On Saturday, Austria's federal government will hold a meeting involving top leaders from the ruling coalition parties, Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), Andreas Babler (SPÖ), and Beate Meinl-Reisinger (Neos), to discuss various issues, including the university budget for the years 2028–2030. The meeting aims to finalize agreements on this highly contentious issue, which has been a point of internal debate within the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ). Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer and Education Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner are expected to negotiate the budget amount, with Babler acting as mediator. The discussion involves tensions between different factions within the SPÖ, particularly regarding leadership changes, as Marterbauer is set to replace Babler as deputy chancellor and party leader by year-end. University representatives warn that any budget below 17 billion euros would lead to severe cuts and damage the academic sector.
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