Wild speculation

SPÖ and FPÖ rant: government “has already finished”

The podium for the weekly Council of Ministers. According to the SPÖ and FPÖ, no more big decisions will be announced from here.(Bild: APA/FLORIAN WIESER)

For the major opposition parties, the government is already finished long before the election date in the fall. The SPÖ and FPÖ see the National Council program for this week, which does not contain any ambitious topics, as proof of this. Instead, the red and blue parties are indulging in wild coalition speculation.

In terms of content, the SPÖ is targeting the wealthy. On Wednesday, they want to address the "tax gap" between billionaires and the rest of the population. "We are really terrible at taxing billionaires," ranted finance spokesperson Jan Krainer. Billionaires only have to pay 20 to 25 euros in taxes for every 100 euros they earn. In comparison: "Everyone who works pays around 40 euros in taxes and duties."

Krainer: ÖVP helps billionaires save on taxes
Krainer believes that the COFAG-U committee proves that billionaires are structurally favored. The ÖVP helps billionaires to save on taxes, as taxpayers helped to pay for René Benko's private jet, for example, as an official reported in the U-committee. The ÖVP also pushed through preferential treatment for corporations in 2020, contrary to European law.

"The government is just repairing"
With a view to this week's plenary program, which contains numerous debates on reports, Krainer said that the government had stopped working and was only busy "fixing things".

FPÖ: Black and red are already talking about a future coalition
The FPÖ is taking the same line: "Obviously this federal government has already finished six months before the election," criticized deputy leader Dagmar Belakowitsch. At the same time, she saw a coalition between the ÖVP and SPÖ on the horizon. The two parties were only concerned with the question of who would lead the next government.

At the very least, it would be an "exciting government cooperation", as the points of view were very different. While Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) had promised to combat illegal migration, SPÖ leader Andreas Babler "would prefer to legalize all illegal immigrants immediately".

FPÖ deputy leader Belakowitsch: "Obviously this federal government has already finished."(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

SPÖ counters: "ÖVP has proposed marriage to FPÖ"
SPÖ Federal Secretary Klaus Seltenheim responded in turn: "The fact that high-ranking blue politicians are praising the ÖVP's so-called Austria plan in the highest terms shows once again that the ÖVP has proposed to the FPÖ and is prepared to break every taboo in order to retain power and make Herbert Kickl chancellor." Such a coalition would make "politics for the super-rich and large corporations", he warned.