Crisis summit: save without wealth tax! Future loads threaten!

Crisis summit: save without wealth tax! Future loads threaten!

Österreich - On April 2, 2025, the Black-Red Pink government called a crisis summit to discuss ways to save 6.4 billion euros. Representatives of the municipalities and the Governor's Conference have been invited to the talks. However, the first federal states and the community of the municipality already show disinterest in these negotiations. SPÖ Finance Minister Marterbauer emphasized in an interview that the planned savings volume cannot be exceeded under the initiative of the FPÖ. He pointed out that Austria is one of the economically and socially strongest countries in the world and that urgent measures to stability are necessary, especially because of the increasing deficit.

In this context, the FPÖ business spokeswoman Dr. Barbara Kolm critically critically about the ongoing finance talks. It warns of possible new burdens for the population, especially of a wealth tax. At the same time, Kolm criticizes the high tax burden and the regulations that endanger the country's economic substance. According to it, the deficit should be dismantled by a reduction in state expenditure without introducing new taxes. The tax revenue in Austria already amounted to around 100 billion euros in 2024, a record value, but the state still has to draw teaching from the current financial situation.

financial challenges and expenses

Austria is in a broader European context where Germany can refer to a state deficit of 118.8 billion euros in 2024. This deficit represents an increase of 15 billion euros compared to the previous year and was higher than expected, since a deficit of only 113 billion euros had been predicted. Nevertheless, there was also good news in Germany: the overall revenue of the state exceeded the mark of two trillion euros for the first time and increased by 4.8 percent compared to the previous year. In particular, tax revenue grew by 3.5 percent.

As part of the government expenditure of 2,131.6 billion euros, the interest expenditure was an increase of 24.2 percent. Monetary social benefits grew by 7.0 percent due to higher expenses in the areas of pensions, care and social assistance. The high expenditure could also burden the economic framework, which is perceived by analysts as worrying. Despite these challenges, Germany complies with the EU debt rule, which allows a budget deficit of a maximum of 3.0 percent of gross domestic product.

economic stability in the focus

In order to ensure the stability of public budgets, a deep understanding of the financial structures is essential. The quarterly cash statistics offer comprehensive insights into the income, expenses and the use of external funds to cover the financing requirement. These results are crucial for public budgetary management in the European Economic and Monetary Union, since they form the structural basis for future political decisions.

Developments related to financial discussions in Austria are not only important for the national economy, but also have an impact on the entire European financial landscape. [Ots] reports that ... while [Tagesschau] notes, ... and [Destatis] provides valuable data on the financial framework.