NEOS renew call to abolish Vienna councillor posts without portfolios

NEOS has renewed its call to abolish Vienna’s councillors without portfolios, with party general secretary Douglas Hoyos urging coalition partners to end what he called a blockade. ORF reported the appeal on Thursday.

Hoyos said the six non-executive city councillors each receive a monthly salary of 11,328 euros and cost taxpayers nearly one million euros a year, without providing any additional services to the public. He called the positions “luxury posts” and said spending on them was incompatible with demands for budget cuts and efficiency.

The NEOS appeal followed the rejection of a corresponding motion by the ÖVP and SPÖ at federal level on Wednesday.

Abolishing the positions would require a constitutional amendment at federal level. Vienna’s city senate has 13 members: seven from governing parties SPÖ and NEOS, each responsible for a portfolio, and six opposition representatives appointed under the proportional representation system. The opposition councillors have no portfolios but can attend senate meetings.