“The introduction of the digital euro would be another dangerous step in the direction of a glass citizen and increasing surveillance,” warned FPÖ business spokeswoman NABG today. Dr. Barbara Kolm on the occasion of a current request for request from SPÖ finance minister Marterbauer on the digital ECB central bank money. The digital euro must be seen in connection with the ambitions against cash (e.g. cash borders), the complete EU assets of the EU Authority AMLA and the planned EU chat control: everything is increasing to more and less control and less and less privacy, which also brought the parliamentary request to Marterbauer.
The response from the SPÖ finance minister revealed a number of alarming developments: Although – as the response to inquiries arises – the legal basis for the digital euro has not yet been decided, the European Central Bank launched a two -year preparation phase in November 2023. “This is a clear case of far -reaching technocratic anticipation of political decisions, without adequate democratic control,” criticized Kolm. “What we need the digital euro for at all remains open. In the absence of arguments, the proponents apparently do not want a broad public debate. A clear added value for the population and the economy is also not in the question of the question of Marterbauer. This only refers to the general and abstract considerations of the EU Commission, which could strengthen the digital euro worldwide; as if necessary; would be, ”said Dr. Kolm together.
When it comes to data protection, the minister emphasizes that the digital euro should not serve to monitor citizens, but there are no concrete technical guarantees. According to Finance Minister, the ECB and national central banks should not “conclude the identity of individuals”: A promise that remains extremely questionable in view of the digital traceability of transactions: “The SPÖ finance minister only promises that ECB and central banks can not trace anyone, but he does not promise that nobody can draw on identities,” said Barbara Kolm. The FPÖ business spokeswoman was particularly critical of the possibility of the indirect programmability of the digital euro that Marterbauer did not invalidate in his request to answer: “The EU’s draft EU regulation states that the digital euro itself cannot be programmable in the sense of ‘money with built-in logic’, but according to the same document, ‘conditional payments) will be possible. These are controlled outside of the currency unit by payment service providers or user applications, for example with debit orders. Data protection topic- Payment service providers can then make very specific conditions, for example, in the context of social benefits, CO2 budgets or consumer steering. Rough ‘de-banking’.
SPÖ Minister Marterbauer speaks of the fact that the digital euro should “just add cash”. But the story shows that what begins as a supplement often ends as a replacement. “We must not allow cash to be displaced – it is a bulwark against surveillance and control,” says Kolm. The finance minister confirms that the introduction of holding limits is planned for digital euros. Thus, the digital euro will not be freely used, for example to the system. The digital euro will not be a universal means of payment, but an instrument for controlling the financial behavior of the citizens. “Together with cash borders, this is a massive interference with financial autonomy. Financial self -determination is in danger in the long term,” warned Kolm.
The confirmation of the Ministry of Finance is particularly questionable that Austria’s representative is not part of the central “Rulbook Development Group”, which draws on the operational set of rules for the digital euro below the EU regulation. “We are on a project that intervenes deeply in the freedom and self -determination of us citizens,” criticized Kolm and further: “The composition of the working group ‘Rulebook’ is once again, typically Brussels, completely non -transparent. Nobody knows officially and in which direction it is right. How should we control this shadow policy democratically?”
The response to inquiries remains vague as for the specific costs for national payment systems and financial institutions – everything is still open. Technical challenges such as offline functionality, crisis resilience or multiple wallets are also unsolved. The finance minister speaks of the fact that the digital euro will be free of charge for the citizens, but in his answer there is also talk of “fair and transparent dealer fees” and an “reasonable remuneration” for payment service providers: “Who will bear these fees and remuneration in the end, unless the users of the digital euro themselves? Not even the alleged costlessness is a sustainable argument for the digital euro!”.
The free business spokeswoman summarized: “The digital euro is a Trojan horse, because it does not contribute anything to the general importance of the euro, he no longer brings the companies and the citizens to economic freedom, he does not solve no problem in daily payment transactions, for which there are no private sector solutions – for example in the area of interoperability or immediate payments. But it only brings ‘more state – less private’. More control.