FPÖ ceiling reached

Muchitsch: “SPÖ still has a lot of room for improvement”

There is still a lot to gain for the SPÖ in this election year: "We still have room for improvement," says Josef Muchitsch, chairman of the building and timber trade unionists and SPÖ social spokesman in the krone.tv talk with Jana Pasching. For the FPÖ, on the other hand, he sees the poll ceiling reached. By contrast, there are gloomy forecasts for the construction industry: the trade unionist assumes that 16,000 jobs are on the line.

The government is investing 2.2 billion euros in a housing package that is to include several measures. House builders are to receive cheap loans, tenants a craftsmen's bonus and landlords refurbishment subsidies and tax breaks. These measures are certainly complex. If house builders want the cheap loans, they first have to find out where the money is coming from. "When people call where, nobody can give any information," says Muchitsch. This is because the headlines were produced first and the countries were only informed afterwards. And: "The package is coming far too late. The first talks took place in March 2023. A lot of time was wasted on measures that are not yet effective."

16,000 jobs at risk
Many jobs could be lost this year. According to the industry radar, 16,000 jobs are at risk. Muchitsch: "I fear that this will happen." Last year, 10,000 workers were already lost.

"The government is on a ghost trip"
As far as insolvencies in Austria are concerned, Muchitsch is clear: "We are developing to where we were in 2008 and 2009 in the wake of the financial and economic crisis. Unemployment is rising, economic growth is falling. The government is driving in the wrong direction. The state should have intervened, but it didn't."

"A lot is in flux with the SPÖ"
Muchitsch recently expressed his desire for the SPÖ to take a more business-friendly stance. How satisfied is he with the social democratic direction now? "We have entered a super election year 2024, where a lot is in flux," says the trade unionist, who also points to the election results in Salzburg and Innsbruck. "That gives us strength." Nevertheless, the FPÖ is still in first place in federal polls. Is there anything left for the SPÖ? If you put the spotlight on the Social Democrats, you have to look back 10 months, says Muchitsch. "Ten months ago, there was still a three-way fight over who would take over the party. The disaster there was a low of 19 percent in the polls." Months later, Andreas Babler stood for election. "He went from 54% in June to 88% confidence. That was important." The SPÖ is currently polling at 24%: "The FPÖ has reached the ceiling with its poll ratings. There's not much left in it. There is still a lot in it for us. We have a lot of room for improvement and we are making sure that we really use it."