Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) will present the new faces in their team on Wednesday. The future Minister of Agriculture Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) will be there. Because of a CoV infection, the East Tyrolean might not be sworn in by the Federal President last week. That will be made up for on Wednesday morning, at 9 a.m. Totschnig is visiting Alexander Van der Bellen in the Hofburg.
ÖVP Secretary of State for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler, who is part of the Labor Department, and Secretary of State for Digitization Florian Tursky (ÖVP) will also be presented to the National Council. The latter is to be assigned to the Ministry of Finance, provided that this is legally feasible – experts such as media and communications law expert Hans Peter Lehofer have expressed doubts. ÖVP Minister of Labor Martin Kocher will report on how he would like to integrate the economic agendas that have fallen to him into his department.
Schramböck renounces mandate
The resigned Economics Minister Margarete Schramböck (ÖVP) will give up her seat in the National Council. As MP Alexandra Tanda (ÖVP) told ORF.at on Tuesday, she will continue to be a member of the National Council. Tanda sits on Schramböck’s Tyrolean mandate. Until the very end it was unclear whether the Tyrolean Tanda would have to make way for Schramböck. The state ÖVP in Tyrol confirmed the waiver by Schramböck – more on that in tirol.ORF.at. In contrast to Schramböck, Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP), who also resigned, made it clear that she wanted to leave politics entirely.
SPÖ submits a new election application
The SPÖ submits a new election application. This decision was “not taken lightly”, said vice club boss Jörg Leichtfried on Tuesday: “But at some point it’s time to say it can’t go any further, they can’t bring it together.”
The turquoise-green government is not making any progress either with the currently pressing problems such as the severely affecting inflation or the pandemic, “which is far from over”, nor with future tasks such as care reform and energy change. Instead of solving the crises, they amplify turquoise-green. “We have the highest inflation for 41 years,” said Leichtfried. A third of people have to limit themselves when buying groceries because of this.
Kickl: “New elections are the only reasonable approach”
The FPÖ has had an application for a new election for some time, the FPÖ will submit an application for setting a deadline, so that the application for a new election must be dealt with in the plenum. In addition, the FPÖ will bring a motion of no confidence once morest the entire federal government. “New elections are the only sensible approach,” club chairman Herbert Kickl commented on the motions. The current government team of the ÖVP is “the last contingent of party soldiers” and would pursue clientele politics instead of taking responsibility.
On Thursday, however, the National Council will discuss an “extradition request” from the Vienna magistrate once morest Kickl. The authority wants to investigate once morest him on suspicion of violating the Medicines Act, which is specifically regarding a drug.
Scherak: “Government mentally already on summer vacation”
NEOS has not yet committed itself to supporting the new election application. He would not currently be talking regarding new elections unduly, according to NEOS mandatary Nikolaus Scherak. Rather, the federal government is asked to start working. This is felt to be “mentally already on summer vacation”. Although new members of the government would be introduced once more on Wednesday and the next announcements would probably be made, only then once more little or nothing would be implemented.
Social welfare reform and CoV rules
The reform of social assistance is one of the items on the MEPs’ agenda. Specifically, it is regarding a hardship clause that countries can use to expand the circle of recipients. These are, for example, people with a humanitarian right to stay who have lost their jobs. One becomes more accommodating in assisted living facilities such as women’s shelters and homeless facilities. Nursing allowance should no longer be taken into account, not only as before for the person entitled to receive it, but also for caring relatives in the common household.
Some of the CoV rules will be extended, and the regulations in the Epidemics Act will also remain in place until the end of June next year. This involves, for example, imposing exit restrictions from local epidemic areas and registering people entering Austria. If necessary, it will still be possible to oblige catering establishments and organizers to collect the contact details of their guests.
The rule according to which employees with certain previous illnesses can be released from work once more – with continued payment of wages – should the pandemic situation worsen once more and neither a home office nor a particularly protected workplace is possible will be extended until the end of the year. CoV rules are also being extended in the judiciary, here until the end of the year. This creates the possibility for a further six months to carry out certain hearings, oral hearings and taking of evidence using suitable means of communication for word or image transmission.
Budget is increased
Above all, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its consequences make budgetary adjustments necessary. Unplanned expenditures are necessary, for example, to ensure a national strategic gas reserve, the energy relief package and aid measures for displaced Ukrainians.
The government bill also provides additional funds for hospice and palliative care, health promotion and suicide prevention. Additional budget funds are also needed in connection with CoV. At the same time, revenue is expected to fall due to lower economic growth.
In figures, this means that the deficit will increase by 6.5 billion to 19.1 billion euros. Compared to the previous budget planning, the amendment provides for an increase in payments of 4.9 billion to 104 billion euros and a decrease in payments by 1.6 billion to 84.8 billion euros.
Change in Gas Act
On Thursday, an amendment to the Gas Industry Act is the subject. It is intended to provide a further safety net for the gas supply by allowing the state to commission suppliers with the provision and storage of gas. An amendment to the Energy Control Act, on the other hand, brings security for industrial companies that store gas. A constitutional majority is required for parts of the law.
The legal basis for the granting of EU subsidies within the framework of the common agricultural policy will be established. National funding measures, including target values, are defined in a strategy plan that is intended to implement the general parameters set by the EU.
The referendum “Vocation obligation: Strictly NO” will be discussed, which was signed by a good 269,000 Austrians and is therefore historically in the middle of all initiatives. The hurdle of 100,000 signatures for parliamentary treatment was clearly taken. The report on the conference on the future of Europe entitled “Conference on the Future of Europe – National Best Practices on Communication” will also be discussed.
Integration offers for displaced persons from Ukraine
Displaced persons from Ukraine are included in the scope of the Integration Law. For them, this means that German courses must be offered and that they can be offered integration and orientation courses. In addition, an amendment to the Recognition and Assessment Act will make it easier for Ukrainians to recognize foreign educational qualifications or professional qualifications if documents are missing.