Austria's budget reform

Abstract

Austria's Federal Parliament decided on a far-reaching, comprehensive budget reform package.The introduction of a mediumterm expenditure framework with legally binding expenditure ceilings, of accrual budgeting and accounting and of performance budgeting marks a decisive change, not only in steering the budget, but even more so in the Austrian administrative and political culture.Both legislative decisions were finally taken unanimously.This article describes the respective change management and gives an overview of the main Austrian reform elements.