She is outraged by the government’s inaction. The announced summit with the social partners is scheduled for next Wednesday.
Massive criticism of the inactivity of the turquoise-green federal government came on Thursday from deputy SPÖ club boss Jörg Leichtfried. Austria is in the “cracked grip of an increase in prices that we have never experienced before” and a “price explosion that is frightening”, but the federal government is not doing anything about it, he said at a press conference: “Kogler (Vice Chancellor Werner, note) observes Schramböck (Economics Minister Margarete, note) and the Federal Competition Authority monitors them. That’s not enough.”
Video: Brunner announces relief
There was “no more time for excuses and evasions,” no time for “unconclusive summits” and useless pictures of international meetings, Leichtfried criticized: “The government must finally do something about the price madness.” Other countries such as Slovenia and Hungary have already imposed a price cap, but nothing is happening in Austria. The SPÖ had been making suggestions for months that were easy to implement and had an immediate effect. Leichtfried envisages an upper price limit for fuel and energy prices and the suspension of VAT. An accurate increase in the commuter allowance is also needed, argued the deputy club boss: “You can’t leave 2.3 million commuters out in the rain.” When it comes to housing, the SPÖ is campaigning for a suspension of the increase in benchmark rents, “people are stressed enough”.
In connection with the high fuel prices at the gas stations, Leichtfried not only locates inactivity but also accuses Schramböck of breaking the law again. According to the SPÖ, the Economics Minister is legally obliged to do something about it, “but simply doesn’t do it”. The basis of the argument is the price law. On this basis, the Economics Minister could not only intervene to regulate fuel prices, but would even be obliged by law if a price increase was due to unjustified pricing policies. And according to Leichtfried, that is probably the case: “In the shadow of this terrible war, people in Austria are being ripped off by large corporations.”
Criticism by Kickl
Similarly, the reply from FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl: “This arrogance and sluggishness of the ÖVP finance minister is second-rate and inhuman.” The government ignored all other issues in its “corona madness” and is now bringing together no more than a crisis summit without results. “This government owes it to the people who are being crushed more and more by the avalanche of costs,” said Kickl, “horrified”.
Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) said today at the EU Environment Council in Brussels that there are now two packages: a short-term one until Christmas and a long-term one – whereby the first should not stand in the way of the second. And she emphasized that further aid must be targeted.
Neos insist on abolishing cold progression
On Thursday, however, the NEOS accused the government of not doing anything to combat inflation and pocketing a “little money”. NEOS business spokesman Gerald Loacker is convinced that “money distribution campaigns in Haider style” such as the announced energy cost bonus will not solve the problems in the long term, instead permanent solutions are necessary. Because inflation rates would remain high for a long time. At a press conference, Loacker once again insisted on the abolition of cold progression – an additional income tax or wage tax burden that arises over time because the tax brackets are not adjusted to average income and inflation trends.
NEOS energy spokeswoman Karin Doppelbauer questioned the state’s participation in OMV. Their managers deliberately promoted dependence on the Russians. The Republic is a co-owner of the energy company in order to secure the supply – if you don’t do that, you can “consider” whether this state participation is necessary at all.
The inflation summit announced by the federal government with the social partners will take place next Wednesday. This was announced by the President of the Senior Citizens’ Council, Peter Kostelka (SPÖ), after a conversation with Chancellor Nehammer to the APA.
“The hat is on fire”
The ÖGB said today that “the hat is on fire”. “The explosion in energy prices is putting more and more people in financial distress. The problem is anything but new, the war in Ukraine has now exacerbated it. We need relief measures and we need them now,” demanded Willi Mernyi, Executive Secretary of the trade union federation. With the petition “Prices down!” the ÖGB therefore wants to “give people a strong voice” starting today. On preiserunter.oegb.at the demands of the ÖGB could be supported immediately.
The Association of Austrian Waste Management Companies (VOEB) also spoke out today about the expensive energy prices. Accordingly, the increased fuel prices will lead to higher fees for waste disposal in the medium term.
The Central Association of Forwarding & Logistics called for a postponement of the CO2 pricing planned from July and a temporary suspension of taxes on fuel and energy costs.
Source: Nachrichten
