Neos rely on transparency: 2.8 million euros for Vienna election campaign!

Neos rely on transparency: 2.8 million euros for Vienna election campaign!

The NEOS will use a campaign budget of around 2.8 million euros for the Vienna municipal council election on April 27, 2025. These expenses are below the legal maximum limit of five million euros and also below the self -set limit of three million euros. According to kosmo.at , the budget includes both already incurred and planned costs for the last week of the election campaign.

Philipp Kern, the state manager of Neos Vienna, emphasizes the need for financial transparency in the run -up to the election. Compared to the National Council election, the NEOs spent 3.5 million euros, which is 700,000 euros more than for the current Viennese election. Despite these expenses, the NEOS remain the cheapest party in parliament.

stricter requirements and new regulations

The reform of party financing decided in the Vienna state parliament includes a unanimous decision to restructure the city tariff. This is established as a separate organ and receives extended control options. The reform stipulates that the election campaign cost limit is reduced by 1 million euros and threatens strict sanctions when they are exceeded. These measures are intended to ensure that the financial resources of the parties are used transparently and prevent abuse, as it occurred in the past, especially with the ÖVP.

Since the reform, parties have been obliged to submit a first report on their election advertising expenses a week before the election day. Kern therefore expects the other political competitors to handle their finances similarly transparently. So far, only the NEOS and the Greens, which calculate around 2.9 million euros, have published their campaign budgets. The ÖVP, SPÖ and FPÖ, on the other hand, have not published any specific figures, but confirm their compliance with the statutory upper limits.

meaning of transparency

The regulation of party financing is a central aspect to maintain the trust of citizens in the political system. Studies show that a transparent financing structure can reduce the risk of corruption and promote competition between parties. Around 169 countries have already introduced specific regulations for party financing, which range from disclosure obligations to upper limits for donations, as from The knowledge

The new legal requirements in Vienna try to achieve a balance between freedom of political expression and avoiding financial interests in political decisions. In the future, an independent sanctuary should punish violations of the new rules and, if the information in the election advertising report, will impose fines up to 50,000 euros.

These steps to improve transparency and to regulate party financing are an important signal for the political responsibility and the trust of the citizens. The reforms could serve as a model for further positive developments in the political landscape by strengthening democratic values ​​and avoiding unnecessary influence of large donors.