Ländle-Greens:

“This is simply irresponsible”

The state government's austerity dictate: the aks support center in Lustenau's Schützengarten is threatened with closure.

(Bild: Marktgemeinde Lustenau)

The Vorarlberg Greens criticize the black-blue state government for its prioritization and complain about a "clear-cutting in the social sector". Children and young people in particular would suffer as a result. 

"While the black-blue state government is pumping millions into tunnel projects, there is a lack of the necessary funding in the social sector to secure care for children and families," complain the two Green members of the state parliament Christine Bösch-Vetter and Eva Hammerer. In a question to the responsible state councillors Barbara Schöbi-Fink and Martina Rüscher (both ÖVP), they demand an immediate explanation for the priorities that have been set and also want to know whether social-psychological care in Vorarlberg will be guaranteed in the future. The latter is in light of the fact that social institutions such as the aks association, which will have to save more than one million euros due to the cuts, are particularly affected.

The family façade of the state government is really crumbling. The goal of making Vorarlberg the most promising place for children to live is increasingly degenerating into a pure PR farce.

Eva Hammerer, Landtagsabgeordnete der Vorarlberger Grünen

Bild: Grüne Vorarlberg

The consequences are serious: 10,000 therapy hours for children and young people would be lost, 500 to 600 children would lose their socio-psychiatric care. The aks locations in Lustenau and Götzis are even facing complete closure. "The family façade of the black-blue state government is really crumbling. The goal of making Vorarlberg the most promising place for children to live is increasingly degenerating into a pure PR farce," says Hammerer, who is not happy about the austerity dictate. Her party colleague Bösch-Vetter adds: "Especially at a time when psychological stress among young people has increased significantly, it is irresponsible to cut back on the necessary support services."

 She calls on the state government to rethink its budget policy and provide social institutions with the necessary funds so that they can continue to offer good quality services to those affected. "The state government must act now before even more families and children are left out in the cold," Bösch-Vetter concluded.