Wiener Social Welfare: – “Large families continue to receive good support”

“Krone”: Mrs. Novak, before her official appointment, it would be leaked that you would become a financial councilor. The reason: after two successfully defeated elections, they should be rewarded as State Secretary of the State. Are jobs awarded to the Spö? Not in the first place for qualifications, but according to an internal reward system of a party?
Barbara Novak: The jobs are only granted for qualifications and skills. After I had worked at the municipality and Financial Committee for many years and had also negotiated this department for the coalition, the change of the city council was clear. I have a commercial training, I am also a very number of driven person and will therefore devote myself to the Viennese budget with great joy.

As a number -driven person you can answer the following question safely. The city’s own prediction presupposes a new debt this year of 3.8 billion euros. How many debts does Vienna really do?
That cannot be said at the moment. We are not yet in the quarterfish final of the second quarter, which ends at the end of June. But it is also a fact that we have been combating the budget discipline since the beginning of the year. But you also have to say that it is a total financing question. We are also intensive discussions with the federal government.

Specific: Where will Vienna save?
Vienna will charge the majority of the expenditure side and in the smaller share of income -sessions. We agree that every stone is really picked up. We evaluate: what measures and which financing do we still need? In my department I have already started reducing the financing of the year by 10 to 15 percent.

The 365 euro -annual map of the Vienna lines will be more expensive? What time?
I can’t say anything about that today. This is one of the discussions that are kept open between the departments. The fact is that we naturally look at all possible valorisations. Also according to the criteria of social accuracy. The mobility costs, including parking, are currently being evaluated. The climate has increased several times. I don’t think we valorize in the same way, but it is currently being discussed.

This means that it is quite possible that high earners pay more for the annual ticket?
I say we discuss it openly. If I said now, yes, it is possible, believe it will come. We check everything. We are very creative in the question of how …

… can people take away from people?
No, what options are there to reorganize systems.

But it is clear to everyone that the annual ticket is becoming more expensive. Why is politics so hard to say: yes, it will be more expensive!?
I assume that if you say you are increasing, you must also give an amount. And we can’t call it right now.

Is a large administrative reform and what can it look like?
In any case, I can say in my region that we look at the participation structure up close and evaluate how far we can perform restructuring at the companies.

Means in detail?
That we consider whether we can merge certain specialized societies in the field of culture, sports, real estate, infrastructure in all too more efficient.

Will there be fired in the city council?
No, in the city council of Vienna, if so, it will have to come to shifts, because in principle we as a city have the problem that we have too few employees for a growing city. There are a lot of pension.

In the city of Vienna far too early, as we reported.
We adhere to the legal regulations. It is important that employees have their contributions together.

Where does the city of Vienna save on minimal security, which now costs taxpayers 1.2 billion euros per year?
Minimal security is the last social system. Everyone who is available for the labor market must also be integrated on the labor market as quickly as possible. We need more action. The mayor’s proposal also went in this direction to have this group of people treated by the AMS.

9000 euros for a large Syrian family of minimal security and family supplement. At this level of education there is no job throughout Austria, in which the father would earn through work that he would get by doing nothing. This system eats our hair by heart. Do you see it differently?
There was a national system that was abolished. What distinguishes us from other federal states is that children in Vienna have a higher claim to minimal safety. I still confess this. We must continue to afford that. I am not in favor of building a system based on marginal phenomena, and these are such large families. This is not a benchmark.

In the “standard” I read a portrait of a family in the minimum security of the Vienna. Large family from Afghanistan, five children. What do you think, how much money does the family have after distracting life, etc. Only for clothing, food and other everyday things a week?
I don’t know.

650 euros per week! That is 2600 euros per month! How many families with working parents do you know, who will ultimately remain?
You know that all families with five children are entitled to minimal security. Regardless of which pass you have.

Nevertheless: this is never earned for most.
Most families with income are increased to minimal security. Usually for the children. It has always been that way.

Only 25 percent of these parents go work, others on basic care, unemployment benefit, alimony.
Then we are back where we want to go. We have to put people into service. We always arrive at the same point. We work together with the federal government on a solution. But if I have the impression that we will not come to a solution soon, Vienna will present his own reform proposal.

How high should the basic protection of childhood be from your point of view?
It must go to the extent we have in the minimum security. The question is what the division between benefits in friendly and cash benefits looks.

That means that not much will change at the end of children with children?
Rich families for children will continue to get good support for their children.

Vienna is no longer the most livable city in the world. After the thwarted terrorist attack on the Taylor Swift concert, we lost security points. What do you think?
First of all, I think that the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for safety in this country and insists on continuing to invest en masse in safety. I am happy that we have advanced a step in the Messenger monitoring issue.

So is it the Ministry of the Interior to blame that Vienna is no longer the most livable city in the world?
If you look at the ranking, you can see that we can keep our points on all those points for which the city is responsible. So healthcare, infrastructure, mobility, quality of stay in public spaces and so on. We have actually lost points because of the two thwarted terrorist attacks. That of course hurts. But in the heart we remain the most livable city in the world.

We currently also have a debate about tips. If you go to the restaurant and the bill results in 43.50 euros. How much tip do you give?
As a rule I give 10 to 15 percent. Depending on how satisfied I was with the service. Drinking money is part of the income. But I think the tax regulation makes sense as it is now.

What was the most expensive you ever bought in your life?
My used car. I have a red VW beetle. They all laugh because the car was baptized by me. It is called Betty and is very dear to me.

Does your car have a name?
Yes. The beetles have outer and left. Betty Bop is this famous comic figure. And that also has these boosts.

What is your bank?
Sofi? No (laughs).

They grew up in the Karl-Marx-Hof, their mother was a home supplier. Was there still a lot of money left at the end of the month?
No, there was usually almost nothing left. It was a loving, but also a very disadvantaged childhood. At that time I could not drive everywhere at school, not all language trips, and I didn’t always have the newest shoes, like other children.

What did luxury mean for you then?
We made the Nussburg almost every weekend because we lived in Döling. And if there was a raspberry scratcherl at the end of the Heurigen, it was great.

And what does it mean for you today?
Have time. For friends and family. Going on holiday with my mother for four days once a year. For me this is luxurious.