Pension funding under scrutiny, government unveils major energy reforms, and police bust a Vienna-based trafficking ring—plus more stories from Austria on Tuesday.
Pensions: 73 percent funded by contributions, 27 percent by the state
Austria’s pension system remains heavily subsidised by the federal budget despite rising contribution levels, economist Christine Mayrhuber said in a new “Research Brief”, Der Standard reported.
Around 27 percent of pension costs—equal to 13 percent of the national budget—were covered by state funds last year.
Mayrhuber, head of the Pension Commission, said the most effective way to reduce state spending was to raise the effective retirement age and improve working conditions for older employees. She also noted stark funding differences between sectors, with farmers’ pensions more than 80 percent tax-funded, compared to just 21 percent for general employees.
Government announces agreement on long-awaited energy reform
The government unveiled its Electricity Industry Act (ELWG) on Monday, promising “the biggest energy reform in two decades,” ORF reported.
The law aims to reduce electricity costs, enforce fair pricing, and simplify decentralised energy production.
Suppliers will be legally required to pass on lower wholesale prices, while households will be able to generate, share, or trade energy more easily. A social tariff for vulnerable groups and an “energy crisis mechanism” are also planned. The reform comes as Austria aims to achieve complete climate neutrality by 2040.
Austrian police dismantle top-level Vienna smuggling ring
Authorities have arrested six men in Vienna accused of leading an international human trafficking network, according to Der Standard.
The suspects, five Afghans and one Russian, operated across the Balkan route and charged between €10,000 and €20,000 per journey.
Searches uncovered large sums of cash, jewellery, electronics, and records of illegal hawala money transfers. The network was exposed following the arrest of a Romanian smuggler at the Styrian-Slovenian border in 2023. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) praised the operation as a major blow against organised smuggling.
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Styria to drop gendered language in regional laws
Styria is moving forward with plans to simplify legal texts by introducing a general clause that ensures all personal terms apply to every gender, ORF reported.
The change will affect 235 laws and is expected to take effect in September.
Officials say the aim is to improve readability and legal clarity. Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) said the measure replaces “illegible and meaningless gendering” with common-sense legislation. Currently, only 17 percent of Styrian laws contain a general gender clause.
Vienna caring for more than double its official refugee quota
At the start of 2024, Vienna was supporting 208 percent of its agreed asylum care quota, largely due to the number of people with subsidiary protection status, ORF reported.
This group made up 84 percent of those receiving basic care in the capital.
While just 7.5 percent of Vienna’s basic welfare recipients were asylum seekers, over 11,000 had subsidiary protection, a status that grants temporary protection but limits rights such as family reunification. Opposition figures from the ÖVP and FPÖ criticised the higher benefit payments Vienna provides to this group.
Alpinist seriously injured after 250m fall on Großglockner
A 31-year-old man from Salzburg suffered life-threatening injuries on Whit Monday after falling 250 to 300 metres while climbing on the Großglockner, Die Presse reported.
The fall occurred at around 7.30 am near the Ködnitzkees glacier in East Tyrol. A fellow mountaineer witnessed the accident and alerted emergency services. The injured climber was flown to Innsbruck hospital by helicopter; his companion was unharmed.
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Teen Austrian girl injured during Lignano Pfingsten weekend
An underage Austrian girl was seriously injured after falling through the plastic roof of a garage in Lignano during the crowded Pentecost weekend festivities, Kurier reported.
The girl had climbed the structure, reportedly to take photos, when it gave way.
Italian authorities said her injuries are serious but not life-threatening. Police also reported multiple alcohol poisonings and disturbances during the so-called “Tutto Gas” party weekend, which drew protests from locals and critical coverage in Italian media. Around 20,000 Austrians were among the visitors.
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