Vienna State Parliament decides on New Information Freedom Act - Criticism disassembled!

Vienna State Parliament decides on New Information Freedom Act - Criticism disassembled!

In a significant step towards promoting freedom of information, the Vienna Landtag has implemented the Freedom of Information Act in State Law. The innovations that come into force from September, among other things, provide for the abolition of official secrets and faultness, which means a fundamental redesign of transparency policy in the city. According to OE24 In the future, information of general interest will be published.

The government under the leadership of SPÖ and Neos has made extensive adjustments to numerous state laws. This includes changes in the municipal electoral regulations, building regulations, the funding laws and the city constitution. These measures are intended to increase responsibility and openness to public administration.

criticism from the opposition

However, the amendment was not accepted without contradiction. The opposition, in particular the ÖVP and the Greens, expresses concerns about possible restrictive restrictions on the right to ask. Adam Ellensohn, a Green Councilor, made critical comparisons to other federal states that offer a more comprehensive question of question. ÖVP club chairman Harald Zierfuß criticized the introduction of confidentiality reasons for municipal council members, which could endanger the transparency of the municipal government.

The opposition parties also complain that the amendment was brought in at short notice and without comprehensive discussion. FPÖ City Councilor Ulrike Nittmann joined these critical voices, while SPÖ mandate Thomas Reindl and Neos club chief Selma Arapovic rejected the opposition's allegations as polemically. Ultimately, the amendment to the law was only decided with the votes of the government factions, while FPÖ, Greens and ÖVP were correct.

transparency in European comparison

Austria is repeatedly presented in the discussion about freedom of information as a straggler in Europe. Although there are already several platforms that offer insights into funding and community budgets, there is still a lot to do to do justice to European standards. A survey among European colleagues shows that the municipal transparency requirements in Europe do not result in a uniform picture. In countries like England, the “Local Government Transparency Code” is considered a model, while Germany has to edit individual applications within one month. In other European countries such as Austria, however, the development of freedom of information is rather slow in comparison.

Overall, it can be seen that during Austria, progress in the field of e-government, for example through digital formats and online services, has made the legal framework further improvement potential. Access to information, responsibility and transparent communication will therefore continue to remain central issues in politics in the future.