Letter to the Government

University Budgets: Now the States Are Also Sounding the Alarm

In a letter, Styria and Tyrol have expressed their support for the universities.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christian Jauschowetz, zVg)

First, the university hospitals sounded the alarm; now the federal states are weighing in as well. In a joint letter to Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ), Tyrol and Styria warn of the dramatic consequences of the planned university budget cuts.

The cry for help from Austria’s hospitals is hard to ignore. As reported by the “Krone,” the planned budget cuts at medical universities could result in the loss of hundreds of physician positions. Patients would bear the brunt of the consequences: longer wait times, fewer treatments, and even more overburdened hospitals.

Two Federal States Sound the Alarm
Now, two federal states are also sounding the alarm. In a joint letter to Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ), which is in the possession of the “Krone,” Tyrol’s Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) and his Styrian counterpart Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) warn of the consequences of the austerity measures.

The letter was co-signed by the responsible state councilors, Cornelia Hagele (ÖVP) and Willibald Ehrenhöfer (FPÖ). “The planned cuts will have an impact not only on universities but, above all, on health care,” the letter states. The states warn of a threat to medical care for the population.

In a letter, Styria and Tyrol have expressed their support for the universities.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christian Jauschowetz, zVg)

Governor Anton Mattle and his Styrian counterpart Mario Kunasek have presented four demands to the federal government.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christof Birbaumer, Christian Jauschowetz)

Letter Arrives Just in Time for Government “Working Meeting”
The backdrop is the billion-euro shortfall at the universities. While the universities need approximately 18 billion euros for the years 2028 through 2030, the most recent funding framework amounted to only 15.5 billion euros. The situation is particularly critical at the medical universities. This is because they do more than just conduct research and teach; university physicians also treat patients in public hospitals. Today, on Saturday morning, the coalition parties are holding a “working meeting” to discuss, among other things, the size of the budget.

We would like to expressly state that this position is shared across state and party lines.

Anton Mattle und Mario Kunasek in ihrem Brief an die Bundesregierung

This is precisely where the two state governors see the problem. If positions are cut at medical universities, gaps in care will arise in hospitals. And the states simply cannot make up for these gaps. “In our view, a further shift of financial responsibility from the federal government to the states is unacceptable,” the state governors make unmistakably clear. This is because the states already provide substantial funding for their hospitals. Rising costs, staff shortages, and the growing demand for medical care are putting them under additional pressure. Now they fear that the federal government will cut funding for the universities and that the states will subsequently have to bear the consequences.

The Blue and Black Parties Join Forces to Apply Pressure 
The political alliance behind the letter is also noteworthy. With Tyrol and Styria, an ÖVP-led and an FPÖ-led state are joining forces to oppose the three-party coalition’s budget plans. The signatories explicitly emphasize that their position is “shared across state and party lines.”

They have directed four specific demands to Holzleitner. For one thing, funding for medical universities must be sufficiently high to ensure that necessary treatments can continue to be provided. Personnel resources must also be secured. In addition, the states demand that the impact of university funding on health care be explicitly taken into account in the future. They want to be involved at an early stage and in a binding manner in decisions that directly affect their hospitals.