Vienna – A newly revealed expense report shows that Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger’s office has incurred costs of €704,354 annually, prompting criticism from opposition parties who allege wasteful spending within the governing coalition.
The figures, released following a parliamentary inquiry initiated by FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz, detail the operational costs of a “coordination office” established within the Foreign Ministry. This office, led by Armin Hübner, the former club director of the Neos party, is intended to streamline the work of the coalition government, according to officials.
Schnedlitz’s inquiry, targeting all ministries, sought to uncover personnel costs and assess progress on bureaucratic streamlining in the fourth quarter of 2025. The findings regarding Meinl-Reisinger’s office indicate a monthly expenditure of €50,311.31, even excluding periods with standard holiday and Christmas bonuses.
The revelation comes amidst scrutiny of the size and expense of the current Austrian government. According to reports, the ÖVP-SPÖ-Neos coalition maintains a large number of government offices, with 21 members comprising the cabinet.
While Staatssekretäre (State Secretaries) within the ÖVP and SPÖ reportedly handle coordination tasks alongside their existing duties, Meinl-Reisinger opted to create a dedicated position for Hübner and his team. Sepp Schellhorn, a State Secretary within the Foreign Ministry, was not assigned coordination responsibilities, and Neos Klubobmann Yannick Shetty is reportedly focused on social media engagement, according to sources.
The total cost of all ministerial cabinets exceeds €3 million per month, according to Schnedlitz’s analysis. The most frugal ministry is reportedly that of Christoph Wiederkehr, Meinl-Reisinger’s deputy. But, the costs associated with the Ministry of Media, led by Andreas Babler of the SPÖ, have risen to over €200,000 per month following recent staff additions.
A breakdown of monthly cabinet costs reveals the following: the Chancellery at €239,603, the Interior Ministry at €221,913, the Defense Ministry at €205,830, the Ministry of Media at €203,830, the Ministry of Economic Affairs at €186,432, the Ministry of Infrastructure at €175,381, the Ministry of Social Affairs at €175,369, the Ministry of Justice at €171,557, the Ministry of Finance at €149,562, the Digitalization State Secretariat at €148,759, the Foreign Ministry at €140,919, the Ministry of Family Affairs at €140,084, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs at €128,947, the State Secretary for Sport at €122,386, the Ministry of Agriculture at €113,235, the State Secretariat for State Protection at €104,659, the Ministry of Education at €100,838, the State Secretariat for Health at €91,090, the State Secretariat for Energy at €84,680, the State Secretariat for Finance at €83,823, the State Secretariat for Deregulation at €83,164, and the Neos Coordination Office at €50,311.
Schnedlitz characterized the spending as “a mockery of citizens,” particularly given the current period of high inflation. Meinl-Reisinger’s office also disbursed €9,075 in bonuses to staff during the final three months of 2025.
