Vienna Ignores Zero Wage Round and Increases Politician Salaries in 2025

In Lower Austria, there is a zero wage round only for the state government. Burgenland wants to join the zero wage round, Tyrol and Carinthia are still waiting. A federal state review.

Vorarlberg Follows the Agreement for State Employees

In Vorarlberg, the salaries of state politicians will increase by 200 euros gross in 2025. The increase is based on the salary agreement of the state employees, as announced on Monday in a press release by the parliamentary group leaders of the governing parties ÖVP and FPÖ. Thus, the salary of the governor will increase by one percent, that of the deputy governor by 1.09 percent, that of the state councillors by 1.16 percent. The president of the state parliament will receive 1.68 percent more salary. Parliamentary group leaders (plus 2.09 percent) and the two vice-presidents of the state parliament (plus 2.30 percent) will receive more than two percent more. The increase for state parliament deputies is 3.27 percent.

A change in the salary law is to be decided in the December state parliament. The opposition is invited to join a joint application. "We are convinced that a moderate and measured increase, as now planned in Vorarlberg, is a good compromise between the adjustment factor of the Court of Auditors and the demands for zero wage rounds," said the parliamentary group leaders Veronika Marte (ÖVP) and Markus Klien (FPÖ).

Upper Austria Does Not Participate in Zero Wage Round

In Upper Austria, the announcement from the summer remains, "that we will not participate in the self-devaluation of the politician's profession and therefore there will be no zero wage round for state and municipal politics," said Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) and Deputy Governor Manfred Haimbuchner (FPÖ) in a joint statement at the beginning of the week. However, the final word may not have been spoken yet: "Now it's time to wait and see what the parliament will actually decide on Wednesday. Then we will have discussions within the government partnership," it continued.

Vienna Also Increases Politicians' Salaries

Salaries are being consistently increased in Vienna. This was reported to the APA on Wednesday afternoon by a spokesperson for the responsible city councilor, Jürgen Czernohorszky (SPÖ). Recently, the government partner of the Viennese Reds, the NEOS, had strongly advocated for a zero wage round in the federal capital. The adjustment is now justified with legal requirements of the Court of Audit.

These would provide for an adjustment of the salaries, it was pointed out. "For a solution deviating from the legal situation, a state parliament resolution would be necessary. The Viennese state parliament is not meeting anymore this year and therefore such a deviating resolution will not be made in Vienna", it was said in a statement from the city council office.

Burgenland Joins Zero Wage Round

Burgenland will implement a zero wage round for state politicians for 2025 as well, after 2024, it was said from the office of Governor Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) in response to an APA inquiry, also already on Monday. Given the difficult economic situation, which the still incumbent federal government is responsible for, a contribution from politics is "necessary and required". "For me, however, it is a matter of course that politics also has to make its contribution. In Burgenland, we are particularly credible - because we are the only federal state that has also implemented a real zero wage round in 2024", Doskozil said in the statement.

Wait and See in Tyrol and Carinthia

In Tyrol, it was still unclear whether to follow the federal example or not. The parliamentary group leaders of the state parliament factions had agreed on Monday to wait and see what will actually be decided in the National Council on Wednesday, said ÖVP parliamentary group leader Jakob Wolf to the APA, referring to the planned National Council resolution. Only then would they sit down together. For example, if a central regulation were to come out in the end, it would be pointless to decide something on their own in Tyrol. Moreover, they still had some time, as the last state parliament session for this year would not take place until next week. The office of Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP), on the other hand, pointed out to the APA that the matter fell within the remit of the state parliament and that the discussions there should be awaited.

There is currently also no decision in Carinthia on the adoption of politicians' salaries.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.