The committees of the Vienna SPÖ have approved the coalition with the NEOS with a large majority. The NEOS receive the education department. Kathrin Gaál becomes Vice Mayor.
The decision on the division of responsibilities of the future red-pink coalition in Vienna has been made.
NEOS with the designated city councilor and deputy mayor Christoph Wiederkehr will in future be responsible for the areas of education, youth, integration and transparency. Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) said this in a press conference on Monday evening. All other areas remain in the hands of the SPÖ.
Environment department changes from Sima to Czernohorszky
Although the red six-member city council team remains the same, there are some regroupings in the individual business groups. The previous City Councilor for Education, Jürgen Czernohorszky, takes on a “future department” including climate protection, the environment, democracy and personnel. The previous City Councilor for the Environment, Ulli Sima, will be given an “innovation department”, which will include mobility and urban development.
This includes more than just traffic, emphasized Ludwig – who announced, among other things, that the tram should also cross the city limits in the future. However: Wiener Linien is no longer part of Sima’s portfolio, because the municipal utilities are being transferred to Hanke’s financial councilor.
Otherwise, the responsibilities remain largely the same: Kathrin Gaal remains, who is also the deputy mayor. Peter Hanke remains the City Councilor for Finance, but receives the Wiener Stadtwerke including Wiener Linien from Sima. Peter Hacker is still responsible for health, social affairs and sports. Culture and science stay with Veronica Kaup-Hasler.
Five votes against in red committees
The coalition pact and the personnel package were approved by a large majority in the red committees. In concrete terms, this means: There were two dissenting votes in the Extended Board and five in the so-called Vienna Committee. With almost 200 delegates, the committee is the largest body in the city’s SPÖ.
Those people who rejected the agreement had, among other things, criticized the fact that the SPÖ was no longer responsible for education, Ludwig reported.
One does not like to part with the areas of education, youth and integration, admitted Ludwig. But one understands “that the NEOS want to set their special priorities precisely there”. The designated vice mayor, NEOS boss Christoph Wiederkehr, personally identifies himself very much with this topic, the city chief warned.
The approval of the red team was therefore unanimous: “The personnel decisions were made unanimously,” said Ludwig.
In the meantime, further details from the more than 200-page coalition agreement have leaked out – after the key points had already been presented in the morning. The rest is to be presented tomorrow, Tuesday, after the NEOS party committees.
Rot-Pink is planning a “legally compliant solution” for the traffic-calmed inner city
It was therefore fixed, for example, that in future it will be stipulated for advertisements that one would prefer to work with media in which journalistic diligence, innovation as well as training and further education have a high priority.
In the transport sector, it was stipulated, among other things, that the tram mentioned by Ludwig should run beyond the city limits by 2025 – either to Schwechat or Groß Enzersdorf. In addition, Rot-Pink wants to convert the taxi fleet to electric cars in the next five years. Also not uninteresting: “As a supplement to public transport, a new city cable car between Hütteldorf and Ottakring could connect the Otto-Wagner-Areal and the future Central European University (CEU) to the underground and S-Bahn,” it says in the paper. A feasibility study is planned.
Mention is also made of the traffic-calmed city center, which still traffic councilor Birgit Hebein (Greens) wanted to introduce, but was slowed down by Ludwig. There should be a “legally compliant” solution with implementation in 2022. In addition, the coalition is undertaking the “redesign of at least four nationally significant streets and four squares by 2025, which are no longer current as sealed concrete deserts and should therefore be unsealed and greened”. The Praterstern and Simmeringer Hauptstrasse are mentioned as examples.
In addition, they want to create four new markets and enable market gastro to open on Sundays. In general, Red-Pink wants to systematically review all taxes and fees.
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