SPÖ Leader Babler: "That Was a Milestone"

SPÖ leader Andreas Babler wants to make life cheaper for Austrians and considers market interventions conceivable. He has tasked Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) with creating appropriate models. Regarding the results, he is "undogmatic," the Vice Chancellor stated in the APA interview. What is important is that the interventions work: "Whether there is a voluntary commitment or legal measures are needed, I don't really care."

Energy Sector and Food in Focus

The SPÖ chairman is particularly focused on the energy sector, which is also a factor for the location, as well as on food prices: "For many people, this is life-threatening." It is incomprehensible that many products from large corporations are significantly cheaper in Germany because there is an "Austria" surcharge here. In this regard, he sees the EU as being challenged. If no appropriate steps are taken there, he will address a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Regarding the third essential area - housing - Babler is proud of the rent price cap he was responsible for: "It was a milestone to legally intervene in rent." The Vice Chancellor also guarantees that in the fall, they will follow up on unregulated apartments. There is no finished model for this yet, as the matter is legally very complex. The target value is half of the inflation increase.

Recently, complaints from the construction industry have become loud that there is too little progress in new construction. Babler understands these concerns and essentially relies on two points agreed upon in the government program. On the one hand, it concerns the implementation of the earmarking of housing subsidies, which he considers an essential financing instrument, and on the other hand, the revival of a housing investment bank. Both projects should be implemented "as quickly as possible." Additionally, advancing zoning for social housing could help.

Civil Servant Salaries at Social Partner Level

The higher US tariffs could further increase the need for savings for the federal government. Whether the above-average salary agreements, which are actually already fixed for 2026, could be brought forward, the Vice Chancellor left open: "I leave the negotiations where they are well placed, namely at the social partner level." Babler also left open whether the pension adjustment could fall below the inflation rate this time.

However, he clearly spoke out against raising the statutory retirement age: "It also makes a lot more economic sense if people can work longer in their jobs." Therefore, there is a discussion on how to encourage or even pressure companies to hire older workers. With the increase in the access age for the corridor pension, they have already "turned a small screw" on the other side.

"Very Unifying Phase Achieved in SPÖ"

The SPÖ leader is satisfied with the state of his own party: "I believe we have reached a very stable, very unifying phase in the SPÖ, if I let the last few years pass." The fact that the important state organizations of Vienna and Burgenland, as well as the Styrian state party, do not send their leaders to the party presidium, and in Salzburg, even many months after David Egger's resignation, no new state chairman is in sight, does not bother Babler: "It is the decision of the states whom they send." After all, all states are represented in the federal committees.

The fact that the likely new chairman of the Carinthian SPÖ, Daniel Fellner, recently advocated cooperation with the FPÖ on the very day the federal party launched a campaign against the Freedom Party, Babler comments only briefly. One should not overestimate everything in tactical statements. The FPÖ bankrupted Carinthia, which is why there has been no cooperation between the Carinthian SPÖ and the Freedom Party so far. At the federal level, Babler once again categorically ruled this out.

Although the SPÖ government team has not been unpleasantly noticeable so far and some prestige projects have been implemented, the Social Democrats are not making progress in polls. The party leader sees this in connection with a crisis of trust in politics, as the recent government constellations (without the SPÖ) have triggered "justified frustration." It will take "some time" to bring about a change here. However, he is convinced that the SPÖ will also be well rated if they manage to bring major tasks in a good direction: "I am firmly convinced that with a good record, we will also achieve a good result."

(APA/Red)

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