Vienna city government plans measures against child poverty and traffic chaos!

Vienna city government plans measures against child poverty and traffic chaos!

Vienna is changing! The SPÖ and NEOS have come together in a new city government and are targeting several key areas that will directly influence the lives of Viennese people. The parties place a particular focus on the further development of the labor market and strengthening Vienna as a research and congress location. These topics are also very relevant in the current discussion about minimum income, which should be examined.

One of the major challenges remains the affordability of Vienna's minimum income. As part of the planned reform, support for shared apartments and families with many children will be discussed in particular. The parties want to decisively counteract child poverty and offer better social security.

Promote transport projects and integration

But that's not all! There are also some innovations in transport. It is expected that parking times will be adapted to the needs of Viennese people in order to make the parking ticket more effective. In addition, park-and-ride services are to be improved in order to reduce the number of vehicles in the city. Traffic calming in the inner city is also on the agenda, coupled with a revised city bus concept.

A step into the future are the plans to introduce self-driving minibuses and shuttles, which could revolutionize public transport. In addition, the testing of taking bicycles on trams and buses is being pushed forward, which will certainly make many cyclists happy. Another important chapter on the agenda is the promotion of the German language, which should be expanded not only for children but also for their legal guardians. An integration code is being developed here that creates the framework conditions for successful cooperation.

Integration in the labor market

But what about the integration of migrants? Federal policy has already introduced numerous measures to make it easier for migrants to integrate into the labor market. Around 20.8 million people with a migrant background live in Germany, and equal opportunities in the labor market remains a core task of integration policy. Measures such as the “Integration through Qualification – IQ” funding program help to recognize foreign professional qualifications and support migrants in improving their language in order to achieve better participation in the labor market. Language support offers aim to make integration easier for new immigrants and migrants.

According to the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), 65 percent of refugees who have been living in Germany for six years work full-time, which reinforces the need to promote their integration into the German labor market in Austria as well. A combination of language and integration courses is seen as the key to successful integration, which not only creates professional opportunities but also promotes social contacts and improves language skills.

There is still a lot to do in Vienna to meet these challenges. On Tuesday and Wednesday it will become clear in the SPÖ discussions what the personnel decisions and the exact design of the new city senate will look like. Mayor Michael Ludwig remains at the top, while Bettina Emmerling from NEOS is likely to be appointed deputy mayor. However, the question of who will fill the finance department after Peter Hanke's move remains open, as does the size of the city senate, which currently consists of 12 members.

However things develop, one thing is certain: the Vienna city government has important plans that need to be implemented in order to continually improve life in the capital.

Further information on the topics of integration and the labor market can be found here: BMAS and Federal Government.

Read more about the latest developments in Courier.