GRin Mag. Heidemarie sequence (GRÜNE) said that it was about a dedication “in the heart of Kagran”, more precisely about an object on Schrödingerplatz. 330 apartments would be built there, as well as shops and youth and cultural centers – “the full program” on areas that have already been sealed. She announced her approval of a “beautiful project”. Sequence submitted an application on the occasion of a fatal accident at a level crossing on the Eastern Railway. In the application she demanded a solution for the affected area.
GRin Luise Däger-Gregori, MSc (SPÖ) deepened Sequence’s explanations of the project at Schrödingerplatz and particularly emphasized the climate-friendly and social aspects of the plans.
Vote: The dedication was approved with multiple votes, the Greens’ proposal was assigned to the responsible committee. The opposition’s other motions did not receive the necessary votes.
Credit approval for the construction of cycle paths in Vienna 14 and Vienna 15, Meiselstraße/Hütteldorfer Straße
GRin Mag. Angelika Pipal-Leixner, MBA (NEOS) said it was about extending the “Long Cycle Route West”. Pipal-Leixner took stock of the cycle path projects of the last two years. The record numbers would show that the government is “serious” about the climate-fit city. As “remarkable projects” she mentioned, among others, the two-way cycle path on Praterstrasse, the cycle highway south with the Argentinierstrasse cycle route, the new cycle path on Wiedner Hauptstrasse, the two-way cycle path on Krottenbachstrasse in Döbling, projects on Hütteldorfer Strasse and the newly designed Universitätsstrasse . The connection of educational institutions to the cycle paths is also an important aspect.
GR Kilian Stark (GREEN) said that the current project “unfortunately ends nowhere” and is not a long-term connection. He highlighted the car-free school square, which will become permanent thanks to the bicycle lane, the improvement of intersections and greening measures as positive. For Stark, however, the project is “two steps forward, one step back”. He criticized the fact that bicycle traffic was being “cleared” into the side street and that there would be no safe bicycle connections to the shops on Hütteldorfer Strasse. Stark also criticized an interruption in the connection. Stark still saw an improvement for the residents and announced his approval. Finally, he criticized a motion from the FPÖ, which calls for a stop to the greening of Josef-Matthias-Hauer-Platz in Josefstadt.
GRin Mag. (FH) Susanne Haase (SPÖ) described cycling as one of her “heart issues”. She saw a new dimension in the city’s cycle path expansion, which would set the course for environmentally friendly and safe mobility. She put the Greens’ criticism that the cycle paths were made possible primarily because of federal funding into context: expansion requires not only financial resources, but also political will and the ability to act. Cycle path projects are projects for the “sustainable” city, which would be accompanied by greening and redesign.
Vote: The approval of the loan in kind was decided unanimously. The FPÖ’s motion did not find a majority.
Approval of the funding guidelines “Small Projects for Democracy and Participation” as well as a framework amount for the funding program
GR Ing. Udo Guggenbichler, MSc (FPÖ) criticized the SPÖ, which, in his opinion, behaved “as if it owned the city”. Vienna has the highest unemployment rate of all federal states, so he demanded that the business agency and waff use funds appropriately and not spend them on “events or influencers”. He is therefore “suspicious” even of small projects. Guggenbichler missed specific projects that would be financed with the funds; instead, only a framework agreement would be decided. He submitted a motion for dismissal because the funding guidelines had not been sufficiently addressed in the committee.
GR Nikolaus Kunrath (GREEN) spoke about democracy and human rights. NGOs must be provided with sufficient funds from the public sector; the FPÖ wants to prevent that. He quoted from a social media post by a former FPÖ National Council member and police officer who called for violence against demonstrators. Kunrath criticized FPÖ proposals that wanted to “restrict” democracy.
GRin Mag. Nina Abrahamczik (SPÖ) explained that this post was about setting up a small project pot endowed with 300,000 euros within the framework of Vienna as the reigning European Capital of Democracy. The small project pot should support those associations and initiatives that work for democracy and dialogue on a small scale. She countered the previous speaker, Guggenbichler, by saying that all questions about the jury or the projects in the local council committee had already been answered. She summarized the answers to the concerns of the previous speaker, Guggenbichler from the FPÖ: The allocation of funds from the small project pot is of course linked to funding criteria, emphasized Abrahamczik; Which clubs would receive money for their small projects, as the FPÖ had asked, would naturally depend on the application and could only be determined after the tender had been processed. The members of the jury could only be named as soon as the local council formally decides on the funds for the small project pot, said the SPÖ local councillor. Accordingly, it is not possible to name them in advance, as requested by the FPÖ.
