Vienna is still considering politicians' salaries

Most federal states, like the federal government, are prescribing a zero salary increase for top-level politics for the coming year. Only Upper Austria is taking a different path, where politicians' salaries will be increased by 3.3 percent from July. In Vienna and Burgenland, no decision has been made yet. In any case, Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig remains the top earner among the state governors, while his Burgenland counterpart Hans Peter Doskozil (both SPÖ) is at the bottom of the salary table.

So far, Styria, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Salzburg, and Tyrol have announced that they will suspend the valorization of politicians' salaries for the year 2026. In Lower Austria, there is also a zero salary increase for the state government. Whether the salaries of the state parliament members will be increased is not yet clear. "For the other political levels, the final vote is currently underway. A resolution will be made in a timely manner," it was stated upon request from the state parliament clubs of ÖVP and FPÖ.

Upper Austria Announced Increase

In contrast, Upper Austria, governed by the black-blue coalition, is taking a special path. Here, politicians' salaries will be increased by 3.3 percent from July 1, in line with civil servants, as Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) announced this week during the presentation of the state budget. This was justified by the fact that politicians' salaries in Upper Austria have been set five percent below the amount stipulated by the nationwide salary law for years, and they do not participate in the self-devaluation of the political profession.

In fact, the upper limit for the salary of state governors in the salary pyramid is currently 22,657 euros gross per month and thus - due to the frequent zero salary increases at the federal level - significantly above the salaries of the Vice Chancellor (20,979), National Council President (20,025), and Ministers (19,072). Stelzer currently earns 20,623 euros and thus - and even after the increase of his salary next year to 21,304 - ranks third among the state governors.

Question Marks Over Politicians' Salaries in Vienna

The top earner among the state governors is Vienna's Mayor and Governor Ludwig with 22,657 euros. Executive city councilors (20,391) in the federal capital also earn more than state councilors in the other federal states. Among the state parliament members, the Viennese (8,610) are only surpassed by their Lower Austrian colleagues (9,063). Whether the politicians' salaries in Vienna will be increased next year has not yet been decided.

In second place in the salary ranking of the state governors is currently Lower Austria's Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) with 21,660 euros. At the other end of the scale is Burgenland's Governor Doskozil with 17,645 euros gross monthly. The other members of the red-green state government in Eisenstadt are currently faring the worst nationwide. Among the state parliament members, only the Carinthians (5,808) earn less than the Burgenlanders (6,394).

Burgenland also without decision

In Burgenland, the procedure is still being finalized at the political level, according to a request from Doskozil's office to APA. In the past two years, there has already been a zero-wage round in state politics, which is why they are at the "lowest end of the political salary pyramid."

Even with an increase in politicians' salaries by the statutory adjustment factor for politicians' salaries of 2.6 percent, which is derived from the inflation rate, nothing would change, and Doskozil would continue to earn slightly less than Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ), who, with a gross salary of 18,358 euros, is in second-to-last place on the salary table.

The divergence in politicians' salaries is due to the different increases in recent years. Particularly, the federal politicians' salaries have lost significant value since the introduction of the Federal Salary Act in 1997 due to frequent zero-wage rounds or increases below inflation. The Court of Audit also criticized in December that the structure of the salary pyramid has shifted significantly over the past 25 years, increasingly deviating from the original idea of the legislator, which was to create a fair and transparent salary structure. The federal government has announced a new regulation for the valorization of politicians' salaries.

(APA/Red)

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