General debate
Wien (OTS/RK) – GR Markus Ornig, MBA (NEOS) reminded that Vienna is not an island and is not alone with major challenges. Ornig said they weren’t patting themselves on the back, as was alleged, but rather trying to do business sustainably by closing their accounts. From his point of view, this was successful, which sounds “unspectacular”. However, you always have to consider the work that is necessary for this. According to Ornig, Vienna is therefore “a functioning city”. A lot has been invested in recent years, for example in future industries, in order to secure the business location. Tourism was also able to get up and running again very quickly after the pandemic, said the NEOS MP. The city government is also aware of problems such as the shortage of skilled workers and continues to approach the major issues in a “thoughtful” manner. Ornig said that conditions in Europe and worldwide always have an impact on Vienna. He concluded with a promise: “We will remain diligent and continue to work on this city.”
StRin Mag. Judith Pühringer (GREEN) criticized that drawing a “bland balance sheet” was not enough for the importance of a budget. She came to the conclusion that the city government had spent a lot, but the money was not reaching the people of Vienna. Pühringer listed three examples in her speech: In her opinion, Vienna is in a “housing crisis”. According to the Green representative, her party has already made numerous suggestions on how this problem could be solved. She spoke of a “courageous fight”. There is also a lack of “genuine equal opportunity and inclusive education” in Vienna in the education sector. Pühringer denounced that it should not be the case that children wait for inclusion places, that the care ratio in elementary education is too high or that there is a lack of language teachers. She also reiterated the demand that all school forecourts be made safe by 2030. She also criticized the poor mental health of children and young people in the city. There is a lack of massive support and a political strategy here, said Pühringer. For the future, she would like to see measures taken everywhere that will make the everyday lives of Viennese people “better, climate-friendly and socially just,” she concluded.
GR Dr. Markus Wölbitsch, MIM (ÖVP) spoke at the beginning of an obvious disunity in the ranks of the SPÖ. According to Wölbitsch, there are different opinions on several topics. Furthermore, things only work well in Vienna when the federal government is involved, he claimed. The subway construction, which is often mentioned by the city government, is being implemented with the help of the federal government and is being paid for by “all Austrians,” said Wölbitsch. The ÖVP MP further said that Vienna had failed to support companies, relieve the burden on employees and help people with energy costs earlier. “Vienna has a spending problem” and is the “unemployment capital,” he said. According to him, the investments would not reach where they were intended. Numerous large projects such as the Danube stage, the long-distance bus terminal or the event arena were planned unprofessionally and were not implemented at all or were implemented with a long delay, said Wölbitsch. “The SPÖ is not particularly talented,” said Wölbitsch. One should not forget that it is always about jobs and economic growth. He appealed for “things to finally be brought to the ground” and offered the ÖVP as a partner in the professional implementation.
GR Dr. Kurt Stürzenbecher (SPÖ) called the debates on the final accounts a beloved “ritual”. He said he was happy about objective speeches and contributions. The city government worked well for him. Regarding the growing city, Stürzenbecher said that Vienna, as an attractive city, has a certain “pull factor”. People in Vienna deal with it very well and have their finances “under control”. The SPÖ representative listed figures from other European cities that were intended to illustrate Vienna’s good position. Berlin, for example, has around 63 billion euros in debt, and Hamburg is also well ahead of Vienna with 22.7 billion euros in debt. In a comparison of federal states, Vienna is in the middle field, said Stürzenbecher. Basically, he advocated spending more money in difficult times. “The investments are paying off,” he said with conviction. Stürzenbecher recalled numerous plans and projects in the city – such as U2xU5 expansion, large heat pumps, solar offensive, etc. He would also like to thank all Viennese people for using their tax money to ensure that Vienna can implement these things. With a view to the financial statements, he said that the city government had “taken countermeasures under difficult conditions”. You are always aware of your responsibility, concludes Stürzenbecher.
GRin Mag. Ulrike Nittmann (FPÖ) wanted to “correct a few numbers” in her speech. You have to measure your work by your actions. Some statements are incorrect, as a look at the 800-page financial statement shows, says Nittmann. It is not true that the city’s assets amount to 36 billion euros, she said. Rather, there are net assets of -21.4 billion euros, criticized Nittmann. Despite the liquidation of pension arrears amounting to billions, these numbers add up, said the FPÖ MP. Nittmann noted that we are far from moderate and solid, as the government says. She could not understand what was said; Vienna had not budgeted precisely. The higher income that City Councilor Hanke boasts about only came about through fee increases. It’s all about “sacrificing and squeezing the Viennese,” she said. For Nittmann, the city is even a “partial cause of the price increases” and once again called for the valorization law to be abolished. In general, there is a structural deficit in the city. Finally, Nittmann criticized the state of the city’s infrastructure. Vienna is growing steadily, but is not up to the challenge in this area. You notice this every day on public transport. According to Nittmann, the need for renovation in residential buildings and the “health system that is bursting at the seams” are not worthy of a city with millions of inhabitants. (cont.) kri
Questions & Contact:
Town hall correspondence
City of Vienna – Communication and Media, Editor on Duty
Service for journalists, city editorial team
01 4000-81081
dr@ma53.wien.gv.at
presse.wien.gv.at