Former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache receives around €33,000 in funding.
Loose Change for HC Strache: Despite a Looming Million-Euro Debt, Strache's Team Snags over €33k Yearly in Funding
Stir in Transdanubia: After just squeaking into spots on the district councils of Floridsdorf and Donaustadt, Strache's HC Strache squad is about to rake in some serious cash. But exactly how much dough can the ex-vice-chancellor expect? A city hall insider spills the beans to oe24: It's in the tens of thousands - and for each year, buddy!
The Math: How Much Funding HC Strache Will Truly Get
The city hall snitch lays out the numbers for us:
According to the Vienna Party Funding Act, parties gather coins based on eligible voters in the corresponding district. The totals depend on the share of the vote.
Donaustadt (21st District) - Eligible Voters: 157,459
Starting Funds: 157,459 x €7.33 = €1,154,174.47
HC Team's Voting Share: 1.58%
HC Funding: €18,235.96
Floridsdorf (22nd District) - Eligible Voters: 126,113
Starting Funds: 126,113 x €7.33 = €924,408.29
HC Team's Voting Share: 1.67%
HC Funding: €15,437.62
Full Five-Year Haul
Raking in over €33,000 a year amounts to over €150,000 grand total for the entire 5-year term.
Comparison: Over €330,000 in 2024
Last year alone, the HC Strache squad pocketed €333,635.46.
Strache as District Council Member: Meager €578 Monthly salary
While the party funding numbers reach the five-figure range, the district council member's paycheck stays humble. As a simple member, Strache would take home €578.10 a month. If he hit club status (with at least 2 mandates), it'd be €1,700 - but Strache missed that boat. With a loan of roughly half a million Euros borrowed from a businessman for his campaign, Strache needs to pay back. He's got to, or it'll be illegal party financing. Innocent until proven guilty, though.
Enrichment Insights:
- Funding Sources: Austrian political parties typically gather funds from public sources, donations, and membership fees[^general^].
- Wide Variation: Funding amounts for political parties can greatly vary between different regions and countries[^general^].
- Judicial Reviews: court rulings in Austria have occasionally been invoked to clarify the rules for political funding, fines, and party financing[^speculative^].
- The HC Strache team is expected to receive over €150,000 in funding over the 5-year term, with €18,235.96 from Donaustadt district and €15,437.62 from Floridsdorf district.
- In comparison, the amount the HC Strache squad received last year alone was over €330,000.
- Despite this significant party funding, Strache's salary as a district council member remains meager, with a monthly salary of €578.10.
- With a loan of approximately half a million Euros borrowed for his campaign, Strache needs to find ways to repay this loan to avoid illegal party financing, as he is currently only a simple district council member and does not have the required mandates to qualify for a higher salary.
