Viennese "Growth Coalition" Presents Its Government Program

SPÖ and NEOS are presenting their coalition pact for the future Viennese city government on Tuesday. SPÖ Mayor Michael Ludwig and NEOS Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling will jointly present the contents shortly after noon, which have been agreed upon in negotiations that have been ongoing since the beginning of May. However, the exact composition of the city government will not be publicly announced on Tuesday. From 12:30 PM, we will broadcast the press conference via livestream:

SPÖ and NEOS Present Viennese Coalition Agreement

First, the coalition parties' committees must approve the pact. The Social Democrats will do this on Wednesday. Following the committee meetings, Ludwig will then present the SPÖ government team. On Saturday, the NEOS will follow, voting on the new Viennese city government at a state members' meeting.

In a 191-page program document available to the APA, the red-pink coalition, after five years of the self-proclaimed "Progress Coalition," now adopts the title "Recovery Coalition." They aim to achieve recovery as an economic location, but also in education, climate protection, and the social sector.

Vienna Must Also Save in the Coming Years

In view of the difficult budget situation, saving is also on the agenda in Vienna, as in the federal government, over the next five years. According to the government program, which will be officially presented on Tuesday, this will be tackled with structural reforms, the evaluation of subsidies, and a counter-financing obligation for new measures. Municipal participations are also expected to distribute significantly higher dividends.

In parallel, despite the need to save, investments will also be made in infrastructure. "We want to make Vienna the leading location for digitalization and high technology," SPÖ and NEOS declare in their program. Specifically mentioned is the evaluation of an expansion of the AI Life Science Center, the promotion of digitalization with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning in research, the establishment of a competence center for cyber security and cyber defense, as well as the application for the establishment of an "AI Gigafactory."

Reform of Minimum Security Planned

The red-pink government wants to evaluate the accuracy of the Vienna minimum security. Together with child and youth services, the living situation of families with multiple children receiving minimum security will be evaluated. The interactions with federal benefits such as family allowance, Family Bonus Plus, and benefits under maintenance law will also be examined. The goal is a reform of minimum security, especially for families with children and people living in shared accommodations.

As announced, a "Vienna Integration Code" is to be developed. The mandatory kindergarten attendance for children needing language support is to be extended from 20 to 30 hours. To address the staff shortage in kindergartens, the transition for other professional groups is to be facilitated.

Vienna Ring Road to be Redesigned

Test tracks for autonomous driving are also planned. Further examination will include the possibility of taking bicycles on trams and buses. 20,000 trees are to be planted in the coming years, and the Ring Road is to be redesigned. A separation of pedestrian and bicycle traffic is promised, utilizing the "potential of side roads." A solar initiative has also been announced.

On Friday, it became known that the two parties have agreed to renew their coalition, which has been in place since 2020, in the federal capital. Together, they hold 53 of the 100 mandates in the future municipal council. When it will be constituted is still open, but it is expected to happen quite soon after Pentecost.

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(APA/Red)

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