Compared to the previous year, the subsidies have increased by 4.3 million euros, according to a series of inquiries by the APA to the state governments. The plus is well below the inflation rate – also because Vienna and Salzburg have frozen part of their subsidies. The ÖVP, which receives 78 million euros with state parties and clubs, is best to get out. 1.2 million euros flow to the vaccination opponents MFG.
The 224 million euros correspond to 35 euros for all Austrians entitled to vote. The sum includes both direct party funding (157 million euros) and support for parliamentary and state parliament clubs (52.4 million euros) as well as the political education work of the parties (14.5 million euros). Not included are the parliamentary group funds of the chambers and indirect public support through mandates or advertisements by state-owned companies in party newspapers.
Generous grants
In an international comparison, party funding in Austria is considered generous. The political scientist Hubert Sickinger points out that direct party funding in Germany, which is ten times larger, is capped at 200 million euros. In addition, there is faction financing in the Bundestag and the state parliaments. The party-affiliated foundations in Germany receive significantly more money than the domestic party academies. But you have to invest the majority of the approximately 500 million euros in democracy-political development work abroad.
Upper Austria in third place
In Austria, the parties, parliamentary clubs and party academies at federal level will receive 66.7 million euros this year – a slight increase of 2.3 percent. It is followed by Vienna with 41.8 million euros, Styria with 27.7, Upper Austria with 27.1 and Lower Austria with 24.9 million euros. In Tyrol, parties and state parliament clubs receive around 10 million euros, in Carinthia 9.4, in Salzburg 7.7, in Vorarlberg 4.4 and in Burgenland 4.2 million euros. Seven out of ten funding euros flow in the federal states.
Most of the money goes to the ÖVP
The ÖVP receives the most funding, which (including parliamentary and state parliament clubs as well as educational funding) comes to 78 million euros. It is followed by the SPÖ with 59.8 million euros, ahead of the FPÖ (34.7), the Greens (28.3) and the NEOS (15.9 million euros). The KPÖ, which is strong in Styria, comes to 1.5 million euros, the anti-vaccination party MFG receives 1.2 million euros in Upper Austria and the “Team Carinthia” 1.1 million euros.
Plus below the inflation rate
All in all, subsidies will increase by 1.9 percent this year. Because, among other things, the funding heavyweight Vienna (like Salzburg) has frozen its party funding, the plus is well below the inflation rate of the previous year (2.8 percent).
Source: Nachrichten
