Budget debate in Tyrol: Where is the progress despite debt?

Budget debate in Tyrol: Where is the progress despite debt?

The Tyrolean state government under the leadership of Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) recently presented its new budget, which was optimistic despite the high debt. Mattle explained that one could "work" with the household and called tourism the "rock in the surf". Nevertheless, he admitted that the financial framework is challenging, in particular due to declines in taxes and general inflation. The budget provides for net new debt of 147.6 million euros, which results in per capita debt of 1,706 euros. The country's total finances amount to income of over 5.72 billion euros and expenses of over six billion euros in 2025, reports .

budget criticism from the opposition

The opposition expressed violent criticism of the budget. Markus Abwerzger from the FPÖ referred to the financial legacy issues from pandemic and referred to the budget as a standstill plan. Greens club chairman Gebi Mair even saw “botch on the building” and missing decisive investments in areas such as the health sector and educational offers. The NEOS accused the state government of just throwing money on problems and the debt backpack does not make it easier. Despite all the criticism, the state government is planning a zero deficit for 2026, as in the report of Spiegel.de

At the same time, an impending budget crisis at the federal level could continue to burden the state finances. According to the Spiegel, the federal government is struggling with a sudden debt gap of 60 billion euros, which could affect the future financial scope of the individual federal states. In this context, the question arises how Tyrol wants to achieve his financial goals despite the increased debt burden and the uncertain economic situation.