2024-08-24 03:07:14
The Socialist Party has virtually completed its plans for the National Council elections. A draft was submitted to party headquarters this week for review by the APA and contains a number of well-known demands such as a millionaire’s tax, specialist guarantees and a four-day-a-week trial. There are also many financially demanding aspirations. The second president of the National Assembly, Doris Brace (SPÖ), was worried about being suspected of being “not serious” in her letter to the presidium.
The Kronen Zeitung quoted extensively from a letter written by the top candidate in Vienna to members of the Supreme Council of the Social Democratic Party. “Given the difficult financial situation in the republic caused by the ÖVP government, focusing on numerous tax increases while demanding a large number of free state services may raise suspicions that this approach is not serious.”
In fact, the SPÖ has done a lot of planning in terms of expenditure in its draft programme. They range from free dental treatment for those under 23, to giving every child the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, free lunches for students (and breakfast and snacks at further stages), schools without private tutoring, and bans Tuition fees can be as high as legal claims and even prevent partial retirement. Increases in the retirement age are not included.
The climate chapter also takes up a lot of space. SP boss Andreas Babler envisages raising $20 billion by 2040 in a draft climate transition fund that will be sponsored by ÖBAG.
In terms of income, a millionaire’s tax is imposed on net assets exceeding $1 million. In addition, owner-occupied houses can be exempted from the “luxury limit” of up to 1.5 million euros. While a home transferred to a partner or children remains fully tax-free, gift and estate taxes are only levied on estates worth millions of dollars. Babler-SPÖ wants to increase bank taxes and reverse corporate tax breaks. The digital tax will be extended to platform sales, which will affect Airbnb and others, although the SPÖ wants to limit the services of private apartment landlords anyway. Supermarkets should also only be allowed in town centers.
The 60-page document is very detailed, but Bures clearly doesn’t like this: “The relationships between the various policy areas show too little focus and prioritization, instead getting lost in detail – in relatively unimportant areas,” Quoting “Krone” in their letter: “In the research topic, an increase in funding for basic research was succinctly announced, while in the agricultural part, an increase in the share of organic beekeepers from the current three percent to 100 Ten out of ten.
This is not the only example of the SPÖ addressing issues in its draft plan that had previously received little attention. Demands include, for example, farmers’ rights to “simulated life”, the right to personal bank appointments, the option to wait in shady stations, a “feminist foreign policy” and the establishment of Austria as a “diplomatic transport hub”.
Austria explicitly refused to join NATO, but at the same time pledged to maintain compulsory military service. As far as the Middle East conflict is concerned, SPÖ supports international peace efforts to achieve a “just two-state solution” for Israelis and Palestinians. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has been condemned, but there is support for keeping the lines of communication open for negotiations to end the war.
The SPÖ is quite strict when it comes to its asylum policy. It is worth noting that Austria is very proud of its achievements in accepting refugees, but at the same time stresses: “Obviously we cannot bear all the responsibility alone.” You are more or less in agreement with Interior Minister Gerhard Kana (ÖVP ), the newspaper called for asylum seekers rejected by the EU to be deported to “safe third countries” if they are unable to return to their home countries. The exception is if the young refugee has completed training. In some cases, they can obtain a different residence permit.
As far as the school system is concerned, SPÖ now relies mainly on full-time schools and not just on the interconnected format. We will be taking care to ensure that we offer a model for morning sessions and afternoon care.
The extent of the planned development is controversial. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time when demands publicly presented by the Socialist Party have been suggested to be decided on broad democratic grounds,” Bress said in a letter to members of the executive committee. “I would like to point out this undesirable Development because it means we are following the weakening and making ourselves vulnerable internally and externally.
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