Austrian SPÖ Plans Lawsuit

The Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) has announced its intention to file a constitutional lawsuit against the pension Aliquotierung if it is not abolished during the plenary session scheduled for Wednesday. The pension aliquoting has been criticized by the SPÖ for being an unjust and unconstitutional regulation that determines the amount of pension based on the month of retirement.

As a result, retirees who retire in November or December are at a disadvantage because they do not receive an increase in their first year of retirement. According to the SPÖ, this results in a lifetime loss of an average of two annual pensions.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Jörg Leichtfried, the deputy club chairman of the SPÖ, reiterated the party’s stance on the issue, stating that the pension Aliquotierung represents a “pension robbery” that needs to be abolished. He added that the SPÖ plans to use a third-party complaint, which requires the support of a third of the MPs, to proceed with the lawsuit. Realistically speaking, this means that the party needs the support of the Freedom Party, which Leichtfried believes will not oppose the issue.

Apart from the pension Aliquotierung, the SPÖ also plans to raise the issue of housing allowances during the plenary session. The party believes that the government’s policy on housing allowances is fueling inflation, which is a catastrophe both socially and economically. According to the SPÖ, the policy only benefits landlords and the real estate lobby, rather than helping renters, which was the original intention behind the policy.

To support their stance on both issues, the SPÖ plans to introduce an “urgent motion” in the plenum. The party’s goal is to find support among other parliamentary groups to address what they believe are two critical issues that affect the lives of many Austrians.