04/29/2020 23:02
(Act. Apr 29, 2020 11:02 PM)
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Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) rejected in Wednesday’s “ZiB2” the new election speculations that had broken out in view of the extremely good ÖVP poll values. “This is absurd,” he said, “there is absolutely no reason to think or speculate about new elections.” The only thing that was important to him now was to cope with the corona crisis and its “enormous” economic consequences.
For this, tax relief and investments should be brought forward – for example, the relief of small incomes planned for 2021 this year. Kurz did not want to decide whether the steps planned for 2022 should also come in 2021. These details would be worked out in the next few days.
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Kurz also did not want to commit himself to the issue of unemployment benefits. The main goal is to get as many people as possible into work or to keep them in full employment – and to boost consumption. The SPÖ’s demand that the unemployment benefit should be increased to 70 percent of the final salary is “one idea out of several” – and “we evaluate all ideas that are at the table”.
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The chancellor gave a no to the demand – also favored by the coalition partner – for the reintroduction of inheritance tax to finance the corona consequences. “All ideas of increasing taxes would be counterproductive at the moment,” he said.
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From a short point of view, the turquoise-green government program does not have to be “thrown overboard”, he had a very close look at it with Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens). The relief and investments planned in it have to be preferred only in part – and it is also clear that “other goals are not as high a priority now”.
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