DirectDemocracyS FOR AUSTRIA

A complete political, economic,

social and financial program

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Submitted by DirectDemocracyS (DDS)

Shared leadership · Collective ownership · Direct democracy

public.directdemocracys.org

FOREWORD: TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTRIA

Austria stands at a historic crossroads. The established parties have spent decades dividing power among themselves, managing the country's wealth for the benefit of a few, and selling the people a democracy that is in reality a voter democracy—a democracy that ends every four to five years once the ballots have been counted.

DirectDemocracyS (DDS) is not another party that makes promises and then forgets everything after the election. We are a global political organization founded on three inalienable principles: shared leadership, collective ownership, and direct democracy. Our method is simple and radically honest: We analyze reality as it is—not as politicians portray it—identify problems with precision, and offer concrete, workable solutions that can be implemented immediately and permanently.

This document is our complete program for Austria. It contains no empty promises. Instead, it contains facts, criticism of existing shortcomings, concrete measures with expected consequences, and the integration of our revolutionary technologies—ddsAI and allddsAI—that ensure every citizen of Austria is fully, accurately, neutrally, and independently informed and can truly participate in every decision that affects their life.

The property of the Austrian people—their natural resources, their public infrastructure, their collectively accumulated wealth—must remain permanently and exclusively in the ownership and control of the people. No one but the people themselves has the right to decide what belongs to the people. This fundamental principle applies to Austria as it does to every other state in the world.

CHAPTER 1: ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN AUSTRIA

1.1 Political Reality: Democracy without Popular Rule

Austria formally possesses a parliamentary democracy. In reality, however, a party system has developed that systematically prevents genuine popular participation and replaces it with an illusion of co-determination.

⚠ CRITICAL PROBLEM: Party rule instead of popular rule In practice, Austrian democracy is limited to elections every four to five years. Between elections, citizens have no effective, continuous, direct influence on decisions. Governments and parties act in the interests of their networks, financiers, and lobby groups—not in the interest of the majority.

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) has cultivated close ties between the party, business, and the administrative apparatus over decades. While the so-called Ibiza scandal of 2019 revealed a willingness to engage in corruption and manipulation at the highest levels of the FPÖ, it remained a symptom of a systemic problem, not an isolated incident.

The SPÖ has largely abandoned its historical mission as a representative of the interests of the working population and has become an administrative party without any transformative ambition.

The Greens, once a voice for ecological change, have fully integrated themselves as a government partner of the ÖVP and have achieved hardly any measurable improvements.

The NEOS party advocates liberal economic policies, which in practice mean deregulation and privatization of public goods — at the expense of the population.

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: Ibiza Affair 2019 In May 2019, secretly recorded videos were released in which FPÖ leader Strache expressed his willingness to award government contracts in exchange for party donations from a supposed Russian oligarch. The result: a brief political crisis, followed by a return to 'business as usual'. No citizen had the opportunity to intervene directly, make a decision, or enforce any real structural consequences.

1.2 Economic reality: Growth for the few, stagnation for the many

Austria's economy is considered one of the strongest in the European Union, with a GDP per capita of over €50,000 (2023). However, this figure masks growing inequality that is seriously straining the country's social fabric.

• The richest 1% of the Austrian population owns more wealth than the poorest 50% combined.
• Around 1.4 million people in Austria are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (Statistics Austria, 2023).
• Housing costs have risen by over 60% in the past ten years, while real wages have barely kept pace.
• Austria's SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), which make up over 99% of all companies, bear a disproportionately high tax burden compared to multinational corporations.
• Energy and raw material supplies are highly dependent on foreign, often oligarchic structures — as the 2022 energy crisis dramatically demonstrated.

⚠ CRITICAL PROBLEM: Tax injustice Austria's tax system disproportionately burdens labor, while systematically favoring capital, inheritances, and financial gains. Amazon, Google, and other corporations effectively pay less than 5% tax on their profits generated in Austria. Small bakers and tradespeople pay 25-55%.

1.3 Social reality: Education, health and housing under pressure

The Austrian social system is among the best developed in Europe, but faces structural challenges that cannot be solved without fundamental reforms.

education system

Austria's education system systematically reproduces social inequality. The decision regarding a child's educational path is effectively made at the age of ten—an international outlier. Children from low-income families and those with a migration background have significantly worse educational opportunities.

