ÖH in danger: government plans to withdraw voting rights for students!

ÖH in danger: government plans to withdraw voting rights for students!

In the current coalition negotiations between the FPÖ and the ÖVP, which take place in secret meeting points, the focus is not only on the budget 2025, but also to significant changes in university policy. According to a leaked protocol, the two parties have agreed to make the ÖH contribution for students optional, which is sharply criticized by Sarah Rossmann, a representative of the Austrian university. She describes this decision as a direct attack on university democracy and the representation of around 400,000 students in Austria, such as OTS reported.

democratic processes in danger

In addition, the negotiating parties have also decided to withdraw the voting rights to the students of the Curia. Simon Neuhold from the ÖH warned that this could damage the democratic say of the students, since the FPÖ and the ÖVP have already taken steps in the past to praise the power of the elected university representatives. The agreement on the optional ÖH contribution is seen as part of a larger campaign, which the voice of the students in the political landscape would like to further overcome, Neuhold continues. A proposal by the FPÖ to merge the Academy of Fine Arts with the University of Applied Arts also comes across the contradiction of the ÖH, which would like to protect the integrity and freedom of universities.

The coalition talks, in which there are also specific topics such as infrastructure and internal security on the agenda, also affect the government's financial policy considerations. Without a sustainable budget, an EU deficit procedure could threaten, which is why all 13 subgroups that deal with the issues from judiciary to social affairs should meet this week. A quick unification process seems necessary, while the FPÖ and the ÖVP are trying to consolidate their political course, also with regard to tax and financial policy, such as Kurier reported.