Suche
Mein Konto
New Federal Ministries Act: Austria's government in transition!
The new federal government, under Chancellor Stocker, is reforming the Federal Ministries Act for more transparency and efficiency.
New Federal Ministries Act: Austria's government in transition!
On March 7, 2025, a groundbreaking amendment was passed in the Austrian National Council Federal Ministries Act decided, which ensures a clear division of ministerial responsibilities. Wolfgang Gerstl, constitutional spokesman for the ÖVP, emphasized during the plenary debate that this law not only determines a precise distribution of responsibilities, but also implements the recommendations of the Court of Auditors with regard to better auditing in each department. The government, led by Chancellor Christian Stocker, consists of 13 ministers and seven state secretaries, which makes it medium-sized in international comparison.
The law also brings with it historic changes: decisions at EU level must now be coordinated by the entire cabinet in order to prevent individual ministries from going it alone. Gerstl also pointed to the upgrade of the public service, which is now subordinate to the Federal Chancellery, in order to focus on its importance. The implementation of the Freedom of Information Act will take effect on September 1st, representing a clear step towards greater transparency. On the occasion of the support from the parliamentary groups in the last legislative period, Gerstl thanked the MPs involved and underlined the intentions of this federal government as an expression of cooperation and not dominance.
Innovations in departmental systems
With the vote of the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, the Constitutional Committee of the National Council gave the green light for the changes to the Federal Ministries Act. One of the most significant innovations is the restructuring of ministries, in which specific responsibilities are redistributed. This is how the Federal Ministry of Labor and Economic Affairs will be divided: Labor matters will in future be bundled in the new Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. In addition, the topics of economy, energy and tourism are cooperating in a new department.
The critical questions came mainly from the FPÖ and the Greens, who expressed concerns about responsibilities and the separation of important issues such as climate and environmental protection. The Greens are particularly concerned about the separation of these issues from the energy and transport decisions, as in the Parliament reporting is mentioned.