Financial speakers conference: “We can’t put up with this in the long run”

Not all financial officers were at the meeting in Linz. Governor Peter Doskozil (Burgenland, SP) was unable to attend for health reasons, as was his party colleague, Styrian Finance Minister Anton Lang. Vorarlberg State Governor Markus Wallner also stayed away from the conference of financial officers. He was re-elected as state governor on Wednesday morning and his new black-blue state government was sworn in. They all sent representatives, as did the Ministry of Finance.

The host, Governor Thomas Stelzer, his Salzburg counterpart Wilfried Haslauer (both VP) and the Vienna SP city councilor Peter Hanke finally appeared in front of the press today.

• You might also be interested in: “The state and communities have to tighten their belts”

Being a financial officer is doubly challenging in times like these, said Stelzer in the introduction. It is all the more important that the concerns of the federal states are brought to the table in a timely manner, he said in relation to Vienna and the exploratory negotiations taking place there.

Stelzer once again criticized the Ministry of Finance’s surprisingly downwardly revised forecast regarding the level of the states’ share of revenue. Here he spoke out against such a “raid-like” announcement and advocated a “fair approach” in the future.

“Immense additional burden”

The Finance Ministry’s response that the revenue shares for the states were lower than forecast, but still an increase compared to the previous year, found no support on the podium. Finally, according to Stelzer, expenses are also increasing and the growth in revenue shares cannot keep pace. Hanke criticized the fact that the states now have 880 million euros less to budget for is “an immense additional burden.”

Haslauer emphasized that public revenues are “communal” and rejected the view that the states would “squander the money and afford cozy little principalities.” Rather, states and municipalities would have essential responsibilities for public services – “for hospitals, for social assistance, for child care” and for this they would need their share of the income.

“}”>