Alarm signal for Upper Austria: Budget hole threatens social services!

Alarm signal for Upper Austria: Budget hole threatens social services!

Oberösterreich, Österreich - A dramatic deficit shakes the Austrian financial situation! The National Bank has confirmed the latest reports that the hole in the budget is between 15 and 23 billion euros. The forecast for the coming years is particularly alarming: the deficit could increase to 4.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2025, while this year it is already 3.7 percent. In an explosion of criticism, Alois Stöger, the new SPÖ boss in Upper Austria after the resignation of Michael Lindner, demanded a fundamental turn in budget policy. "If you want to rule differently and better, you first have to take responsibility for the mistakes of your previous politics," says Stöger, making it clear that the Ministry of Finance should no longer be managed by the ÖVP in the future, such as reported.

The consequences are profound: in Upper Austria, 138 out of 438 communities are financially striking and are under state curats. This has a serious impact on public services, especially in the areas of care and support. Stöger also points to the alarming situation of the social welfare associations, since two thirds of the associations can no longer meet the legal requirements. He urgently demands measures by Governor Thomas Stelzer and the financial officer to defuse the critical situation. A further report of the orf underlines the urgency of this situation, especially since the lack of yields of Upper Austria have to force to be economy.

political tensions increase, while the coalition negotiations in Vienna move into the hot phase. It remains to be seen whether Stöger's sharp attacks on the ÖVP will influence the talks. The goal of creating a solid financial basis cannot be at the expense of social security. "The ÖVP had its chance," concludes Stöger, while the exact effects are still uncertain and the discussions about financial policy in Austria are becoming more intensive.