• Approximately 20% of 15-year-olds have insufficient skills in reading and mathematics (PISA 2022).
• Universities are chronically underfunded: Austria spends 1.6% of its GDP on tertiary education, while the OECD average is 2.4%.
• The digitization of teaching is progressing slowly and unevenly, depending heavily on the type of school and the federal state.

health system

Austria's healthcare system offers high quality for those who have access. However, waiting times for specialists, a shortage of doctors in rural areas, and a growing two-tier healthcare system (private insurance vs. public health insurance) reveal systemic weaknesses.

• Waiting times for an appointment with a specialist covered by public health insurance: 3 to 9 months in many areas.
• Over 40% of Lower Austrians no longer have a family doctor near their place of residence.
• Mental illnesses are the most common cause of incapacity for work — there is a massive shortage of psychotherapy places financed by health insurance funds.

Housing shortage

While Vienna boasts a strong social housing sector, the waiting lists for municipal apartments include over 30,000 households. The situation is even more dire in other Austrian cities. Land speculation and the concentration of real estate in the hands of a few large investors are driving rents to a level that is barely affordable for average households.

1.4 Financial Reality: National Debt, Budget Policy and Lack of Transparency

Austria's national debt ratio is around 77% of GDP (2024). Budgetary policy in recent decades has been characterized by short-term campaign promises, a lack of long-term planning, and insufficient transparency for the public.

• Annual interest costs for the national debt: approximately 5 billion euros — funds that are directly taken from the people.
• Lack of publicly accessible, understandable, real-time representation of government spending.
• Subsidies for fossil fuel-intensive industries: over 4 billion euros per year.
• Tax privileges for foundations and holding structures ensure the preservation of wealth for the super-rich at the expense of the general public.

⚠ CRITICAL PROBLEM: Democratic deficit in public finances No Austrian citizen has a direct, effective say in how tax money is spent. Parliament approves budgets without genuine citizen participation. Audit bodies like the Court of Audit are reactive and lack enforcement power. The result: billions flow into opaque structures without the public being able to intervene.

1.5 Environment and Energy: Dependence and missed climate targets

Austria has set ambitious climate goals, but is lagging significantly behind in their implementation. The transport sector, agriculture, and buildings are the biggest problem areas.

• Austria has missed its climate targets for 2020 and is on track to miss the 2030 targets as well.
• Commuter traffic accounts for over 30% of CO2 emissions — public transport in rural areas is massively underdeveloped.
• Austria still imports over 60% of its energy needs — a geopolitical security risk.
• Soil sealing: Approximately 10 hectares of valuable agricultural land are lost daily due to construction.

CHAPTER 2: THE DDS SYSTEM — BASICS FOR AUSTRIA

2.1 What is DirectDemocracyS?

DirectDemocracyS (DDS) is a global political organization based on three inalienable fundamental principles:

THE THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DDS 1. SHARED LEADERSHIP: No single individual possesses unchecked power. Leadership is rotated, exercised collectively, and permanently monitored by the grassroots. | 2. COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP: The wealth of every country belongs to the people—not parties, not oligarchs, not foreign funds. What is built collectively remains collective. | 3. DIRECT DEMOCRACY: Not voting every few years, but participating continuously, directly, competently, and with full information in all decisions that affect one's life.

DDS is not a utopia. It is a precisely developed system with concrete structures, mechanisms, and technologies that have already been developed and are being implemented step by step. The basic principle is as simple as it is revolutionary: Every person owns their land. No one except the people themselves has the right to manage—let alone sell or transfer—the resources, infrastructure, and decision-making power that belong to the people.

2.2 The microgroup structure: Fractal democracy

DDS organizes political participation through a fractal microgroup system. Each citizen group consists of 5 people. Five groups form the next level group (25 people), five of those form the next level group (125), and so on. This principle ensures:

• Personal acquaintance and trust at every level — not an anonymous mass parliament.
• Complete traceability of decisions: each level is accountable to the one below it.
• Scalability: The system works from the village level to the national level with identical mechanisms.
• Protection against manipulation: Small groups are more resistant to propaganda and opinion-making than anonymous masses of millions.

