ABS News July 2026

Editorial: Tynwald Day 2026
Presidential Message: Attracting new members
Remembering June
July Events
Vice President's Corner:U kraine Turns the Tide
10 Years of Brexit & UK Citizens in Austria (UKCA) by Colin Munro
The Last Page

Dear Members and Friends of the ABS,

Quoting from the Encyclopaedia Britannica: "The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island of Great Britain - which contains England, Wales, and Scotland - as well as the northern portion of the island of Ireland." But what about the little (572 km²) island between Great Britain and Ireland?

The Isle of Man is politically not part of the United Kingdom but a self-governing Crown Dependency under the sovereignty of the British Crown. It has its own parliament, called "Tynwald", traditionally dated to 979, although its documented form may be later. In any case, Tynwald is one of the oldest parliaments in the world and is often described as the oldest continuous parliament.

The traditional Tynwald Day is 5 July and a national holiday. If Tynwald Day falls on a weekend - as it does this year - the ceremony is moved to the following Monday (6 July this year).

Happy Tynwald Day - or should we say "Laa Tinvaal Sonney Diu!"

Wolfgang M. Buchta
ABS Secretary General

PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE

Acquisition of New Members!

We have already launched many initiatives, and we are now presenting another one.

A link to a “landing page” will be placed on our homepage, encouraging interested visitors to click on it. Five topics will each appear on a separate slide:

“Value for Money” – more than 30 events each year for an annual membership fee of €150

“Your Royal Connection” – contacts with the Royals and with royal festivities

“Cool Britannia” – culture, music, British lifestyle, the Beatles, pop culture, and the modern UK

“Networking with Politics, Diplomacy and Society” – network and community

“Unforgettable Journeys with Friends” – trips to exclusive British premium and luxury car manufacturers in the UK, Royal Ascot, Queen Mary, and Goodwood

May this endeavour succeed!

Kurt Tiroch

June 2026 gave us three fine events - something for everyone:

Event No. 1 : From Hamlet to Hangover

How time flies! We have not yet recovered from the Brexit shock - and now we realise that it was already 10 years ago... Prof Dr Sully gave us a summary of the past 10 years...

Click here for the event report and photos

Event No. 2: Public Viewing "Österreich - Argentinien"

In case you have not noticed: the FIFA World Cup is currently taking place in far-away North America - and at Café Ministerium, where the ABS watched Austria vs. Argentina.

Click here for the event report and photos:

Event No. 3: ABS Carriage Picnic

Another trip south, but this time non-British cars were also allowed. Welcome to Schloss Ebreichsdorf and the traditional ABS Carriage Picnic!

Click here for the event report and photos:

ABS Action in June

For many, summer is a time of rest and relaxation - not for the ABS: two events to visit!

3 July – 5 p.m.

"ABS Heuriger Wolff"

Our traditional Heuriger on the last Friday before the big school holidays (at least in eastern Austria).

Heuriger Wolff, Rathstraße 46, 1190 Wien

Invitation to follow

22 July

Prince George Birthday Party

Guess who will be celebrating his 13th birthday - and guess who will be celebrating with "The Prince".

Time, location and invitation to follow

VICE PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Why a ceasefire is now a (real) possibility

The war in Ukraine has reached a turning point. Since the failure of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, Russia’s full-scale invasion has settled into a predictable rhythm of summer and winter offensives, with the pressure of attacks easing between them while Russian units rotated and regrouped. At first glance, this year looks no different. With spring edging into summer, Ukrainian troops in their dugouts along the front are once again seeing the steady rise of Russian strikes and attempted infiltrations. Among Ukrainian commanders, however, the mood has changed. Russian attacks are putting less pressure on their units than they did in previous years. Although drone strikes and shelling remain constant, Russian combat performance is waning. In Kyiv, there is growing optimism that Ukraine can fight Russia to a ceasefire.

Out of the Frying Pan

If Ukraine can reinforce the current trends over the remainder of the year - with its own forces on the up and Russia struggling - it becomes even more plausible that Kyiv and its partners might be able to convince Moscow of the merits of accepting an unconditional ceasefire. Even though Putin may try to prolong the conflict further, there is also a growing opportunity to convince him that a ceasefire is his least risky option.

Although a successful conclusion to the war is far from assured, it is now a realistic possibility. Ukraine’s international partners must keep applying sufficient pressure on Russia by continuing to arm Ukraine and impose economic sanctions on the Kremlin. And it is increasingly important that Europe, given Washington’s progressive disengagement from the continent, thinks hard about how it can secure the fragile peace, should a ceasefire be reached. After all, a ceasefire is a necessary precondition for Ukraine’s security and prosperity, but it does not guarantee it.

by former Ambassador Alexander Christiani

ABS Vice President

10 Years of Brexit & UK Citizens in Austria (UKCA)

Over the past decade, Brexit - initially framed as an economic issue rather than a peace process - has revealed deep identity crises in England. The 2016 referendum also drew approval from figures such as Putin, Trump and Le Pen, while critics warned of risks to Northern Ireland’s fragile peace (post-Good Friday Agreement) and to UK-EU relations. Michel Barnier was praised for prioritising EU unity and Ireland’s stability during the negotiations.

Economically, Brexit is estimated to have left the UK economy around 4% smaller than it would otherwise have been, with growing "voters’ remorse." Efforts to protect UK citizens in the EU (and vice versa) led to the formation of UKCA (UK Citizens in Austria), supported by the Austro-British Society (ABS). Key figures like Alexander Christiani (policy papers), Kurt Tiroch (Café Ministerium venue), and Sir Brian Unwin (anti-Brexit lecture at the Austrian National Bank) drove the advocacy, though freedom of movement for UK citizens in the EU was ultimately lost. The group’s work effectively concluded after the Withdrawal Agreement had come into force and the transition period had ended at the start of 2021.

by Colin Munro

by former Ambassador Colin Munro

Read all about it in our blog