The Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) said around 21,000 people participated in the demonstration before the march began from the University of Vienna through the city center to the Ministry of Science and the Federal Chancellery. Additional protests are scheduled Thursday in Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Klagenfurt.
University of Vienna Rector Sebastian Schütze called the government’s current proposal “unacceptable” in a speech to demonstrators. He warned the planned cuts would lead to significant staff reductions, worsening study conditions, and lower research and innovation capacity. “We demand a reliable funding path from this federal government,” he said.
The protests were triggered by the government’s plans for the 2027/28 federal double budget. The Austrian Universities Conference (uniko) had initially warned of possible cuts totaling €1 billion in the next three-year university budget covering 2028 to 2030, although Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) dismissed that figure as “completely invented.”
The Science Ministry is expected to cut €190 million in 2028, while medical universities may also be required to cover the salaries of doctors working at university hospitals themselves.
Government Seeks To Ease Concerns
Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ) attempted to calm concerns during an appearance on Austrian television Tuesday evening. She said she aims to secure a budget increase in the next performance agreement covering 2028 to 2030.
Holzleitner acknowledged that a budget freeze for 2028 is currently planned, but said negotiations over the three-year funding period would not begin until the fall. She also rejected claims attributed to her suggesting that science and research were not government priorities.
Despite those assurances, university leaders continue to demand an increase of €1.5 billion, bringing total university funding to €18 billion. They warned that anything less would result in severe consequences for students and research.
The ÖH warned of overcrowded courses, worsening supervision ratios, and additional admission restrictions if major cuts proceed. The conservative student group AktionsGemeinschaft accused Holzleitner of “destroying” universities through austerity measures and called for her resignation.
Research Institutions Also Raise Alarm
Support for the protests also came from university council leaders, who warned that the expected budget reductions could endanger the quality of academic education and graduates’ job prospects.
Austria’s largest non-university research organizations, including the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Austrian Science Fund, and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, also called for sufficient university funding. In a joint statement, they said universities and research institutions are deeply interconnected and cannot remain internationally competitive without one another.
Several regional governors have also criticized the planned cuts. Upper Austria Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) warned of a “major setback” for Austria as a business and research location.
The debate comes at a time when universities face shifting enrollment trends. While the number of domestic students has declined for about a decade, strong growth in international student numbers has kept overall enrollment relatively stable and recently pushed the total back above 270,000 students.
