Emmerling plans to cut social welfare for large families!

Emmerling plans to cut social welfare for large families!

A breath of fresh air is blowing through the Vienna city government, and the focus is on current social welfare measures. The Neos deputy mayor Bettina Emmerling recently presented a proposal that brings social assistance for families with several children into the crossfire of criticism. At the moment, all families in Vienna receive the same financial amount, regardless of the number of children they have. Emmerling argues that costs per child vary widely and calls for increasing the effectiveness of social services by making cuts for larger families. However, their considerations are encountering strong resistance, especially from the Social Democrats (SPÖ), who have always been against such measures in the past, as the platform My District reports.

The mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), sums it up: “All children are worth the same.” This fundamental belief is in direct contradiction to Emmerling's plans. Before the 2024 National Council election, the issue of minimum income for larger families caused quite a stir when a family of nine in Vienna received almost 4,600 euros in social assistance per month. According to the current statistics from Statistik Austria, the social assistance statistics cover several federal states and are intended to ensure livelihoods and housing needs.

Tensions in the coalition

The coalition between the SPÖ and Neos in Vienna is already showing initial tensions, even though they only recently presented their coalition pact. The pact, which was presented by Deputy Mayor Emmerling and Mayor Ludwig, relies on reforms in minimum security and on traffic calming in the city center. Negotiations on this city government program, which is designed to run until 2030, have been taking place since the beginning of May and are focusing on topics such as work, the economy and digitalization, as the Kurier highlights.

Emmerling's proposal to cut social welfare has not only received loud support from the SPÖ, but also sharp criticism from the opposition and other party members. Judith Pühringer, chairwoman of the Vienna Green Party, described the plans as “unscrupulous”. ÖVP Vienna leader Harald Zierfuß also called on the Neos to convince their coalition partner of more comprehensive reforms.

A look at the challenges

The need for structural reforms is given by the tense budget situation in Vienna. The government must not only master the balancing act between the various interests within the coalition, but also meet the expectations of the population, who hope for an improvement in quality of life and affordability. In addition, Vienna has ambitious plans for digitalization and the expansion of renewable energies, with the goal of becoming climate neutral by 2040. However, these reform efforts must be consistent with social policy to ensure sustainable solutions.

The coming days will show how the SPÖ reacts to Emmerling's proposal and whether the coalition is able to work together in a way that meets the various demands. The tension remains high and the Viennese population is eagerly awaiting further developments.