FPÖ demands bonus

What should happen with the high Kelag dividend

The Carinthian Freedom Party is calling for a "Kelag money-back bonus".

(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

The Freedom Party and the Carinthian SPÖ presented their current initiatives ahead of next Thursday's parliamentary session. On the one hand, they are concerned with inflation and migration, on the other with housing construction.

In view of the upcoming EU elections in June, a topical European debate on the subjects of "inflation and illegal migration" will take place on Thursday, as requested by the Freedom Party. At a press conference on Tuesday, FP leader Erwin Angerer and his deputy Gernot Darmann made their positions clear: "These are the issues that have been brought to us by the population. We are calling for the immediate deportation of delinquent asylum seekers and asylum seekers, as well as the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years!" Darmann also presented figures from the Austrian justice system: "Only just under 47% of prison inmates have Austrian citizenship; around 32% are not even EU citizens!"

Bonus for those at risk of poverty
Kelag's record profit of almost 500 million was also discussed again. The Blue Party is calling on the provincial government to distribute the dividend that the province receives from its shares in the energy company via companies to Carinthians at risk of poverty - known as the "Kelag money-back bonus". The FPÖ mentions a sum of 60 million, which is to be distributed to around 100,000 people at risk of poverty. "That would be 500 euros per head," says Angerer. There will also be an urgent motion on this.

SPÖ presented its initiatives
Herwig Seiser, chairman of the SPÖ in the Carinthian state parliament, replies: "We don't even know how high the actual dividend will be. Moreover, these funds have already benefited financially burdened families in the past", and refers to the Carinthia bonus. Where Seiser agrees with the FPÖ is the non-participation of the Greens in the European Policy Hour in the state parliament. The "Krone" already reported that the MEPs had declined the invitation because the term "illegal migration" was used by right-wing extremists. "When a democratically elected party refuses to take part in a discussion - no matter how controversial it may be - my understanding ends." Nevertheless, Seiser hopes that the current Europe Hour on Thursday will not degenerate into an FPÖ election campaign event.

Meanwhile, the Reds are concentrating on the housing package to be adopted by the federal government. "The SPÖ welcomes this package in principle, but will propose and demand some improvements," says Seiser.