Consolidate, Invest, Shape: What Direction Should Budget Policy Take?

Joint event by WIFO and Vienna Chamber of Labour

Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Vienna Chamber of Labour

Language: German

AK, Theresianumgasse 16-18, 1040 Vienna

The economy is slowing down, inflation is rising again, progress on gender equality is stagnant, climate goals are at risk, Europe is coming under pressure in its competition with China, and the institutional framework is becoming increasingly fragile – both nationally and geopolitically. The Austrian government's response: to push ahead with budget consolidation – even though this poses risks to growth, employment, gender equality, and sustainability. All of this also affects workers and leads to shifts in the distribution of wealth between businesses and households, as well as within each of these groups.

Further information and registration

The event starts with keynote speeches by Achim Truger (member of the German Council of Economic Experts and professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen) and Margit Schratzenstaller (WIFO economist and member of the Fiscal Council), followed by a panel discussion with Achim Truger, Margit Schratzenstaller and Helene Schuberth (Federal Executive Director of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and Vice President of the Fiscal Council), during which the following questions, among others, will be addressed:

Is the current focus of budget policy appropriate? Are the constitutionally enshrined goals of macroeconomic balance and substantive gender equality being adequately addressed? How can rising interest rates be balanced against high investment needs, and what are the chances that a sustainable budget policy will actually be adopted in Germany, Austria, and other EU member countries?
What steps are we taking to set the course for the next decade? And what role can and should the EU budget play in this?
How much leeway do national budgets have? Should Austria and other member states, for example, make use of the European Commission's fiscal rule exemption to invest up to 0.6 percent of GDP in energy security and decarbonisation?

The evening will be moderated by Clara Peterlik (profil).