At private university

State steps in with half a million for Red Bull

Due to "liquidity bottlenecks", Paracelsus University asked the state for support.

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Drinks company has reduced its support for Paracelsus University. State politicians had to intervene with taxpayers' money.

For years, Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz supported the establishment of Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) with millions. As reported, after Mateschitz's death, Red Bull reorganized the funding and reduced its support. The state has therefore increased the basic funding for the educational institution for this year and next.

However, an additional EUR 500,000 from the state budget also went to the PMU last year. "The PMU approached us to cover liquidity bottlenecks," explained Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) in the state parliament on Wednesday. As the state is now investing more in the private university, Haslauer has also arranged for an audit of the PMU. "Not in the sense that we have any mistrust, but to look at the financial and structural conditions of the PMU from the outside," said Haslauer. This will not be the end of the matter. "We will have to put more money into it," says Haslauer.

Provincialmedia center spent significantly more money
The recent increase in the budget for the provincial media center also caused a stir during the discussion of the provincial accounts. The SPÖ and the Greens criticized the fact that the amount spent on the media center was almost 873,000 euros, more than 300,000 euros above the budget estimate. The provincial government justifies this with various image campaigns.

For example, an advertising campaign for the nursing profession and the teaching profession was financed. The "Owa vom Gas" campaign against speeding drivers was also included. "The campaigns were financed by the relevant department and carried out by the state media center," Haslauer reassures us.