Barbara Novak will be the new financial councilor - Vienna sets the course for the budget!

Barbara Novak will be the new financial councilor - Vienna sets the course for the budget!

Wien, Österreich - On June 4, 2025, the Vienna SPÖ under Mayor Michael Ludwig made significant changes in the city government. One of the central innovations is the appointment of Barbara Novak to the finance councilor. Novak, who previously worked as the state party secretary of the SPÖ Vienna, takes on a key position because she is responsible for a billion dollar budget and a record deficit.

Barbara Novak is considered a close confidante of Mayor Ludwig. It was significantly involved in the coalition negotiations that focused on finance, business, work and municipal utilities. Their main task will be to save 500 million euros and control the city's expenses. Novak has been a member of the state parliament and member of the Vienna municipal council since 2001 and had previously played the role of vice-chairman in the Finance Committee.

Change in the city government

The change in the city government also takes place due to the transfer of Peter Hanke, who previously acted as a financial city council. Hanke moves to the federal government and becomes a member of the Ministry of Infrastructure. As a result, several positions in the city government had to be filled again.

The composition of the city government remains largely stable. Vice Mayor Kathrin Gaál remains responsible for residential construction, urban renewal and women. Ulrike Sima continues to take care of urban planning, mobility and Wiener Stadtwerke, while Jürgen Czernohorszky leads the departments climate, environment, democracy and personnel. Veronica Kaup-Hasler remains responsible for culture and science and Peter Hacker takes care of social affairs, health and sport.

political realignment

With the appointment of Novak, the SPÖ also sets a sign of a realignment within the party. The mayor also expressed the wish that Josef Taucher is again elected club chairman. Christian Meidlinger will act as the first president of the state parliament.

The opposition parties, especially the FPÖ, have also made new personnel decisions. Despite an election defeat in 2020, the FPÖ has now again reached around 20 percent proportion of votes. Maximilian Krauss remains club chairman in the town hall, while Dominik Nepp, Ulrike Nittmann and Stefan Berger are not conducting city councilors.

The log in the new city council members is planned for June 10, 2025 at the constituent meeting of the local council. These changes in the city government could have a significant impact on the future financial policy of Vienna, while Barbara Novak is preparing for her new responsibility.