Wallner presses for swift clarification of outstanding financial issues in reform partnership

At his inaugural visit with Van der Bellen, the topics discussed included, according to Wallner, safeguarding public services, a practical and workable energy and power-plant strategy, securing skilled workers, and effective bureaucracy reduction. Wallner stressed that reforms had to "wirksam werden, also spürbar bei den Menschen ankommen". For a nationwide power-plant strategy that interlinks generation, grids, storage, controllable capacities, and decentralized flexibilities, the principle was: "Nur so sichern wir langfristig Versorgungssicherheit, leistbare Preise und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit."

Education, health, and energy as outstanding issues

From Wallner's perspective, the financial questions were particularly urgent where responsibilities between the federal government and the states were to be reorganized – in the areas of energy, education, and health. On the subject of health, too, "ziemlich viel offen geblieben," Wallner said. In education, he sees the biggest financing questions surrounding the planned merging of personnel from the education directorates.

To work through these points swiftly, Wallner called on Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ), or at least his experts, to "bald an den Tisch kommen". His goal was to clarify the financial questions over the summer. The comparison with a hike was apt: "höchstens im ersten Drittel unterwegs".

Concrete demands and next steps

Vorarlberg assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Conference of State Governors on 1 July, making Wallner its current chair. In the second half of 2026, the presidency of the Federal Council (Bundesrat) will also rotate to Vorarlberg. A speech by Wallner in the Bundesrat is scheduled for Thursday; on Wednesday he had met the Federal President.

In substantive terms, Wallner put forward several concrete demands: acceleration of approval procedures without additional procedural loops, clearly tailored structures with unambiguously assigned responsibilities, and – in the economic sphere – a broadly conceived qualification initiative.

Position on holidays and procedures

On the suggestion of moving the summer holidays forward by two weeks because of the heat, Wallner was reserved, calling the idea "difficult". He gave no indication of whether or how the federal government might respond to it.

Overall, the picture remains that of a political process that has formally started but still needs substance in the decisive financial and legislative points. Wallner is counting on the willingness of all levels – federal, state, and municipal – to engage in dialogue and on a clear timetable to swiftly close the still-outstanding components of the reform partnership.