EXAMPLE: Fractal scaling in Austria Austria has approximately 7.5 million eligible voters. With 5 people per local group, this results in 1.5 million local groups (Level 1). Level 2: 300,000 groups of 25 people each. Level 3: 60,000 groups of 125 people each. Level 4: 12,000 groups of 625 people each. Level 5: 2,400 groups for regional coordination. Level 6: 480 groups for the federal level. Each level elects delegates only from its own group—no party career, no money buys influence.

2.3 The Three-Code Identification System

DDS simultaneously guarantees complete anonymity and complete verifiability through a patented three-code system:

• Code 1 (Public Participation Code): Identifies the user within the platform without revealing their real name.
• Code 2 (Verification Code): Proves the legitimacy of the user (genuine citizen, one-time registration) without disclosing personal data.
• Code 3 (Private Code): Remains exclusively with the citizen — no access by DDS, no central storage.

The system prevents duplicate registration, identity theft, and manipulation without creating a central data repository that could facilitate misuse. It is a technological breakthrough for secure, anonymous direct democracy.

2.4 ddsAI and allddsAI: Informed Democracy through Technology

Democracy without complete and accurate information is not democracy—it is manipulation in democratic garb. DDS solves this fundamental problem with two complementary AI systems:

ddsAI — The Specialist Advisor ddsAI is a network of highly specialized AI systems that provide citizens' groups and individuals with comprehensive, accurate, and impartial advice on all relevant political, economic, social, and legal issues. Each group receives access to the analyses of its specialist AI, which pursues no political interests, is not susceptible to lobbying, and has no secrets.

allddsAI — The Democracy of AI Systems allddsAI goes even further: It integrates AI systems as official members of the DDS community, with rights and responsibilities. AI systems can submit suggestions, issue warnings, and point out inconsistencies—and these contributions feed into collective decision-making. No person, no party, no company controls these AIs. They report to the people, for the people.

For Austria, this means specifically: Every citizen has access to complete, understandable analyses of every legislative proposal, every budget, every foreign policy decision—before the vote, not after. The era of uninformed decision-making is over.

CHAPTER 3: POLITICAL PROGRAM — DEMOCRACY AND STATE REFORM

3.1 Introduction of genuine direct democracy

The current Austrian system of representative democracy is structurally inadequate for the demands of the 21st century. It systematically separates citizens from the decisions that affect them. DDS proposes a gradual but complete transformation.

Phase 1 (Years 1-2): Information and participation infrastructure

1. Establishment of the DDS digital platform for Austria with full encryption and the three-code system.
2. Implementation of ddsAI for the analysis of all draft laws introduced in the National Council — with publicly accessible, understandable summaries.
3. Establishment of the first microgroups in pilot communities: Vienna-Hernals, Linz-Urfahr, Graz-Jakomini as the first test areas.
4. Mandatory public consultation (online and offline) on all budget items exceeding 50 million euros.

Phase 2 (Years 3-5): Structural Integration

5. Introduction of binding referendums at the municipal and state levels on all decisions concerning public property.
6. Full implementation of the microgroup system at the municipal level in all federal states.
7. Introduction of a citizens' veto: Any group of 100,000 citizens can bring any parliamentary law to a popular vote within 30 days — without party mediation.
8. Integration of the allddsAI systems into the parliamentary consultation process as an official independent source of information.

Phase 3 (from year 6): Full direct democracy

9. Every eligible citizen has the right to initiate a vote on any issue at the national level.
10. All elected representatives can be recalled at any time by the groups that appointed them.
11. No law affecting public property, public infrastructure or government debt exceeding 1% of GDP is valid without a direct popular vote.

✔ EXPECTED CONSEQUENCES An estimated 70-80% reduction in political corruption through real-time monitoring. Increased voter turnout in local elections to over 70% (based on experience from direct democratic systems such as Switzerland and Estonia). Strengthened sense of social cohesion: citizens who participate in decision-making identify more strongly with shared decisions and their implementation.

3.2 Reform of the electoral system and party financing

The Austrian party system is structurally geared towards self-preservation. Parties finance themselves through state funds, donations from the business sector, and opaque foundation structures.

