Social Affairs, Health, Education: This is on the Agenda for Day 2 of the Budget Debate

After the marathon session on Monday, the budget debate will resume in the National Council on Tuesday at 9 a.m. The deputies will start the second part of the budget discussions with the chapter on women and science. Subsequently, the chapters on education, agriculture, and environment, as well as labor, social affairs, and health will be covered. The Federal Finance Act for the double budget 2025 and 2026 will then be adopted after the outstanding chapters are dealt with on Wednesday.

Plenum continues budget debate

While the budgets in the areas of women, science, and education remain almost the same or slightly increase, the funds for agriculture and environment decrease significantly this year and those for the environment also next year. Renewed criticism from the Greens regarding the cuts in climate protection is therefore pre-programmed. The budgets for social affairs and consumer protection will slightly increase this year and next year. The health budget sees a decrease of 110 million euros this year, but an increase of 377 million follows in 2026. The latter is due to the establishment of a health reform fund.

Marathon session at the start of the budget debate

With a nearly 18-hour marathon session, the National Council started the budget week on Monday. The first day of the three-day budget debate ended in the early morning hours after detailed discussions on the chapters "Supreme Organs," housing, sports and culture, foreign affairs, justice, interior, and economy. The opposition criticized various savings in the sub-areas, while representatives of the government factions defended the consolidation measures they deemed necessary.

The detailed discussions on the individual chapters of the double budget began only in the evening after the government statement on the rampage in Graz, an urgent inquiry, and further resolutions. Nevertheless, the deputies devoted themselves extensively to the first chapters of the budget. Opinions diverged widely on the chapter on foreign affairs. While the Greens criticized the cuts in development cooperation and foreign disaster relief as the "wrong path," the FPÖ saw "considerable savings potential" in development aid and payments to international organizations.

Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS) spoke of very serious cuts in her department's budget. Savings would be made in administration and the system, but at the same time, it would be ensured that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could continue to contribute as a security department and that Austrians in need "can rely on us." The cuts in development aid pained her, but they were still significantly above the pre-crisis level, said Meinl-Reisinger.

Controversial debate on the topic of interior

The debate on the topic of internal affairs and foreign affairs was also controversial. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) assured that there would be no savings in the security sector, but rather in the asylum sector due to declining migration. The FPÖ disagreed with this portrayal and pointed to the personnel shortage in the executive and overtime reductions. The Greens, on the other hand, criticized the phasing out of compulsory insurance for displaced persons from Ukraine.

Opposition Criticism of Cuts in the Sports Sector

The Greens and FPÖ were united in their criticism of cuts in the sports and cultural sectors. Green MP Agnes Sirkka Prammer said she could not understand why sports were being burdened with all the costs for daily exercise units. Markus Leinfellner (FPÖ) also did not understand why savings were being made in sports, which are so important for health, children, jobs, and tax revenue. His party colleague Wendelin Mölzer condemned the cultural budget as completely "unambitious." Green leader Werner Kogler said the government had managed to "cause economic damage even in culture." Both the FPÖ and the Greens also criticized the absence of Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ).

State Secretary Michaela Schmidt (SPÖ), who represented Babler, defended the necessary savings in the sports sector given the difficult budgetary situation. However, she emphasized that the savings in general sports funding would mainly be achieved through re-evaluations, shifts, and administrative savings, not through cuts. In the cultural sector, budgetary resources must also be used wisely in times of hard savings, Schmidt said.

Greens Criticize Cuts in Funding for Ethnic Groups and Integration

The debate on justice and the "Supreme Organs" was less controversial. The Greens once again criticized the cuts in funding for ethnic groups and in the area of integration. The government's goal of integration from day one is commendable, but she wondered how significantly more services could be provided with significantly fewer resources, said Deputy Green Club Chairwoman Sigrid Maurer. The responsible Minister of the Chancellery, Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP), emphasized that despite cuts in all areas, it was ensured that the programs would be implemented. There would be no cuts in the basic funding for ethnic groups, she stressed.

The first day of the three-day budget debate ended in the early morning hours shortly before three o'clock with the debate on the economic chapter. The end of the session after nearly 18 hours was met with delighted applause from the MPs. The budget debate will continue at 9 a.m. on Tuesday with the discussion of further chapters. The double budget is to be adopted on Wednesday.

(APA/Red)

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