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Constituent session; Mayor’s statement
Vienna (OTS / RK) – Following the election of the incumbent city councilors, the newly appointed mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, appeared before the city parliament to make a statement on the “progressive coalition”.
The mayor recalled that there was “a serious background” for the ballroom to be chosen as a meeting place, “to gain spatial distance, but not social.” Vienna is and will continue to be a city where people stick together and live in peace with each other. “It is precisely this union and solidarity that has recently entered the sights of terrorism.” But Vienna is still a city in which compassion and solidarity are always stronger than hatred and violence. Ludwig praised the efforts of the police officers and employees of the city of Vienna for their work during the night of terror on 2 November. “Because solidarity is typical of our city, and not only in times of crisis.”
“We have ten years of red-green behind us. This coalition has contributed to making Vienna an innovative, dynamic and liveable city today, in which social union, sustainability and climate protection are capitalized ”. Vienna now has a coalition of progress, this is not a decision against one party, but for a new politician. He’s gone, so Ludwig. “I am also convinced that you will soon find imitators throughout Austria.” This new path aims to show that Vienna will accept the challenge of this age and lead the metropolis into the future. “It starts with the management of the immediate health crisis, the fight for each job, the quick help to companies, freelancers and artisans. And it’s about assuming the long-term social and economic consequences, which are likely to be severe. “Now it is necessary to support the weakest in our society,” said the mayor. “It is time to find the widest possible consensus on cooperation with the social partners, cities and municipalities, civil society, but also with partners in the federal government and in the other federal states, as well as with political competitors beyond the political-partisan borders in the city hall ”, Ludwig outlined his path. The “great challenges of our time” can only be overcome together. “The great philosopher of Viennese roots Sir Karl Popper once said: ‘The value of a dialogue depends above all on the diversity of competing opinions,'” Ludwig quoted. The last election campaign, “which was developed largely as a contest of ideas”, had shown that one can also approach with respect in politics.
Then Ludwig outlined the priorities of the “Coalition for Progress.” The best medicine in town must continue to be available to “everyone,” and there will be a “staff and training offensive.” The training positions for qualified health and nursing personnel, nursing auxiliaries and medical-therapeutic-diagnostic health professions, as well as midwives, would be expanded by more than 2,500 positions. “In addition, Vienna will have its own primary care clinics as the first central point of contact for patients who come to the hospital independently.” In addition, there will be 36 new primary care units by 2025, where general practitioners with various health and social professions will work together under one roof, as well as 16 new special units providing care offerings in the resident area. “In the future, we will ensure even more medical care close to home throughout Vienna,” said the mayor.
Social assistance in the city is closely related to health. “The social is in the DNA of the city.” “We are making a clear statement here: Vienna should remain the most social metropolis in the world. Even if the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic have become even greater: no one is left behind, especially not in difficult times like these, ”said Ludwig. Special support and support programs for single-parent families, such as measures to integrate work or relief with childcare, would lead to “lead a better life, carefree and self-determined.”
In Vienna, two-thirds of the population live in protected housing, which is a significant figure worldwide. In addition, another 1,500 municipal housing units and several thousand subsidized apartments will be launched. The renovation of hundreds of thousands of private apartments has also been supported with public money, so that we achieve a social mix in our city ”, said Ludwig. Green building materials such as wood are used to build more sustainably. “And with new energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy, we are reducing CO2 emissions. Vienna has the largest development of passive houses in Europe.”
The city’s congress and tourism collapsed “100 percent” due to the pandemic. “We are putting together an investment package of 600 million euros to make the economy accelerate again. Funds flow toward expanding infrastructure, from education to sports to public transportation. With the economic stimulus package, 300 projects will be financed in advance and implemented by the end of 2023, ”Ludwig announced. The fight for each job has the highest priority, with instruments such as the 50plus labor offensive, more apprenticeships and qualifications for young people and a center for qualified workers as a strategic instrument of the labor market must be countered. There are also smart solutions for urban living space in the 21st century: Viennese companies and universities are working with the city of Vienna to develop technological and social solutions for a high quality of urban life that are climate-friendly and affordable. Critical infrastructure in Vienna must also be expanded again and production facilities “must be maintained or brought to our city,” Ludwig said.
