Energy-intensive businesses will also be granted electricity cost compensation this year and next year. The National Council made a corresponding decision on Wednesday afternoon. This is intended to assure these companies compensation for the portion of electricity price costs attributable to the pricing of emission certificates.

The subsidy is limited to businesses with an annual electricity consumption of at least one gigawatt-hour and that process or manufacture materials such as metal, steel, paper, wood, or leather. The subsidy is to be approved for the annual electricity consumption exceeding 1 GWh. The amount of the subsidy is to be capped at 75 percent of the indirect CO2 costs.

Another law debated in the same discussion creates a transitional solution for the extension of subsidies for biogas plants, whose contracts expire during 2026 - namely until the enactment of a law for the promotion of biomethane production.

Family Benefits: Restriction for Ukrainians

The National Council has slightly modified the entitlement to family benefits for displaced persons from Ukraine. In the future, it will be necessary to either be employed or be available to the AMS to receive family allowance and child benefits. Only the Freedom Party expressed opposition, wanting to restrict the benefits to Austrian families.

The current regulation is limited until the middle of next year. SP delegate Bernhard Herzog expressed hope that the situation in Ukraine would improve by then. He saw the realignment of family benefits as sensible, as the aim is integration into the labor market. Integration Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP) emphasized that protection for Ukrainians is beyond question. At the same time, there is also pressure to save. Therefore, family and social benefits must be more targeted. NEOS and the Greens welcomed the proposal, although the latter criticized details concerning students.

There are also certain exceptions to the obligation. These apply, for example, to persons younger than 18 or older than 65 years and to persons who have to care for significantly disabled children.

Police Operation at Peršmanhof

Additionally, the controversial police operation at Peršmanhof in Carinthia occupied the National Council. In a brief debate, the Greens demanded an apology from Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). He promised the final report of the analysis commission set up in August by the end of next week. The apology did not come from him personally, but from ÖVP delegate Margreth Falkner. Gernot Darmann (FPÖ), on the other hand, attacked the Greens and SPÖ.

The operation took place last July at a central memorial site for the resistance of Slovenian partisans against the Nazi regime, where the SS committed a massacre of eleven civilians in 1945. Three police patrols, officers from the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (LSE), and the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) were deployed, along with a dog unit and a helicopter. An antifascist camp was inspected, with the accusation of unlawfully erected tents.

"Was Not a Routine Operation"

Olga Voglauer (Green Party) therefore appealed to Karner to apologize to those affected and to learn from history. "This was not a routine operation," she said, "it was a signal." And further: "How seriously does this country take its own culture of remembrance when heavily armed police officers search an anti-fascist youth camp at a memorial site?"

Karner acknowledged that the Green Party was right to point out the historical significance of the memorial site and the high sensitivity of the operation. Therefore, he shortly thereafter established the expert commission, which met for the last time on Tuesday and is currently working on the final report. This will likely be presented to the public at the end of next week.

The demanded apology did not come from the Minister of the Interior, but it did come from his party colleague Falkner. If the operation was perceived as retraumatizing, "then I say one thing: I am sorry." The forces did not intend to intimidate anyone, she was convinced. She advocated for a comprehensive review: "We must and will learn from this."

Darmann's reaction was quite different. The statements of the Green Party were "shameful," it was "agitation against police officers." The Green Party, but also the SPÖ in the person of Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, stood "protectively in front of the left-wing extremist Antifa."

Lukas Hammer (Green Party) reacted accordingly. "You consider the memory of anti-fascist resistance to be left-wing extremist?" he asked: "This shows that you still have not emancipated yourselves from your brown roots." Support also came from SPÖ and NEOS. "Austria must not treat its minorities like this," said Pia Maria Wieninger (SPÖ). Janos Juvan (NEOS) was glad that the political leaders in Austria did not brush aside such a case.

Resolution on Adult Representation

The mandatory adult representation by lawyers and notaries will be time-limited until mid-2028. This was decided by the National Council with the votes of the coalition and the Green Party. By then, resources should be created so that appropriately trained personnel are available in sufficient numbers.

In addition, both the court and those affected should have the opportunity to reassess the necessity of adult representation at any time by application. There should be a possibility for caregivers to make suggestions.

The FPÖ was the only faction to reject the proposal, as it saw only "cosmetic improvements," as stated by the deputy Harald Stefan. The situation for those affected has not improved but only become less bad: "That is not enough for us." Even for the Green Party, the deadline is too long, but they managed to agree to it.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.