Vienna on the way to the new government: Who will be finance minister?

Vienna on the way to the new government: Who will be finance minister?

Schönbrunner Straße, 1050 Wien, Österreich - On February 27, 2025, the political landscape of Austria will be mixed up for important ministerial posts by the nomination of Markus Marterbauer and Peter Hanke. The 60-year-old economist Marterbauer, a representative of the left wing, is expected to become new finance minister, while the Vienna Finance City Councilor Hanke is being discussed as an infrastructure minister. This information was confirmed by the APA from SPÖ circles after there have already been rumors who will take over the key positions in the upcoming ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS federal government, which will include a total of 14 ministers and seven state secretariats, such as Falter reported.

The uncertainty about the ministerial posts is accompanied by an internal dispute within the SPÖ. Party leader Andreas Babler is said to favor predecessors for Hanke's position, including the Member of the National Council and his confidant Michaela Schmidt. Hanke himself is diplomatic and does not want to make an official confirmation. Hanke, who has been working as a financial city council in Vienna since 2018, has already demonstrated his financial expertise, not without controversy about the greatly increased budget deficit in Vienna in the amount of almost 4 billion euros for 2025. Opposition politicians see a structural problem in this situation, while Hanke continues to argue that the city continues to be strongly invested and the deficit remains stable in the long run!

overview of the ministerial posts

Negotiations on the new ministerial posts will continue in the party committees this Friday and Sunday. While SPÖ and ÖVP each occupy six ministries, two go to the Neos. Hanke, who is known for his inconspicuous but professional way, could prove to be a critical candidate for the challenges in the finance ministry due to his previous experience, in particular with a view to the massive savings of 15 to 20 billion euros in the next four years, which according to the budget service, as well as OE24 reported.