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Praise from the ÖVP and the Greens and criticism from the opposition at first reading in the National Council
Vienna (PK) – After Finance Minister Gernot Blümel presented the draft of the Federal Finance Law 2021 yesterday in his budget speech, members of the National Council had the floor today. At the first reading, the parliamentary groups defined their basic positions and thus set the tone for future discussions on the parliamentary budget. While the ÖVP and the Greens supported the budget in response to the crisis, the opposition spoke of broken promises and, above all, of lost investments in future issues.
Wöginger sees the budget as the answer to the crisis
“We have managed well in recent years and therefore we can afford this budget,” emphasized August Wöginger (ÖVP). Saving people, jobs and companies, alleviating the burden on citizens and investing in location and competitiveness are the central axes of this draft for the leading club of the Popular Party. To keep the economy alive, measures such as short hours, tax deferrals, guarantees, the poverty fund and the fixed cost subsidy are necessary. Tax cuts, child bonuses or increased pensions should, in turn, strengthen purchasing power and ensure the economic cycle, in addition to the investment bonus and the community package.
Wöginger particularly welcomed the € 29 billion to be spent on the labor market and employment over the next two years, and expects around 100,000 new jobs out of the € 700 million for the labor foundation alone. He also positively highlighted budget priorities for the police, military and judiciary, as well as additional investments in health and care, science and universities, as well as climate protection and mobility.
Rendi-Wagner accuses Blümel of policy of empty promises
SPÖ club president Pamela Rendi-Wagner, on the other hand, spoke of broken promises and said that in the context of the historically largest economic crisis, she would have needed a budget such as the declaration of war against record unemployment expressed in figures and , in particular, an active and forward-looking labor market policy. Nothing is seen of the additional funding for the labor market and employment, and the announced tax cut for small and medium incomes is not reflected in the budget.
Rendi-Wagner also overlooked proper precautions for climate protection, care reform, or protection of the state health system. “End the policy of empty promises and finally take responsibility for the future of Austria,” he appealed to Finance Minister Blümel.
Kickl: Corona aid is just euthanasia for companies
Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) identified the responsibility of the high unemployment in the government and said that the budget only contained cash gifts, postponements and a tax reform “from the drawer of the FPÖ secretary of state, Fuchs”. Aid from the crown is nothing more than euthanasia and comes down to ridiculous amounts for companies running out of fixed costs. A wrong location policy, in turn, drives out corporations like MAN and encourages their relocation to other countries with EU funding from Austria.
The club president FPÖ accused the government as a whole of causing a conflagration in the Austrian economy through scare tactics and “clumsy management”. In the corona pandemic, people who are particularly worthy of protection should be protected, but others should be able to work, Kickl stressed.
Maurer welcomes the priority setting for climate protection and mobility
Sigrid Maurer (Greens), on the other hand, was happy with a “green” budget. Necessary priorities would be set not only to deal with the crisis, but also to tackle the major problems of the future. Now there are more funds available than ever for ecological change, and the focus is on climate protection and mobility.
The budget also contains numerous measures to combat the risk of poverty, as well as significant increases in health and science. The president of the Green Club firmly welcomed the priorities in the education sector, such as the digitization offensive or the “100 schools” project, but also additional funds for protection against violence and equality, as well as for the judiciary and the arts and culture sector.
Meinl-Reisinger loses investments in future issues
Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) called the Finance Minister’s draft “astonishingly ambitious”. It was a crisis budget, “but nothing more,” when it would have needed a bullish budget in the face of great challenges, he said. They accused the government of managing the past rather than investing in the future.
Above all, Meinl-Reisinger lost the courage to enter into a true renewal and critically commented that the necessary upturn would not be successful with handouts, but only through relief and debureaucratization. Despite the small tariff reform, Austria remains a high tax country. (Continuation of the National Council) hof
NOTE: The meetings of the National Council and the Federal Council can also be followed via live streaming and are available as video on demand in Parliament’s media library.
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