Reforms demanded

Voice for children and young people in coalition poker

Around a fifth of the population is under 18 years old - and not represented in any negotiating group in the coalition talks.

(Bild: Getty Images (Symbolbild))

On Children's Rights Day, Vienna's child and youth advocate Sebastian Öhner joins the coalition poker game. Together with the Children's Rights Network, he is calling for reforms from the next government - because this makes economic sense and is also a legal obligation of the government.

Once again, a coalition is being negotiated in Austria, and once again around a fifth of the population - 1.8 million children and young people in the country - are being blindsided, Vienna's children and youth advocate Sebastian Öhner and Elisabeth Schaffelhofer-Garcia Marquez from the Austrian Children's Rights Network are annoyed. This needs to change.

Oath to the constitution is also an oath to children's rights
For economic reasons alone, the next government should invest in the next generation: According to the OECD, child poverty in Austria causes follow-up costs of 17 billion euros and therefore costs far more than good policies. There are enough construction sites, from protection against violence to education. Öhner reminds us that working on these construction sites is a duty for every member of government who is sworn in on the constitution: the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is part of the constitution in Austria.

Öhner raises his voice for those who are not at the table in the coalition negotiations.

(Bild: Stadt Wien / David Bohmann)

Although Schaffelhofer-Garcia Marquez calls for a "courageous dip into state finances" for the benefit of children and young people, she and Öhner agree that this alone is not enough. The fragmentation between the federal and state governments has paralyzed reforms in all areas for decades, from different youth protection regulations for each individual state downwards. According to Öhner, a lot of money could also be saved by avoiding duplication. 

"Can't put everything on teachers"
In the education sector in particular, we need to become "more creative", Öhner also demands: "We can't put everything on teachers." From language support - which is already urgently needed in kindergarten - to social work, politicians need to "bring in other professions" - and, above all, finally listen to children and young people: Because then "they will say what they want and need anyway."

Öhner is not only concerned that the voices of children and young people are heard in politics. According to him, it would also be a politically smart move: "If I'm not even at the table, I can't live with the solutions in any case." Because of course "rights also include duties, no question about it. But the opposite of a right is not a duty, but an injustice."