2023-10-15 03:13:25
The coming plenary week of the National Council will be dominated by the second budget speech by Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) on Wednesday, which will, as usual, be followed by a first debate, called the first reading, on Thursday. Before the debate begins, there will be a minute’s silence for the victims of the Hamas attack in Israel. The more interesting resolutions on the two days of the meeting include improvements in pension law and the possibility of revoking decorations.
The reason for the latter submission is the co-author of the National Socialist racial laws, Hans Globke, who received the second highest order of the Republic in 1956. The new legal provisions enable the body that awarded the decoration, usually the Federal President, to explicitly state that the conditions for revoking the award are met. The reason for this might be, for example, court convictions for intentionally committed criminal acts once morest life and limb or sexual integrity, intentionally committed crimes once morest Austrian constitutional institutions or violations of the Prohibition Act.
Payments to the Jewish communities in Austria will be increased. Most recently, the annual special payment was four million, which will be increased retroactively to seven million at the beginning of the year. The money is intended to support and make Jewish life in Austria visible and to promote interreligious dialogue and intercultural exchange.
When it comes to pensions, the point is that due to the delayed appreciation factors, the next pensioner cohort would have to fear high losses in terms of pension benefits for life. A protective clause is now being introduced for this group. To this end, the National Council approved the pension increase of 9.7 percent, which had been announced for some time.
Also on the agenda is part of the child protection package. The proposed changes to the Criminal Code include, in addition to renaming the offense “graphic sexual child abuse material” (instead of “pornographic depictions of minors”), an increase in the penalty range. Producing and distributing relevant material can result in a prison sentence of up to ten years.
The National Council is creating more transparency for gas customers. From February 1st next year, gas purchasers must be informed once a year by their suppliers in an information letter personally addressed to them regarding the possibility of switching to a cheaper product and regarding the regulatory authority’s tariff calculator. If so-called floater tariffs are offered, consumers must also be informed regarding the opportunities, costs and risks of these products both before the contract is concluded and during the term.
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