Hahn, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, and former chancellor Sebastian Kurz. While Vučić posted a photo on Facebook highlighting the gathering, the OeNB described Hahn's participation as strictly private. The Austrian foreign ministry and its embassy in Belgrade confirmed they were not informed about the visit.

Hahn issued a press statement asserting the meeting was arranged privately, unrelated to his central-bank duties, and resulted from long-standing regional contacts. Greens spokesperson Meri Disoski announced parliamentary inquiries and urged foreign and finance ministers Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Makrus Marterbauer to disclose any prior knowledge. The meeting took place just before the controversial burial of Bosnian-Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladić, a timing the Greens criticize as politically insensitive.