Kickl warns of load hammer: government fails in the event of a budget renovation!

Kickl warns of load hammer: government fails in the event of a budget renovation!

The chairman of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), Herbert Kickl, has had a sharp criticism of the federal government, especially with regard to the planned double budget 2025/26. According to Kickl, a billion -dollar deficit is expected in the budget, and the coalition of ÖVP, SPÖ and Neos has failed to seriously tackle the financial situation. Instead, they rely on a "gigantic stress hammer" instead of pursuing the urgently necessary relief options. "Austria has to save", the government parties demand, but Kickl counters that the savings would mainly meet families and retirementists, while the coalition will perform funds for "special programs", such as for SPÖ boss Andreas Babler.

The allegations that Kickl raises also focus on the government's personnel decisions. Ex-Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Martin Kocher and Magnus Brunner are the focus of his criticism, whose new positions in the National Bank and the EU Commission are considered insufficient reactions to the challenges. The coalition's debt policy is also denounced, in particular the new debt of 88 billion euros in recent years and the forecast another 82 billion euros.

budget problem and savings plans

In order to escape the impending EU deficit procedure, the FPÖ and the ÖVP presented a plan for budget renovation. This provides for savings of 6.3 billion euros, based on cuts in grants, including the climate monus, which would save 2.3 billion euros alone. Kickl has emphasized that these savings should be achieved without tax increases in a period of only three days. However, experts demonstrate skepticism about these plans because the short -term load capacity of the measures remains questionable.

The forecast deficits in Austria exceed the Maastricht criteria: The EU Commission expects 3.7% in 2025 and 3.5% in 2026. The finance minister Markus Marterbauer has pointed out that the budget-like is twice as large, and that Austria had to implement the agreed savings by May 13, 2026. On June 18, a final decision on financial planning is to be made.

The challenges of the EU deficit procedure

The impending deficit procedure contrasts structural problems and effects of corona apandemia. The Austrian National Bank has revised its growth forecast downwards, and the WIFO and the IHS confirm that the deficit cannot be pressed below 3% of the GDP. It is pointed out to a possible resource deficit procedure, so that Austria could soon follow other EU countries that are in similar procedures.

Despite the savings announced by the new government, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen puts the need for a sensitive handling of expenses. He warns of the potential risks of a recession and renews the appeal to rethink the effect of planned budget cuts.

Herbert Kickl concludes that a political change is necessary to implement real savings and reforms. It remains to be seen how the government deals with these challenges and whether the savings plans can be realized, while at the same time the demands are growing on a sustainable and responsible financial policy.