Barbara Novak: New President of the VÖWG – mastering challenges!

Barbara Novak: New President of the VÖWG – mastering challenges!

On September 2, 2025, Barbara Novak was unanimously elected as the new President of the Association of Public and Community Enterprises (VÖWG). Novak, who is the acting city councilor for finance, economics and labor, succeeds Peter Hanke, who has led the association since 2021. In her first speech as president, Novak emphasized the current economic challenges, including high inflation, global crises and increasing cost pressure.

In her speech, she emphasized the importance of stable, high-quality and affordable public services. These services are crucial for the quality of life of the population in Austria and for social justice in the country.

Focus on public services

Public services refer to the state and municipal task of providing the population with basic goods and services, such as drinking water and wastewater disposal, energy supply and public transport systems. The VÖWG plays a key role by ensuring public services for more than 9 million people at national, regional and municipal levels. Heidrun Maier-de Kruijff, managing director of the VÖWG, describes the public economy as the backbone of this public service.

The core areas of public services also include health care, educational institutions, waste disposal and public safety. These elements are not only important for a decent life, but also form the basis for economic development, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), reports show. Maintaining and modernizing public services is a joint task for politics, business and civil society.

Tasks and goals of the VÖWG

The VÖWG, founded in 1952, has adapted to changing social, economic and legal conditions. It brings together over 120 companies, ministries, public institutions and organizations as well as associated umbrella organizations in Austria. The aim is to improve the framework conditions for business oriented towards the common good and to secure the future of public services.

The association prepares political and regulatory projects at national and European level for its members and offers numerous information and networking events to promote dialogue and exchange of experiences. This is done, among other things, through close cooperation with the Association of Municipal Companies (VKU) and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV).

The VÖWG is also the Austrian section of SGI Europe and a member of the European umbrella organization Aqua Publica Europea. It is crucial that the VÖWG is also represented in the international research network CIRIEC in order to promote the transfer of knowledge between science and practice, as reported.

With Barbara Novak at the helm, the VÖWG is now pursuing the goal of proactively meeting the challenges of the future and further strengthening the essential services for the population in Austria.

While challenges such as climate change, digitalization and demographic change are becoming increasingly pressing, the VÖWG remains determined to fight for efficient public services that guarantee social cohesion and economic stability.

For more information about the activities and goals of the VÖWG, visit the association's website: VÖWG. Further background information on public services in Austria can also be found in Middle class journal.