Dispute over the Vienna election: Elephant round tackles financial questions of fate!

Dispute over the Vienna election: Elephant round tackles financial questions of fate!

On April 24, 2025, the elephant round for the Vienna election, organized by ORF, took place in the ballroom of the Vienna City Hall. In this panel discussion, prominent representatives of the most important political parties competed against each other: SPÖ Mayor Michael Ludwig, ÖVP leader Karl Mahrer, Green Party leader Judith Pühringer, FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp and NEOS city councilor Bettina Emmerling answered questions from moderators Eva Linsinger and Oliver Ortner.

A central topic of the discussion was the federal budget deficit and financial policy in Vienna. Mahrer defended the federal government's spending during the pandemic, while Pühringer's arguments placed a clear focus on investments in climate protection and the rent cap. Emmerling criticized the spending of the last federal government, while Ludwig addressed the lack of inflation control at the federal level.

Financial policy and social benefits

Another critical point was financial policy in Vienna. Nepp expressed dissatisfaction with the financial burden on pensioners and noted that up to two billion euros could be saved if social benefits for people without an Austrian passport were eliminated. However, Ludwig pointed out that around half of those receiving minimum income are children, old people or sick people and emphasized the role of the employment service (AMS) for people who are able to work.

The discussion about the minimum income was also intensive. Nepp and Mahrer criticized Vienna for granting benefits to those entitled to subsidiary protection. Ludwig suggested that minimum security be handled nationwide via the AMS. Pühringer recalled that only ten cases in Vienna received high benefits.

With regard to education policy, the group agreed on the need for early language proficiency assessment in kindergarten, even if the opposition denounced the city government's failures in language support. At this point, the call for more police was supported by all parties.

Coalition prospects and personal dynamics

The question about the future coalition after the election remained unanswered during the discussion. Mayor Ludwig ruled out a coalition with the FPÖ, while he and Emmerling argued for a continuation of the red-pink coalition. Pühringer and Mahrer expressed their desire to be part of the next city government, while Nepp was realistic about the possibility of government responsibility.

Finally, the candidates had kind words for each other. Ludwig praised Pühringer's courage in overcoming his fear of motorcycles. Pühringer thanked Emmerling for her closeness to nature, while Emmerling described Mahrer as humorous and pleasant. Mahrer called on Nepp to adopt more legally compliant policies, which Nepp responded with the comment that the mayor was quite easy to get along with in a personal conversation.

Vienna's city politics is facing major challenges, particularly with regard to financial transparency and the responsible use of taxpayers' money. Citizens want to be able to understand how their money is being spent. At a time when new debt and high debt burdens are being discussed, it is crucial to set priorities and ensure services without endangering Vienna's financial stability. A sustainable financial policy is necessary in order not to burden future generations and to ensure the quality of life in Vienna, as besserewelt.info emphasizes.