Red letter upsets

“Pension bashing”: ÖVP senior citizens attack Babler

The ÖVP wants the votes of pensioners in the National Council elections in ten days' time. President of the ÖVP Seniors Ingrid Korosec made no secret of this at a press conference on Thursday.

(Bild: Martin Jöchl)

Ingrid Korosec, President of the ÖVP Seniors' Association, has sharply criticized Andreas Babler. This was triggered by a personally addressed letter from the SPÖ leader to numerous senior citizens, in which he warns of "cuts to healthcare benefits and pension robberies amounting to billions if the FPÖ and ÖVP gain a majority in the elections". For Korosec, this is "pension bashing of the worst kind". 

Babler also wrote in the letter that pensions had "become worth less and less" under the Black-Blue government, which he found "indecent".

Babler in the footsteps of Vranitzky and Gusenbauer
The SPÖ leader was following in the footsteps of former red chancellors Franz Vranitzky and Alfred Gusenbauer. In past election campaigns, both portrayed the ÖVP as "socially cold" in letters to pensioners.

Your vote for the SPÖ is a vote for an affordable life and secure pensions.

Brief von SPÖ-Chef Andreas Babler an Senioren

SPÖ leader Andreas Babler wrote a personal letter to pensioners.

(Bild: krone.tv)

ÖVP: "Playing on people's fears is the last thing to do"
For Korosec, this is "pension bashing of the worst kind". "It makes me angry when pensioners are talked down to or told that they are taking something away from young people. Playing with people's security and fears is the last thing on earth".

I can assure you that you don't have to worry about your pension in Austria. Not today and not tomorrow.

Ingrid Korosec, Präsidentin der ÖVP-Senioren

The two wanted to reassure insecure pensioners: "I assure you that you don't have to worry about your pension in Austria. Not today and not tomorrow," said Korosec.

"It makes me angry when pensioners are talked down about their pensions or told that they are taking something away from young people. Playing with people's security and fears is the last thing on earth," criticized Korosec on Thursday at a press conference together with ÖVP party chairman August Wöginger.

And Korosec wants to reassure insecure pensioners: "I can assure you that you don't have to worry about your pension in Austria. Not today and not tomorrow."

Almost a third of eligible voters are senior citizens
The President of the ÖVP Seniors also made no secret of the fact that the People's Party needs the votes of the older generation in the National Council elections in ten days' time. "Almost a third of those eligible to vote are senior citizens. This means that we are decisive in the election".

Pension increase of 4.6%
The pension increase agreed in the National Council on Thursday was a "real strengthening of the first pillar", added ÖVP parliamentary group chairman August Wöginger. The fact that this increase of 4.6 percent was decided so shortly before the election was "not a matter of course", said Wöginger.

The inflation adjustment, the further suspension of the pension aliquot and the extension of the inflation protection clause for new pensioners had shown that "pensioners can rely on us", said Wöginger.

Bringing the de facto retirement age closer to the statutory retirement age
The "top priority" for the next federal government is to bring the de facto retirement age closer to the statutory retirement age. At present, the former is 61.1 years and therefore just under four years below the statutory age. Wöginger does not currently consider a fundamental increase in the statutory retirement age to be sensible.

SPÖ pensioners' leader also warns against a black-blue coalition
In a press release, SPÖ pensioners' association president Peter Kostelka appealed to the older generation to carefully examine "which promises were made by the federal government in the past and which were actually kept."

SPÖ pensioners' association president Peter Kostelka

(Bild: SEPA.Media | Michael Indra)

Kostelka continued: "I recall one of the highest inflation rates in Europe, which pensioners suffered from in particular. The ÖVP-led government at the time only granted pension increases of 1.5 percent for 2021 and 1.8 percent for 2022 - with an inflation rate of over 10 percent," said Kostelka.