Broad protest against university budget cuts

The protest formed part of a nationwide movement. Following the demonstration in Vienna on Wednesday, where around 28,000 people raised their voices against the announced cuts, further rallies took place yesterday in Salzburg, Graz, Linz and Klagenfurt.

The demonstrations are a response to the federal government’s current budget plans for the next performance agreement period for universities. While approximately €16.5 billion has been allocated for the years 2025–2027, a reduction to around €15.5 billion is being discussed for the period 2028–2030. Austria’s universities, however, are calling for funding that reflects the growing demands placed on teaching, research and artistic development.

For us as an arts university, the stakes are particularly high. Outstanding artistic education depends on individual support, intensive exchange and the freedom to foster creativity and innovation. These conditions cannot be taken for granted; they require a stable framework and adequate resources.

At the closing rally on Mirabellplatz, the presidents of the Students’ Union at the University of Salzburg – Marie Stenitzer, Raphaela Vitzthum and Maja Münch – together with Andrea Lienbacher, President of the Students’ Union at Mozarteum University Salzburg, issued an urgent appeal to the federal government:

“Because the question is not whether we can afford a good education. The real question is: can we afford to do without it? Can we afford to leave a generation of students to fend for themselves amid poor conditions, uncertainty and excessive workloads? Can we afford to weaken research, scholarship and critical thinking? The answer must be a clear ‘No’.”

The rectorates of both universities also emphasised the importance of a strong university system for Salzburg and for Austria as a whole.

Constanze Wimmer highlighted the particular responsibility universities bear towards the arts, culture and the young people shaping their futures at our institution:

“Salzburg breathes art and culture – I have felt that ever since I arrived here. It is why international visitors come to the city and why Salzburg enjoys a global reputation. Our university and the young people who entrust us with their talents are at the heart of this success.

“Cuts on the scale currently being proposed would strike at the very heart of the Austrian economy, including the cultural sector. The way the government is currently engaging with us also suggests a lack of understanding of what the arts, education and scholarship contribute to our democracy. That is why we are protesting, and why we are raising our voices. We will continue to do so until we are heard.”

The debate over the future funding of Austria’s universities is far from over. Final budget decisions are expected in the autumn. For us, however, one thing is already clear: investments in education, science and the arts are investments in the future of our society. That is why we took to the streets together with our students, faculty and staff – and why we will continue to advocate for adequate funding and strong public universities.