The mountain of debt in the Styrian capital and the impending wave of retirement is fueling the political debate on reform.
You should have been a civil servant: While older Styria and single parents in particular are increasingly suffering from the biggest wave of inflation in more than 40 years, former employees of the city of Graz are probably less concerned about the future.
High civil servant pensions
From ex-ÖVP city councilor and minister Ruth Feldgrill-Zankl with 10,500 euros (5500 for political activities, about 5000 for her civil service) to ex-FPÖ city councilor Ferry Spielberger with a good 7900 euros: an evaluation of the current figures shows that the Former civil servants and politicians of the Styrian capital can still look forward to royal pension benefits.
In concrete terms, more than 113 million euros was paid out in 2021 to a total of 2,288 retired civil servants and 718 surviving relatives and next of kin. After all, this results in an average monthly income of no less than 3,100 euros. By way of comparison: an average ASVG pension in Austria is currently around 1100 euros.
1.4 million euros paid out
One detail in particular stands out in the evaluation: 14 “luxury retirees” alone received a total of more than 1.4 million euros in the past year, meaning that each individual’s household budget has improved by more than 8,300 euros – month after month.
Opposition launches major pension reform
Especially with regard to the tense financial situation in the city of Graz and an impending wave of retirement, the NEOS are now pushing for a reconsideration: “Payments will continue to rise, therefore we need an immediate reform of the municipal service and salary regulations” , Graz boss Philipp Pointner sees the current situation mainly due to the “negligent politics of the past”.
City tour Graz wants to leave everything as it is
The fact that the decades-long special rights for politicians and civil servants still have an effect today is no longer topical: “Finally, transparency and traceability are needed. It cannot be that there are still exceptions for the privileged and that they receive a better pension than the average Grazer,” says Pointner.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
