Austria's police on alert: austerity measures threaten security!

Austria's police on alert: austerity measures threaten security!

The Austrian government is under pressure as the deficit is above the EU's Maastricht limit of three percent of GDP. To counteract this, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced on Tuesday that all ministries must reduce their material expenses by 15 percent. Despite these savings, Karner emphasized that safety must not be compromised. But the police already fear serious effects of these austerity measures, especially in Vienna, where the state police headquarters have been ordered to significantly reduce the overtime of their officers. This could have serious consequences for operational readiness, as 2.18 million overtime hours have already been accrued in 2024, according to reports Small newspaper emerges.

Comprehensive savings package

At the same time, the coalition of FPÖ and ÖVP announced a comprehensive austerity package worth 6.4 billion euros. The main focus is on abolishing the climate bonus, which is expected to generate savings of almost two billion euros. In addition, the ministries should save 1.1 billion euros, which also corresponds to 15 percent of their spending. The cuts also include the end of tax privileges for photovoltaic modules and higher dividends from partially state-owned companies. This was done by the Austria seen as part of a potential threat to Brussels in order to avoid a possible excessive deficit procedure. All measures should also affect citizens directly, as passport and driving license fees, among other things, could skyrocket, while state revenues are boosted by higher taxes from various areas.

Reactions to these measures range from mixed to negative. Environmental organizations criticize the cuts in climate protection measures and speak of a “negligent and counterproductive” approach. It remains to be seen how the population will react to these deep cuts, especially in view of the already strained police security resources.