The day after the budget speech by Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ), the stage belonged to the members of the National Council. Those from the opposition dismantled the double budget on Wednesday during the first reading of the budget draft. The FPÖ accused the government of a “total capitulation.” The Greens assessed the budget as antisocial, economically harmful, and “overall environmentally harmful.” The governing parties defended the consolidation measures, which they consider necessary.
The effort and the joint commitment to budget consolidation, invoked by the government, would come to nothing because the trust basis in the population had long since been destroyed, said FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. Even Marterbauer’s predecessors had, in their budget speeches in recent years, promised the same with different words and spoken of responsibility, “the new mantra.” The result, however, is: “The federal government is broke, most provinces are broke, the municipalities and health insurance funds are broke,” said Kickl. The representatives of the “unity party”—meaning all other parties—are “not the problem-solvers, but the problem causers,” he criticized. “You have gravely sinned, and now the population must do penance.” FPÖ deputy Arnold Schiefer demanded that the government move their vacation to Austria and combine it with work. Because without real structural reforms, budget consolidation will not succeed either.
“Pension cuts are a disgrace”
A disgrace, according to Kickl, were the “pension cuts” through the increase in the health insurance contribution for pensioners. Given the savings in family benefits, the ÖVP should also “never again use the word family party,” he said. Achievers were not being relieved and “the redistribution from natives to foreigners” continued. The faith in Austria, invoked by post-war chancellor Leopold Figl (ÖVP), had “long been lost” by the governing parties, said the FPÖ club chairman.
“Please don’t quote Leopold Figl,” countered ÖVP club chairman August Wöginger, saying Figl was a statesman and would turn in his grave. Kickl could have become chancellor himself, “but you didn’t want to, and your speech shows that you can’t,” Wöginger barked. Many of the measures criticized by Kickl had been agreed 1:1 in the ultimately failed coalition negotiations between ÖVP and FPÖ, including the stricter access to corridor pensions and the increased health insurance contribution for pensioners. The FPÖ once again vehemently opposed the latter during the debate. VP budget spokesman Andreas Hanger attested to the Freedom Party’s criticism but accused them of offering not a single constructive solution.
SPÖ club chairman Philip Kucher said he felt like “an involuntary witness to a therapy session of the FPÖ” to work through their own past. The SPÖ had “pulled the blue poison teeth” from the budget plans reported to Brussels by the FPÖ and ÖVP and ensured that everyone contributed fairly. Finance spokesman Jan Krainer emphasized that we are facing the most difficult challenge of recent decades, as the problem, unlike in the banking crisis, had arisen internally.
Budget for Greens antisocial, economically and environmentally harmful
Marterbauer had “basically presented the blue-black budget,” said Green club chairman Werner Kogler. He saw in the draft budget “some useful measures, but often it is antisocial, economically harmful, and overall environmentally harmful.” Savings were made in the wrong place—among the lower-income groups and the environment—he criticized the suspension of the “social third” of the cold progression and the abolition of the climate bonus. Kogler’s designated successor Leonore Gewessler called it short-sighted policy: “The bill will be paid by our children and grandchildren.” Because while savings are made in environmental matters, billions are still available for roads and the continuation of privileges for diesel and company cars.
NEOS club chairman Yannick Shetty referred to the not easy starting position. Now they were pressing “the stop button for the past motto ‘whatever it takes’.” In addition to consolidation, investment would also be made despite the difficult situation—especially in the area of children and youth. “We place education above all,” said Shetty and called it “the most offensive education budget ever.” He accused the opposition of “government amnesia and government phobia.”
State Secretary Josef Schellhorn (NEOS) emphasized: “For us, this is not the end of consolidation but the beginning.” The country needed fresh air: “Whoever blocks now is not a friend of our homeland.” Budget spokeswoman Karin Doppelbauer cited as an example the sustainability mode, which had initiated a “system change.”
Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) pleaded for the debate to be conducted based on facts and data. He also reminded that without consolidation measures, the national deficit this year would have risen to 5.8 percent of GDP. It is already a “massive savings package” this year, said Marterbauer. And to consolidate so quickly and comprehensively, everyone had to contribute. The non-valorization of family benefits was indeed “painful,” but at the same time, the expansion of infrastructure for families would benefit the lower-income groups in particular. The measures for pensioners were necessary to make the good pension system financially sustainable in the long term. “The welfare state is, alongside democracy, the greatest achievement of the 20th century; we make sure it remains affordable,” said the finance minister.
Finance State Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Miedl (ÖVP) emphasized that two-thirds of the consolidation had been achieved through spending cuts. It continued to apply: “We have no revenue problem but a spending problem.” For Eibinger-Miedl, it was important that there continued to be room for economic stimulus measures.
With further clashes between representatives of the governing parties and the FPÖ about which measures came from the Freedom Party’s idea box or not, the more than six-hour debate ended in the afternoon. The draft budget now moves on to the Budget Committee. After an expert hearing on June 3, the individual chapters will be reviewed in five additional sessions. Starting June 16, the deputies will again discuss the budget over three days in the plenary session, before the final vote takes place on June 18. The next regular plenary session is already scheduled for next week—on May 22.
