KPÖ Styria Criticizes Increasing Financial Pressure on the Population

The Styrian and Graz KPÖ called for the Day of Open Accounts at the end of the year. Since the introduction of support in 1998, 3.85 million euros have been spent on 31,027 individuals and households. In 2025, it was 304,491 euros for 2,521 individuals and households, said Kahr. This year, the communists also criticized, for example, austerity budgets, especially in the social sector at the federal and state level. Wealth taxes and the resumption of cold progression were demanded.

Basic needs and rent make up the largest share

By far the largest item in 2025 was support for basic needs, amounting to 108,402 euros for 1,399 individuals and households. This included, among other things, clothing, food vouchers, and funeral costs. The second largest item was assistance with rent payments.

The first to start the initiative was KPÖ municipal and then city councilor Ernest Kaltenegger in 1998: Since then, according to Kahr, the fund has been filled by all KPÖ politicians who receive a salary as politicians. The upper limit is considered to be 2,100 euros in earnings. Many who do not have a political mandate also donate or give more.

Kahr: "They are workers, academics, business people"

One sees daily how people are doing through the consultation hours offered - and not just shortly before an election, said the mayor of Graz. "People come who thought they would never be in need. The reasons are varied: separations, job loss, debts. They are workers, academics, business people. And very often an illness throws one off track," said Kahr.

Many also do not know whom to turn to with problems. Here, the social guide has become an important reference work. 2025 was the most challenging in every respect in all these years. There is a noticeable focus on the topic of housing, back payments for electricity and heating costs, often in the three to four-digit range. It becomes even more precarious when children are involved.

Many Working People Affected

Many working people are also affected, in retail, in care, in delivery services. She would wish for 2026 that more would be read about people and their achievements in these fields of work. "I find it shabby how people are constantly accused of only taking advantage of benefits." Meanwhile, the financial pressure is steadily increasing.

State parliament member Alexander Melinz spoke of a problem affecting all of Styria. In a country like Austria, one of the richest countries, people should not fall into poverty. State parliament club chairwoman Claudia Klimt-Weithaler criticized that in the past state parliament sessions, no sentence was repeated as often as "Performance must pay off again." "However, the blue-black coalition cuts social benefits and does not increase salaries. This also affects the so-called middle class. There is hardly any possibility to save something," said the club chairwoman.

Division is Growing

Graz city councilor Robert Krotzer said that reading a book about René Benko had given him food for thought. There were millions of euros from the Signa Foundation for politicians and ex-politicians, some of whom had also lobbied during their active political careers. He looks with great concern at the coming year. Cutting social benefits will not save the country's budget.

Manfred Eber, Graz finance city councilor, was convinced that it is probably a structural problem when there are empty coffers at all levels. The renunciation of wealth taxes and the abolition of cold progression in 2022 were mistakes, a renunciation of revenues that were missing for states and municipalities in the financial equalization. The abolition favored the well-off and high earners.

(APA/Red)

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