GRin Dr. Jennifer Kickert (GREENS) said that “many resources would be relaxed” as part of the European Capital of Democracy Year. A significant portion of the money will be used to institutionalize the “climate teams,” which implement project ideas for climate protection and climate adaptation in the districts. Another focus of the Democracy Capital’s resources would be on projects related to democracy and participation among the population. The local council would have continually added money – currently with the new pot to be created for small projects – but Kickert doubted that further funding would create more participation. Vienna should learn from its experience as a democracy capital and continue to focus on democracy and participation in the coming years instead of “pumping more and more money into the Year of Democracy projects,” demanded Kickert.
GR Ing. Udo Guggenbichler, MSc (FPÖ) spoke up again: “When money is spent, we want to know: Who is spending it for what?” asked Guggenbichler. These questions must be answered by the governing parties in the spirit of transparency; it is the “original task of the opposition” to control how public money is spent – and not an attack on democracy as previous speakers suggested, said Guggenbichler.
GRin Mag. Nina Abrahamczik (SPÖ) also spoke up for the second time in the debate: The questions asked by Guggenbichler were legitimate; She referred to the jury and the funding guidelines that are linked to the allocation of funds – there will also be a funding report and an accounting including a review of the proper use of the funding by the clubs and organizations that are being funded, emphasized the SPÖ mandater.
GR Mag. Dietbert Kowarik (FPÖ) said that the city constitution clearly stipulates who is responsible for allocating funding: it is either the local council committee or the local council. From Kowarik’s point of view, the allocation of funds from a funding pot is legally problematic because the committee or the local council no longer decides who gets what. “If I get rid of my competence, I would like to know who will decide instead of me,” said Kowarik and again called for the jury to be announced, which would receive the funding from the small funding pot. Kowarik also criticized the fact that “once again money is being given away that we don’t have,” said Kowarik with regard to the city’s budget deficit.
Vote: The motion to dismiss did not receive the necessary majority. The approval of the funding guidelines and a framework amount for the funding program was decided unanimously. The FPÖ’s motions did not receive the necessary majority.
Approval of the amendment to the statutes of the health care institution for employees of the city of Vienna
GRin Mag. Barbara Huemer (GREEN) welcomed the change in the KFA’s statutes, which would close a gap in maternity protection: If parental leave is still ongoing but child benefit has already expired, there was previously no maternity protection benefit in the event of a new pregnancy. After a court ruling, the statutes will be adjusted. She called for further changes to the statutes, for example regarding the financing of HIV prevention. Health care is paid for by the city health insurance company, but many other preventative measures are not, criticized Huemer. In an application, Huemer called for a corresponding change to the KFA’s statutes.
GR Ing. Christian Meidlinger (SPÖ) referred to resolutions in the local council for the KFA to cover the costs of HIV prevention. All health insurance companies in the country have financial problems and a problem with expenses, Meidlinger pointed out. The federal government would have exacerbated these problems because, for example, the federal government would have issued regulations during Covid times but would not have made the money available. The KFA Vienna alone – and therefore the insured people – were left with 4.8 million euros, criticized Meidlinger. Meidlinger criticized that other remuneration for psychotherapeutic treatment or midwifery advice by the federal government would not be reimbursed to KFA insured persons. So he rejected an increase in benefits as requested by the previous speaker.
Vote: The statutes were changed. The Greens’ motion did not receive the required majority.
The 62nd meeting of the Vienna City Council ended at 8:37 p.m.
Service
In the information database of the Vienna State Parliament and Municipal Council (INFODAT) at www.wien.gv.at/infodat Speeches, debate contributions, resolutions, inquiries, motions, draft laws and state law gazettes can be accessed according to various criteria. Access to the associated videos and original documents (if available electronically) is provided. (End) nic/gaa/ato