Austrian Government Spending Under Scrutiny: Special Offices Cost Taxpayers Millions
Vienna, Austria – A recent investigation has revealed significant spending on special offices and coordination positions within the Austrian government, sparking criticism from opposition parties. The ÖVP-SPÖ-Neos coalition is facing scrutiny over the costs associated with these offices, which total over three million euros per month.
Meinl-Reisinger’s Office Costs Over €700,000
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger’s coordination office, headed by former Neos club director Armin Hübner, costs taxpayers €704,354 annually. Even during months without bonuses, the office expenses amount to €50,311.31 per month, according to a report by Heute.at.
Coordination and Cabinet Costs
The investigation, initiated by FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz, revealed that State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn was not tasked with coordination duties within Meinl-Reisinger’s office. Club chairman Shetty is reportedly focused on creating TikTok videos. Schellhorn’s office alone costs €83,164.53 per month, while Meinl-Reisinger’s cabinet totals €140,084.90 per month. Employee rewards within the Foreign Ministry amounted to €9,075.00 in the last three months of 2025.
Overall Ministry Cabinet Expenses
According to Schnedlitz’s evaluation, the combined costs for all ministry cabinets exceed three million euros monthly. A breakdown of monthly costs per ministry includes:
- Chancellery: €239,603
- Ministry of the Interior: €221,913
- Ministry of Defense: €205,830
- Ministry of Media: €203,830
- Ministry of Economic Affairs: €186,432
- Ministry of Infrastructure: €175,381
- Ministry of Social Affairs: €175,369
- Ministry of Justice: €171,557
- Ministry of Finance: €149,562
- Digitization State Secretariat: €148,759
- Foreign Ministry: €140,919
- Family Ministry: €140,084
- Ministry of Women: €128,947
- Sports State Secretary: €122,386
- Ministry of Agriculture: €113,235
- State Secretariat for State Security: €104,659
- Ministry of Education: €100,838
- State Secretariat for Health: €91,090
- Energy State Secretariat: €84,680
- Finance State Secretariat: €83,823
- Debureaucratization State Secretariat: €83,164
- Neos coordination office: €50,311
Opposition Criticism
Schnedlitz condemned the spending as a “mockery of citizens,” stating that “tax money is being thrown out the window with both hands, especially in times of record inflation.”
Bundestheater Rücklagen
In other news, the Bundestheater’s reserves are dwindling, with a €3.6 million deficit in the 2024/25 fiscal year. According to Holding-Chef Christian Kircher, the remaining €70 million in reserves are expected to be depleted by the complete of the next season. Online Merker reports that Kircher expressed concern about potential theater closures if savings continue.