To set aside the budget figures, the coalition negotiators of ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS held consultations on Wednesday with Budget Council President Christoph Badelt and other economic experts in the Federal Chancellery. Afterwards, a discussion took place between the top representatives of the parties.
NEOS chairman Beate Meinl-Reisinger was “surprised” by the blows between the ÖVP and SPÖ in recent days, especially on the part of the Social Democrats: “The time for sorting things out should be over.” be moderately enthusiastic about tax increases, as ÖVP boss Karl Nehammer had recently no longer ruled out. In short, in the current situation, the job of negotiators is to say where the state and politicians can increase efficiency and use taxpayers’ money more economically: “This is the very first step before you think about how to tax the citizens.”
Badelt: “There is no complete security yet”
However, Badelt emphasized before the meeting that tax increases and reforms were inevitable given the large budget gap: “The volume of consolidation is so large that measures will be needed on both the expenditure and revenue sides.” budget figures cannot yet be definitively determined: “There is no such thing as complete safety yet.”
Wifo boss Gabriel Felbermayr made similar comments after the evening meeting. “We need to reduce the deficit, this will have to be tackled from both sides, both on the revenue and on the expenditure side,” but in the long term the expenditure elements are the most important, Felbermayr said. After the meeting, NEOS MP Sepp Schellhorn spoke of a “good agreement, things are moving forward”. Negotiations will now continue according to a strict schedule.
Between 15 and 23 billion euros are needed for the consolidation
Nehammer, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler and Meinl-Reisinger continued to discuss the current status of the coalition negotiations after the end of the round table on Wednesday evening in the Federal Chancellery. No media statements were planned afterward.
Regarding the need for consolidation, figures between 15 and 23 billion euros have recently circulated. The ÖVP had recently argued that updated EU figures should be included, which according to party leader Nehammer will only be available halfway through the month.
Source: Krone
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