Motions announced

Floods also occupy the National Council

Cars under water in Rust in the Tullnerfeld region

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The flood disaster will also occupy the National Council at its next session on Wednesday. Several parties intend to table motions. Among other things, it is about an exemption claim for helpers and a legal claim to financial compensation in the form of an immediate payment.

The FPÖ is calling for the latter. "We immediately need a legal regulation that takes those affected out of the role of supplicants," announced FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl in a corresponding motion. "In the past, the victims of natural disasters often had to wait years for compensation or support payments, were unable to carry out urgently needed restoration work or had to take out loans, if they got a loan at all," said Kickl, who is hoping for the agreement of the other parties "in the spirit of the great power of the community".

Politicians cannot simply go back to business as usual after the flood disaster.

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

The SPÖ is also hoping for cohesion in the plan to clarify the law for firefighters and other voluntary helpers so that they do not have to go to work the next day. Club leader Philip Kucher explained at a press conference on Tuesday: "It should not be an election campaign meeting." That is why the SPÖ will not be submitting an "urgent question".

However, this does not stop the Social Democrats from sharply criticizing the government for its policies to date. Although the immense budgetary burdens are due to the various crises, they are also the result of the coalition's actions or inaction, said Kucher. 

SPÖ and NEOS call for the finance minister's cash fall
Finance spokesperson Jan Krainer is once again annoyed that the Finance Minister has not yet complied with his demand for a cash audit. For Kucher, it would be "a question of respect and honesty to tell the population in advance what they can expect".

The NEOS also want to know Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) "how he plans to restructure the budget", said deputy party chairman Nikolaus Scherak at a press conference on Tuesday. However, he also emphasized that, in view of the floods, "it is not time to go back to business as usual", but that the current hour had already been set earlier and there was no chance of changing it.