Vienna relies on transparency: New Freedom of Information Act from September!

Vienna relies on transparency: New Freedom of Information Act from September!

Wien, Österreich - On Thursday, the Vienna state parliament took an important step towards transparency: the Ziel is a paradigmatic change: transparency should become the rule. Information of general interest must be published proactively by state organs and larger communities and are accessible to all citizens.

A central component of the new law is the introduction of a general information register in which the relevant information is collected and puts with keywords. These measures aim to strengthen the trust of citizens in public administration and to facilitate access to important information.

political resistance and concerns

The Green Councilor David Ellensohn has sharply criticized the new guidelines and sees this as a "mockery" of freedom of information. He emphasizes that the approval of the government factions is necessary for inquiries to city government members, which could further complicate the process. This restriction was classified by the opposition as not acceptable because it could hinder access to decisive information.

ÖVP club chairman Harald Zierfuß has also registered concerns that the introduction of reasons for confidentiality could undermine transparency for municipal council members. The opposition emphasizes that the novella was only brought into the state parliament a week ago, which gives the impression that you try to wave through far -reaching changes.

With this new regulation, the administration in Vienna is put to the test. While the possibilities for the request of information are to be expanded, there are still many political questions in the room that could significantly influence the processes in the city for the coming years.