This year EUR 224 million in party funding
The plus is well below the inflation rate – also because Vienna and Salzburg have frozen part of their subsidies. Die 224 million euros correspond to 35 euros per Austrian and male Austrian eligible to vote.
The sum includes direct party funding (EUR 157 million) as well as support for the parliamentary and state parliament club (EUR 52.4 million) and the political education work of the parties (EUR 14.5 million). Not included are the parliamentary group funds of the chambers and indirect public support through mandates or advertisements by state-owned companies in party newspapers.
Austrian party funding is generous in comparison
Internationally, party funding in Austria is considered a generous comparison. The political scientist Hubert Sickinger points out that direct party funding in Germany, which is ten times larger, is capped at 200 million euros. In addition, there is faction financing in the Bundestag and the state parliaments.
The party-affiliated foundations in Germany receive significantly more money than the domestic party academies. But you have to invest the majority of the approximately 500 million euros in democratic development work abroad.
In Austria, the parties, parliamentary clubs and party academies at federal level will receive EUR 66.7 million this year – a slight increase of 2.3 percent. It was followed by Vienna with 41.8 million euros, Styria with 27.7, Upper Austria with 27.1 and Lower Austria with 24.9 million euros. In Tyrol, parties and state parliament clubs receive around ten million euros, in Carinthia 9.4, in Salzburg 7.7, in Vorarlberg 4.4 and in Burgenland 4.2 million euros. Seven out of ten funding euros flow into the federal states.
ÖVP receives the most funding
The ÖVP receives the most funding, which (including parliamentary and state parliament clubs as well as educational funding) comes to 78 million euros. It is followed by the SPÖ with EUR 59.8 million, ahead of the FPÖ (34.7), the Greens (28.3) and NEOS (EUR 15.9 million). The KPÖ, which is strong in Styria, received EUR 1.5 million, the anti-vaccination party MFG received EUR 1.2 million in Upper Austria and the Carinthia team EUR 1.1 million.
All in all, subsidies will increase by 1.9 percent. Because, among other things, the funding heavyweight Vienna (like Salzburg) has frozen its party funding, the increase is well below the inflation rate of the previous year (2.8 percent).