Security at risk?

Austerity measures cause alarm among the police and army

Executive must save on overtime

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

The impending cutbacks in all ministries are already causing alarm among the police and the armed forces. Overtime is to be drastically cut in the executive. The government assures that no cuts will be made to security.

The government has decided that all ministries must make 15 percent savings in material expenditure. A total of 1.1 billion euros is to be saved. This is part of the austerity package, which aims to keep the deficit below the EU's Maastricht limit of three percent of GDP and thus avoid an EU deficit procedure. The trade union-affiliated Momentum Institute has calculated that the Ministry of Defense would have to shoulder 14.9 percent of the targeted savings contribution with 166 million euros.

Vice-Chancellor's Office has to save the least
The second largest contribution of 13.1 percent (146.3 million) comes from the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor and Health is responsible for 12.7 percent (142.1 million euros). The Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Technology has to save 11.5 percent (128.7 million euros). Family, Youth, EU and Integration will contribute 10.1 percent (112.3 million euros). The Ministry of the Interior should therefore save 110 million euros. 

Vice Chancellor Babler would have to make the least savings according to the plan

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

According to the plan, the Ministry of Finance would have to contribute 85.5 million, which corresponds to only 0.3 percent of the departmental budget. At 18 million, the Federal Chancellery would have to contribute the third-lowest amount to the billion, although its share of the departmental budget is relatively high at 2.4 percent. Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) emphasized after today's meeting of the Council of Ministers that the concrete savings plans have not yet been finalized. And he made people sit up and take notice by saying that the sum of 1.1 billion had been priced in, but that the 15 percent could be weighted differently in the ministries. 

Stocker promises: "Don't save on security"
Stocker and the heads of the security ministry, Klaudia Tanner and Gerhard Karner, confirmed that no savings would be made on security. "With the National Defense Financing Act, we have created a legal basis for the budgetary strengthening of our armed forces. In addition, the continuation and implementation of the 2032+ reconstruction plan and the budgetary goal of increasing the gross domestic product to two percent in the coming years are set out in the government program - that is crucial for me," Tanner told the "Krone".

Tanner sees army build-up plan on track

(Bild: CARINA KARLOVITS)

The figures currently published by the institute cannot be seriously confirmed, as the budget for this year has not yet been finalized. "A final and reliable statement on the figures can only be made as soon as the budget negotiations have been concluded and the savings measures have been specified," said the Minister.

Marterbauer also commits to the army
In response to a question from the "Krone" newspaper, Red Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer also confirmed that the army's build-up plan was not in question. Both Sky Shield and the Eurofighter follow-up are part of the government agreement. The money would be made available for this. The day before, on the fringes of the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in Brussels, he had said that there would be no "whatever the cost" when it came to defense. It is "very important to ensure that defense spending is implemented as efficiently as possible. We don't have a single euro to spend just like that anywhere. Funds are extremely tight, which is why priorities must also be set in the area of defense."

Minister Karner and Chancellor Stocker

(Bild: APA/HANS KLAUS TECHT)

Chancellor Stocker, in turn, pointed out that, in view of the rearmament declared in the EU, there are discussions about removing defense spending from the Maastrich criteria.