"Continue as before"
FPÖ/ÖVP austerity plan: Opposition furious, EU waits and sees
The FPÖ and ÖVP have agreed on a joint budget path. Specifically, around 6.3 billion euros are to be saved this year and an EU deficit procedure avoided. While the EU Commission in Brussels first wants to evaluate the measures, the SPÖ is already voicing harsh criticism.
The SPÖ primarily misses details. "The 'new honesty' proclaimed by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl has turned into 'business as usual' after just a few days," says red budget spokesperson Jan Krainer.
He also emphasizes that Finance Minister Gunter Mayr has a duty to inform parliament about the figures he reports to the EU Commission and how the Commission reacts.
The 'new honesty' proclaimed by Kickl has turned into 'business as usual' after just a few days.
SPÖ-Budgetsprecher Jan Krainer
Krainer points out that the need for consolidation amounts to 18 billion euros. "Kickl and ÖVP leader Christian Stocker are not even telling us how they intend to achieve 6.3 billion."
The ÖVP's previous coalition partner, the Greens, also reacted with moderate enthusiasm. Above all, there was a lack of concrete content and information: "The population is being kept in the dark with such zero-sum press conferences," says budget spokesman Jakob Schwarz.
Kickl and Stocker are risking an unnecessarily brutal burden on the people in our country with full awareness.
Der grüne Budgetsprecher Jakob Schwarz
Climate bonus: Green budget spokesperson furious about deletion
Above all, the planned removal of the climate bonus - an achievement of the Greens - annoys him. "The fact that the climate bonus is to fall victim to the austerity plans is really nothing more than a tax increase through the back door and reveals that climate protection is facing hard times under a possible retro coalition." If the subsidy for boiler replacement and refurbishment were to be abolished, he believes that 5,000 jobs would be at risk.
Schwarz is also critical of the planned avoidance of an EU deficit procedure. This would be important in order to avoid further burdening the economy. "Nevertheless, Kickl and Stocker have apparently decided against it and are thus risking an unnecessarily brutal burden on the people in our country with full awareness."
Greens criticize planned abolition of educational leave
Green member of the National Council Barbara Neßler, on the other hand, takes offense at the abolition of educational leave planned by the FPÖ and ÖVP. "Women who take educational leave earn more in the long term, are less likely to be unemployed and their participation in the workforce increases. This investment in the future, which benefits everyone, must not be taken away from mothers," emphasized the Tyrolean on social media.
Die erste PK von #Blau-Schwarz bringt gleich die ersten Einschnitte, die besonders Frauen treffen: Ja, gerade Mütter nutzen die Bildungskarenz, um sich nach der Elternkarenz beruflich neu zu orientieren - und das macht auch absolut Sinn wie eine WIFO-Studie zeigt. (1/2)
— Barbara Neßler (@barbaranessler.bsky.social) 13. Januar 2025 um 11:44
Frauen, die Bildungskarenz in Anspruch nehmen, verdienen langfristig mehr, sind seltener arbeitslos, und ihre Erwerbsbeteiligung steigt. Diese Zukunftsinvestition, von der alle profitieren, darf den Müttern nicht genommen werden. (2/2)
— Barbara Neßler (@barbaranessler.bsky.social) 13. Januar 2025 um 11:45
Stelzer supports scaling back subsidies
Upper Austria's Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) is cautiously positive, however, because the budget agreement will help "to ensure that we do not have an EU-supervised procedure in Austria", which he would "consider to be bad". At the same time, it had also become clear how challenging the need for consolidation was. He supports a reduction in subsidies: "A subsidy system can never be something that is set up for the long term; any state would be overwhelmed."
EU Commission wants to evaluate measures
According to information from the EU Commission in Brussels, the Commission is still waiting for the Austrian budget measures. Finance Minister Mayr is expected in Brussels on Tuesday for talks with Valdis Dombrovskis, EU Commissioner for Economic Efficiency and Productivity. The budget plan is also likely to be discussed, even if this is not officially on the agenda. The Commission said that if the minister presents "detailed and solid measures" on Tuesday, the Commission will assess them.
Deadline untilJanuary21
The measures must arrive and be assessed in time for the next meeting of the Council of Economics and Finance Ministers on January 21 in Brussels. If the Commission assesses the new budget path as sufficient, an excessive deficit procedure can be avoided. The economics and finance ministers would then decide on the basis of a possible new recommendation from the EU Commission.
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