Austria's Marterbauer Draws Fire Over Parcel Tax as Coalition Seeks Billions in Budget Savings
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 30
Austria's Marterbauer Draws Fire Over Parcel Tax as Coalition Seeks Billions in Budget Savings
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 30
Markus Marterbauer, Austria’s finance minister, is facing mounting opposition after pushing a parcel tax as part of efforts to close budget gaps running into billions of euros.
The plan has turned one of the government’s most popular figures into a target even as he tries to stabilize public finances and avoid becoming the face of Austria’s economic strains.
Marterbauer’s standing has so far held up: the former labor-union economist consistently tops polls among ministers in Chancellor Christian Stocker’s three-party coalition.
That coalition of conservatives, social democrats and liberals has stayed intact for more than a year, with fiscal repair tied to its broader goal of keeping Austria’s far right from power.
Is Austria’s government fueling the far-right's rise with the very budget cuts meant to save the economy?
Is Austria sacrificing its future talent by slashing university budgets for short-term fiscal goals?
Why pursue a parcel tax projected to cost more in economic output and jobs than it raises in revenue?