Debate in the Vienna state parliament: social aid instead of populism required!

Debate in the Vienna state parliament: social aid instead of populism required!

In the Vienna state parliament, a lively debate about asylum policy and social support was held on March 27, 2025. LAbg. Mag. Dolores Bakos from the Neos clearly opposed Dominik Nepp (FPÖ) and rejected them as an example of right -wing populism. She emphasized the need to make the discussion about asylum more objective and called for a strong social network for people in difficult living situations and incentives to return to the job market. At the same time, she spoke out for a reform of social assistance, which is aiming for unification of benefits in the federal states and should tie more to the labor market service.

bakos for its rejection of integration expenditure, while LAbg. David Ellensohn appealed to the Greens an increase in people affected by poverty. Ellensohn pointed to the paradoxical situation that poverty could increase despite growing millionaires. "We should take measures against wage robbery and tax fraud," said Ellensohn, who also claimed basic child protection.

reactions to the increase in poverty -affected

LAbg. Mag. Caroline Hungerländer from the ÖVP recognized the decline in absolute poverty, but expressed concerns regarding the high proportion of subsidiary persons in Vienna. She also called for a revision of the social welfare system. In contradiction, LAbg. Mag. Andrea Mautz from the SPÖ made it clear that asylum seekers were not “asylum millions” and that there were no demands on minimum security if they were illegally. Mautz emphasized that the reference rate of the minimum security is seven percent, which is a explosive situation with increasing living costs.

In addition, Luise Däger-Gregori was unanimously elected by the SPÖ as a substitute member of the Federal Council. During the debate, LAbg. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Stefan Gara from the Neos that the Wiener Klimgersetz can be seen as a milestone for climate policy. He presented the goals of the law that should include climate protection, climate adjustment and circular economy.

European migration policy in focus

In the background of this discussion, European migration policy, which has been under pressure for years, is also under. According to reports from the European Parliament, there has been a significant increase in arrivals at the EU's external borders in the past decade. The pressure on the border-free Schengen area makes an effective management of the external borders necessary in order to avoid internal border controls. The new migration and asylum package provides improved screening processes that are intended to enable faster asylum procedures at the limits. The procedures should be completed within twelve weeks, whereby a quick screening should help to determine the right legal framework for those traveling.

An additional problem is the so -called pushbacks, in which migrants are violently pushed back to the borders. This practice violates EU law and the Geneva Refugee Convention and represents a serious challenge for European values. Eastern European states in particular rely on foreclosure and pushbacks, while southern European countries demand more fairer distribution. This different approach to migration is also evident in the latest EU peaks, which focus on topics such as border security and fast returns of rejected asylum seekers.

Overall, developments in the field of asylum and migration policy are of enormous relevance at both national and European level. The demands for reforms and humanitarian handling of asylum law are in contrast to populist currents that propagate a restrictive policy. All of these aspects will continue to have a central role in public discussion.

For more information about the current challenges in migration policy, click here: and here: Europe in class .