SPÖ leader Leiter:

“Do not support this form of debt policy”

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

The mountain of debt in Vorarlberg continues to grow. Savings are being made at the wrong end and at the expense of the socially disadvantaged, criticizes SPÖ party leader Mario Leiter. This is why his party will not be voting in favor of the 2025 budget in the state parliament session on Wednesday.  

The state of Vorarlberg will see an increase in debt of around 650 million euros in the coming year. In view of this fact, the budget cannot simply be waved through without comment," says Mario Leiter.

Although the state government has announced important investments, measures to effectively combat increasing social inequality are lacking. This can be seen, for example, in affordable housing. In his view, too little is still being invested in non-profit housing. A strategy to ensure affordable housing in the long term is not in sight. "Housing is a basic right. The state government must do more here to relieve the burden on young families and low-income households," demands Leiter.

According to the Social Democrat, a little more funding could also have been planned in the area of security, the new coalition partner's favorite topic. "A key factor in making the police profession attractive is pay. This is why the SPÖ has repeatedly called for a western allowance. However, the state always makes excuses to the federal government," says an annoyed Leiter, who works for the Bludenz municipal police force.

"Ice-cold social cuts"
SPÖ social spokesperson Manuela Auer criticizes the cuts in the social sector: "It is unacceptable that the basis for the state's consolidation plan is ice-cold social cuts!" The large social institutions would be forced to cut back their services. In the end, the people affected by the cuts would be those who are already disadvantaged. This can be seen in the example of the reduced heating allowance: "Before the start of the heating season, this was cut by a whole 170 euros. This is a massive financial cut for those affected, especially in view of the fact that energy costs will rise significantly again in the future."

The third SPÖ member of the Vorarlberg state parliament, Reinhold Einwallner, expressed his disgust at the cuts in the cultural sector on Monday: "The Vorarlberg cultural scene has been seeing its funding cut further and further for years. Those involved in the arts and culture are feeling the effects of this budget policy massively," said the Bregenz resident in anger. He did not miss the opportunity to refer to further criticism of the black-blue austerity measures. This came from the ÖVP-affiliated municipal association and from AK President Bernhard Heinzle.