Family policy in focus: National Council argues for budget and future!

Family policy in focus: National Council argues for budget and future!

Vienna, Österreich - On June 18, 2025, the third day of the budget debate took place in the National Council, which dealt strongly with the government's family policy. Sharp criticism came in particular from the opposition, which pointed out various aspects of social benefits. The suspension of the valorization of family services caused violent controversy. The FPÖ and the Greens expressed concerns about the savings on public transport, while the price increases in the cost of living increased the concerns of citizens.

The debate about the financing and the state's ability to defend also took a central place. According to vienna.at , the FPÖ-Wehrweflter Volker Reifenberger expressed his concerns about the budgeting, in particular with regard to the expenditure for national defense. He warned that the goal of increasing defense spending by 2032 was hardly reached. The Greens were also concerned about personnel problems and inadequate accommodations in the military sector.

family policy and their challenges

Family Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) emphasized the support that Austria offers families, but FPÖ MP Ricarda Berger described the non-valorization of family services as a "cold reduction". Her party colleagues demanded that the regional trains maintain and warn of the consequences of the financial savings for families. Meanwhile, green mandate Barbara Neßler criticized politics as a "Mickey Mouse Policy".

In Germany, under the new CDU-led government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, there are significant changes in social and family policy. The focus is on tax relief for families, in particular through adjustments to the child allowances and the planned raising child benefit. Similar to Austria, however, there are concerns about possible tightening of the laws that could affect single parents. In a document by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, the critical attitude to the introduction of a citizens' benefit is emphasized that should not promote performance and do not promote unemployment ( fr.de ).

legal developments and opposition

In Germany, a report by the Bundestag shows that the law on basic child protection has been stuck in the parliamentary process, which underlines the urgency of political measures. The increase in child benefit should take place on January 1, 2025, and the tax allowances for children should increase from 2026 ( Bundesag.de ).

In both countries, it remains unclear what the actual implementations of the political project will look like and what effects they have in the long term on the reality of life of families and single parents. The National Council in Austria continued its consultations on Wednesday, while the questions about the effectiveness of family policy in Germany remain unanswered.