Final Session – A little campaigning, a lot of farewells in parliament

Outgoing Finance Minister Magnus Brunner was heavily criticised for leaving behind a mountain of debt and a large budget deficit. The opposition also blamed him for record inflation and the economic downturn. Brunner, who is moving to Brussels as an EU commissioner, was given migration instead of an economic portfolio by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, because they thought: ‘He simply must not have anything to do with money anyway’, said SPÖ Finance spokesman Jan Krainer.

NEOS has sharp criticism: we are getting poorer!
NEOS MPs Sepp Schellhorn and Karin Doppelbauer are similar. Brunner left behind an economic disaster. The turquoise-green government has handed out money with a watering can and Austria is now faced with a huge mountain of debt. The next government will start its term with an austerity package. NEOS raised the issue in the “Current Hour”. Party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger: “We are in a recession again. We are getting poorer.”

We need the next or even the next two terms to help Austria move forward again. Austria’s funding volume was 70 percent higher than before the pandemic, she criticized, saying structural problems were “being shot at with money.” A Pink Party program to cut spending by 20 billion euros would bring about change, Meinl-Reisinger said.

The ÖVP and the Greens tried to justify or downplay their record spending. Investments were made in future issues and structural reforms. As an example, Brunner mentioned the abolition of cold progression or financial equalization, whereby funds would now also be linked to reforms. With a debt level of 76 percent, we are at the same level as Black and Blue in 2017 and 2018. Jakob Schwarz of the Greens defended the government’s budget policy. He warned against cutting subsidies in the climate sector and instead called for the abolition of climate-damaging subsidies.

Excitement over Kickl’s flood speech
The speech by FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl on the floods was not particularly well received. He rejected the national solidarity that Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) called for and preferred to stir up sentiment against the government and its aid measures. “When the floods are over, the waiting will come and for many the waiting will be in vain.” The victims would be reduced to supplicants despite strong promises. What would be needed would be a legal claim for damages.

Kickl’s performance was not well received by the other factions. Deputy Secretary General Christian Stocker said that it would not be Kickl if he did not play groups against each other in such a situation. A legal claim would only prolong the reception of aid. It is a pity that Kickl cannot even perform today without foaming at the mouth, according to Meinl-Reisinger.

Dispute over the failure of the biogas law
The failure of the biogas law also caused a bad mood. The coalition club leaders blamed the SPÖ for this, which had made additional demands that could not be met. The social democrats reacted indignantly. They see the failure as a result of quarrels within the coalition.

The core of the amendment would have been to oblige gas suppliers to gradually replace fossil natural gas with biogas. In order to make a decision, it would have been necessary for the Social Democrats or the Freedom Party to say yes, as this is a constitutional issue. The two-thirds majority required for this was already missed before the summer holidays. Now the project has finally failed. The ÖVP will not be particularly unhappy about this, as it was put under pressure by the industry because of the feared additional costs.

After the elections on 29 September, about a third of the current MPs will no longer be in the National Council. Among them are many celebrities, such as Wolfgang Sobotka, chairman of the National Council.