An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Geoff Gottlieb and comprising Adil Mohommad, Hassan Adan, and Alok Verma, visited Austria during April 22–May 6, 2026, to conduct discussions on the 2026 Article IV consultation. After several years of recession, Austria’s economy has begun to recover, but the war in the Middle East is expected to slow near‑term growth and raise inflation. The government’s fiscal deficit target of 3 percent of GDP by 2028 is appropriately ambitious but achieving it will likely require additional measures beyond those announced so far. Further fiscal adjustment will also be needed after 2028 to put public debt on a firm downward path and rebuild fiscal buffers. [...]