Government trades university cuts for child savings accounts
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The government has finalised a budget for higher education that nominally rises to €16 billion but falls by 10% in real terms. To soften the blow, ministers announced a 'Future Depot' initiative: every child born from 2027 will receive a €500 state starter credit. It is a classic piece of political accounting, offering a distant promise of wealth to new parents while tightening the belt for current students.
The opposition FPÖ now has until Tuesday to decide if they will summon former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to the Pilnacek inquiry. While the party weighs that decision, it is facing rare public criticism from the Freemasons; Grand Master Georg Semler has condemned the party’s 'agitation' tactics. It is a sign of the times when the country's most famously discreet society feels the need to speak up.
Authorities in Vienna are currently tracing a registered address linked to a Ukrainian prosecutor as part of an ongoing espionage investigation. Elsewhere, an investigative report is highlighting the tax leniency granted to millionaire Siegfried Wolf, whose financial dealings and the favorable treatment he received from authorities have come under renewed scrutiny.