“Vienna is not only a city of knowledge, but also a city of art and culture. These areas have been particularly affected by the pandemic. We help cultural workers with measures such as scholarships, the Vienna Summer of Culture and special grants. Above all, Vienna continued to pay subsidies to cultural institutions, even when there were no businesses, ”said the mayor, describing the city’s support.
The next topic of the mayor’s statement was climate change. “We are on the way to prepare for its consequences. But only in cooperation with the social partners, but also with the Federation of Industry and the Chamber of Agriculture, will we make progress in this area ”. Four percent of Vienna’s urban area is used for agricultural purposes. In addition to internationally valued wine, Vienna also has a large production of vegetables. “This allows us to supply the Viennese over short distances. This is a wonderful example of the smart city strategy, ”said Ludwig, citing the frequent presence of bees in the city as a sign of the quality of life for people and the environment. “Where bees are fine, people are fine too.” Concrete and asphalt are the great drivers of heat. The so-called “heat islands” develop there in the hot summer months. The city of Vienna has been countering this with numerous specific measures for a long time. “And we will phase out fossil fuels by 2040, that’s an ambitious goal,” announced the mayor. Transportation is a key challenge for the climate. “Our goal is to reduce per capita CO2 emissions in the transport sector by 50 percent by 2030. The proportion of travelers by car coming to Vienna will also be cut in half by 2030. To this end, we are in dialogue with our partners in the eastern region, ”said Ludwig. But Vienna also needs a new parking space management system. Here the new possibilities of digitization will be exhausted to allow a more flexible regulation. Mobility should be promoted, apart from car traffic, the area of bike lanes should be increased to 10 percent.
“In the coming years we want to develop and maintain Vienna as an international metropolis and as a place for many international organizations, because we see ourselves as an active city in a shared Europe. This can also have advantages for Vienna as a tourist place, because every ninth job in our city depends on this sector, ”said Ludwig.
More than ten years ago, Vienna took the “unique step” of introducing free kindergarten. “With the introduction of free all-day school this fall, we have reached the next milestone. At 70 interconnected all-day schools, learning, fun and exercise now alternate in a kid-friendly way. Up to ten additional locations will be added each year, ”said Ludwig. “We are further developing the Viennese educational system in such a way that all future opportunities are open to our children.” The Vienna research site is one of the cornerstones of the European research landscape. “We will therefore continue to promote the location of the university and thereby expand Vienna’s position as a leading European metropolis for research and innovation. The newly established and renowned Central European University (CEU), in particular, will provide an important boost. Beginning in 2024, full operation will begin in the Otto Wagner area of Penzing. “
“A cosmopolitan city like Vienna also needs a strong and living democracy. And that is why it is very important for me to focus even more on information, transparency, traceability and control than before, ”said the mayor. In this way, “the opportunities that digitization offers us to open up politics more and increase the transparency of political action” will be used in the next legislative period. “The abolition of official secrecy and the introduction of a freedom of information law at the federal level are therefore a delayed step. The institutions of direct democracy will be further expanded at the district level allowing district polls and binding district votes on issues that affect the powers of the districts, ”said the mayor, in statements to the federal government and districts.
“Overall, this is a future program that provides clear and ambitious answers to all the important questions of our time, such as the effects of the crown crisis. It focuses on immediate crisis management, as well as long-term challenges arising from climate change and digitization. We want, also through the parties, to do both: to get Vienna out of the health crisis and the consequences of the Crown crisis in the best possible way, but also to shape it in the long term and deeply so that this city is also a livable, modern and cosmopolitan metropolis in the future, in which social cohesion and respectful union is an absolute priority ”, said the mayor of Vienna, Ludwig, in his statement to the city parliament.
(Loud) nic
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