Strong countries as a prerequisite for a strong Austria
“Vorarlberg – the progressive province” is the title of the Vorarlberg State Parliament President Harald Sonderegger’s statement. Strong countries are a necessary prerequisite for a strong Austria, Sonderegger stated. Vorarlberg has developed into one of the most prosperous regions in Europe. The decisive factor for this is the success factor that will remain decisive in the future, namely that those regions are more resilient that have a strong manufacturing sector.
He not only speaks of the “flagships”, but also of medium-sized companies and of craft and family businesses. A healthy variety of industries and the development of several pillars are also important. Today, Vorarlberg can be described as a highly diversified business location with a high degree of industrialization.
Use resources more efficiently
In addition to the opportunities offered by digitization, it is important to become even more sustainable with regard to energy in the future and to use resources even more efficiently, according to Sonderegger. Vorarlberg has set itself the goal of energy autonomy by 2050.
In addition to the education system and solid vocational training, the Sondereggen also named the compatibility of family and work as well as a further development of the red-white-red card as location factors. As for the European level, whenever, in his view, the regions are the driving forces for closer cooperation with the EU and the Member States.
Is subsidiarity practiced?
The governor of Burgenland, Hans Peter Doskozil, explains his position under the title “Our initiatives for a strong region”. He critically questioned whether the basic principle of subsidiarity was lived in Austria and recalled discussions on the division of competences between the federal and state governments. He spoke out in favor of making decisions on site where the requirements are best met there. Creating framework conditions for this is often difficult. The funding body is also an important factor. Doskozil says he has the impression that the consultation mechanism has become dead law.
Countries cannot change two-tier medicine
Using practical examples of the challenges faced in Burgenland, Doskozil named the structures of hospital financing and the model for paying hospital doctors. To the latter, the answer should be to pay hospital doctors properly so that there is no longer any need for them to take special care of the special class.
Doskozil calculates that the treatment of special-class patients accounts for a high proportion of the doctors’ salaries – and that promotes two-class medicine. However, changing this model is only possible if the competence and responsibility lie with the federal states, which is not the case in Burgenland.
For the nursing sector, Doskozil criticized, among other things, that the effectiveness of mobile home nursing is only slightly over 50 percent, according to the Court of Auditors. He attributed this to the financing system, which is based on an hourly basis. A model with 68 care bases will now be created in Burgenland and billing will be switched to full-time equivalents, which means that ten employees can be employed per base. As far as the rising property prices are concerned, Doskozil expected to want to set maximum prices for them in Burgenland.
Habitats often across several administrative units
Gabriel Felbermayr from WIFO addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the Austrian regions.
Felbermayr pointed out that habitats are often not congruent with administrative units and would also overlap with sub-areas in other states. It is precisely in these border areas that underinvestment often takes place, he said in favor of better coordination in these areas. With federalism there are important instruments in Austria. However, the question arises as to whether these are modern enough and up to the task.
The strengths and weaknesses present themselves to the WIFO expert, depending on the framework conditions. The industrial regions were doing well during the Corona crisis, but that changes in times of supply bottlenecks and high energy prices.
As far as energy production locations are concerned, it is also important to bring the added value to where the electricity can be produced cheaply in order to avoid expensive transport costs.
Expansion of the digital infrastructure as a means against migration
In order to counteract the emigration of young people, especially women, a strong expansion of the digital infrastructure is needed, among other things. Regarding the transport connection, Felbermayr says that public transport is not everything, the road connection must also pass. Overall, he positively emphasized the diversification of the sectors depending on the region in Austria, from industry to agriculture to tourism, which, however, requires compensatory measures. In the area of expanding renewable energies, it applies to him now “to open all the floodgates“.
Rural areas need broadband
In the subsequent debate on this panel, the ÖVP, the Federal Councilors Martin Preineder and Bernhard Hirczy, the National Council members Martina Diesner-Wais and Joachim Schnabel, and the state parliament members Silvia Karelly and Christoph Thoma all spoke. The need for broadband connections in the region was addressed several times, but reference was also made to the topics of transport, energy, education and the advancement of women.
MEP Georg Mayer from the FPÖ criticized that politics at EU level was going in the wrong direction. The difference is the power of Europe and Austria, the infrastructure is the key for the regions.
The role of the EU
On the other hand, a representative of the European Commission, Hatto Käfer, referred to specific EU projects. Regionality and agricultural policy have been important concerns of the European Union since it was founded. MEP Hannes Heide (SPÖ) also emphasized that the EU attaches great importance to rural development. From his point of view, however, more transparency is needed about the use of the funds. Federal Councilor Andrea Kahofer (SPÖ), like the WIFO expert, is in favor of considering regions independently of administrative borders.
Source: parliamentary correspondence
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