Storm of criticism over the ÖVP budget: Kickl calls it a document of failure”!

Storm of criticism over the ÖVP budget: Kickl calls it a document of failure”!

On Saturday, Chancellor Christian Stocker gave an important speech at the state party conference of the Vorarlberg ÖVP. In his speech, he defended ex-Finance Minister Magnus Brunner and firmly rejected criticism of the ÖVP. This was accused of having “driven the country to the wall”. Stocker emphasized that previous decisions were based on forecasts that were now being questioned from various sides. It didn't take long for his opposition to respond.

The FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl expressed criticism of Stocker's argument on Facebook. He described Brunner's budget policy as “irresponsible” and spoke of a “debt misery”. Kickl emphasized that the ÖVP “still hasn’t understood anything” when it comes to dealing with the country’s financial challenges. In a direct response to Stocker's statement, he warned that Kickl's aggressive stance would continue to be felt in future parliamentary committees and special sessions. oe24 reports, that Stocker also pointed out that Austria was faced with other crucial challenges.

Criticism of the double budget

The FPÖ also expressed massive criticism of the current double budget 2025/2026, which was drafted by the coalition of ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS. Hubert Fuchs, finance spokesman for the FPÖ, described this draft as a “document of failure” and not as a restructuring budget. Amid allegations that the previous black-green government caused a deficit of around 88 billion euros between 2020 and 2024, Fuchs added that the new government is planning further deficits of around 82 billion euros by 2029. fpoe.at reports that despite new tax packages for the population, no significant stimulus was provided for the economy.

In addition, Fuchs criticized the lack of real structural reforms and savings, especially in the areas of asylum, migration and administration. He emphasized that Austria has a spending problem and not a revenue problem. At the same time, he called for an honest and fair budget policy in the interests of the population, as the current policy was perceived as “unsocial, unsound and dishonest”.

Budget figures and renovation goals

The federal government presented the double budget with the aim of introducing restructuring measures. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer explained that a consolidation volume of 6.4 billion euros is planned for 2025 and 8.7 billion euros for 2026. A major goal of these measures is to avoid high interest payments and to create scope for investments. Loud bmf.gv.at Taking these restructuring measures into account, the overall government deficit should be reduced to 4.5% of GDP in 2025.\

However, the challenges should not be underestimated. The spending ratio is expected to fall from 56.8% in 2025 to 55.0% in 2029, despite an increase in interest expenses. While savings are planned in the area of ​​administration and the abolition of the climate bonus, the question remains whether these measures are sufficient to achieve financial balance and at the same time not place an excessive burden on the population.