Lackner warns:

“The water is up to our necks”

Fabienne Lackner and the young NEOS met on the occasion of "Youth Day" at Lake Constance. They pointed out problems that urgently need to be solved by politicians.

(Bild: NEOS Vorarlberg)

Mountains of debt, high taxes, unaffordable housing - the list of challenges for young people is long, complains the youngest member of parliament, Fabienne Lackner from the NEOS. Action is urgently needed at government level in Vienna and Bregenz.  

Young people are up to their necks in debt and are being dragged down further and further by the debt backpack. We NEOS want to finally reverse the trend and introduce the necessary reforms. So that the debt backpack becomes lighter and the burden less," explained Lackner.

To mark "Youth Day", Vorarlberg's youngest member of parliament and her fellow campaigners gathered on the shores of Lake Constance on Monday. They had written down key words on pink signs about the issues that concern them the most.

After the 26-year-old parliamentarian has already spoken out several times on housing issues, Lackner concentrated on the topics of taxes and debt on Monday. She insisted on tightening the belt. Governments should not compensate for constantly rising budget expenditure with additional taxes. "The cost-what-you-want party is over! We owe it to the young."

Parties like the ÖVP are refusing to make savings and are raising more and more taxes. But the cost-what-you-want party is over! We owe it to the young generation, who want to build something for themselves.

Fabienne Lackner, NEOS

The ÖVP, which has been in the provincial and federal government for years, is responsible for the immensely high tax burden. The next coalition must take countermeasures with tough but courageous reforms - also at state level: Lackner believes there is no way around a spending brake.

At state level, unnecessary and inefficient subsidies should be cut and resources used in a more targeted manner. This would help to get debt under control and at the same time create more opportunities for tax relief for young people: "A question from the NEOS has shown that there are currently around 260 subsidies from the state - and the trend is rising. We need to cut out the old habits here."

No gifts of money in the landlord's style
And at federal level, the government must finally deliver on structural reforms instead of handing out gifts of money in a landlord-like manner. "The ÖVP and Greens should have tackled long overdue reforms. Above all, a reform of federalism and pensions is more necessary than ever. So that the state has more leeway to invest in the future and it is really worthwhile for young people to go to work."

Last but not least, the young Pinks are also concerned with the issue of intergenerational fairness. "The tax burden was simply much lower for my parents' generation. Although the tax burden has also increased for them in their working lives, they had much more room to put money aside at the beginning," explained Lackner. With the tax rate of the parents' generation, an average full-time employee today would earn almost 5,000 euros more net per year. The bottom line is that the tax burden for working people urgently needs to be reduced so that performance pays off again.