The turquoise-green federal government has the most expensive personnel costs of all previous federal governments. In 2020, almost 33 million euros were spent on the turquoise-green cabinets, including general secretaries and press officers. This was the result of a series of inquiries from SPÖ MP Philip Kucher. According to Kucher, the costs are caused by a record number of press spokespersons, highly paid general secretary posts and a turquoise “think tank” in the Federal Chancellery.
Image: APA
Kurz's mantra of “saving in the system” led to a cost explosion in the political apparatus during his previous chancellorship. Participation by the Greens in government would not change that. On the contrary: Compared to 2018, when the coalition of Sebastian Kurz and Heinz-Christian Strache (then FPÖ) was at the helm, there were renewed cost increases, criticizes Kucher. “The federal government of Sebastian Kurz and Werner Kogler costs the Austrian taxpayer 90,000 euros per day.”
“Especially in the corona crisis, where hundreds of thousands of people are currently worried about their jobs, it cannot be that money does not seem to play a role in the turquoise political apparatus.” It is disappointing that with Green government participation not only goes on happily, but has gotten even worse. “We now have the most expensive government of all time,” commented Kucher on the current federal government.
The most expensive ministry is the transport department with over three million euros in personnel costs and a staff of 41 people. According to the response to the inquiry, the Federal Chancellery and the Ministry of the Interior each had 38 employees and in 2020 each cost EUR 2.96 million. This is followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (31 employees / 2.87 million), the Vice Chancellery (40 employees / 2.86 million) and the Ministry of Finance (34 employees / 2.82 million). Most of the employees (44) are in the defense department, the costs (1.9 million) for this were significantly lower compared to the others.