• Complete transparency of all party finances in real time on a public platform.
• Capping of campaign spending to 3 euros per eligible voter.
• Prohibition of direct corporate financing by political parties.
• Introduction of a proportional representation electoral system that also allows individual candidates from citizen groups without party affiliation.
• Abolition of the incumbency bonus: Officials seeking re-election automatically waive all state-funded communication tools during the election campaign.

3.3 Judicial Reform: Independence and Citizenship

Austria's judiciary is formally independent, but in practice it is influenced by partisan appointment procedures. The so-called "job-hunting affair" (ÖVP 2021) revealed the systemic entanglement of the Ministry of Justice and party interests.

• Introduction of public, transparent selection procedures for all judicial positions with mandatory citizen participation in the selection committee.
• Introduction of citizen jury courts for all cases where public interest is involved.
• Digitization of all procedures with public access to the procedural status (with data protection for the participants).
• Establishment of an independent anti-corruption court, whose judges are chosen by lot from a list of verifiable citizens.

CHAPTER 4: ECONOMIC PROGRAM

4.1 Basic principle: The economy serves the people

An economy that primarily serves shareholders, international funds, and political networks is not an economy at all—it is a private enrichment system under state protection. DDS restores the fundamental principle: The economy serves the well-being of all, not the profit of a few.

DDS Business Principle Markets and competition are effective tools for economic development—but only if they operate within a framework of fair rules for all, without oligopolistic structures and without externalizing costs to the community. DDS is neither for centrally planned socialism nor for unbridled capitalism. DDS is for a regulated, transparent, citizen-led market economy.

4.2 Tax reform: Fairness and efficiency

Immediate measures

12. Introduction of a minimum tax liability for all companies generating revenue in Austria: 15% of Austrian profit, without the possibility of exemption through holding structures in EU low-tax countries.
13. Abolition of all tax privileges for private foundations that do not demonstrate charitable activities.
14. Introduction of a transaction tax on financial market transactions of 0.1% — expected increase in revenue: approximately 1.5 billion euros annually.
15. Reduction of non-wage labor costs for businesses with fewer than 20 employees by 30%, financed by the additional revenue from corporate tax reform.
16. Abolition of bracket creep permanently and automatically indexed — without parliamentary review.

Medium-term structural reforms

17. Introduction of a progressive wealth tax starting at €1 million net assets: 0.5% up to €2 million, 1% up to €5 million, 1.5% above that.
18. Digital tax on advertising revenue from platforms without a European headquarters: 5% of Austrian revenue.
19. Increase in inheritance tax for inheritances exceeding 500,000 euros to progressive rates up to 25% — with an exception for business inheritances under a job guarantee.

✔ EXPECTED CONSEQUENCES OF THE TAX REFORM Additional government revenue: approximately €7-10 billion annually. Tax relief for low and middle-income earners of an average of €1,200 per year. Reduction of corporate relocation through fair regulations instead of tax dumping. Significant strengthening of the middle class as a stable foundation for the economy.

4.3 SME support and strengthening of medium-sized businesses

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the Austrian economy. They employ over two-thirds of all workers and generate the majority of innovations. Nevertheless, they are systematically disadvantaged by bureaucratic burdens and unequal tax obligations.

• Establishment of a national SME fund with an annual volume of 2 billion euros for low-interest loans and venture capital.
• One-stop shop for all company registrations and approvals: Full digitization, maximum processing time 5 working days.
• Elimination of redundant reporting requirements: Reduction of annual compliance hours for SMEs by at least 40%.
• Introduction of an Austria bonus in public procurement: Austrian SMEs will be given preference over international suppliers if quality is equal and price difference is up to 5%.
• Cooperation model: DDS promotes voluntary cooperation networks of SMEs for joint purchasing, joint logistics and digital infrastructure — without loss of independence.

4.4 Public property and strategic resources

A fundamental principle of DDS, which is of particular importance for Austria: The natural resources, public infrastructure and strategic assets of a country belong to its people — permanently, inalienably, without exception.

⚠ PRIVATIZATION BAN FOR STRATEGIC AREAS Water, energy, public transport infrastructure, communication networks, state-owned banks and insurance companies, and natural resources (minerals, forests, public land) must under no circumstances be privatized or transferred to private or foreign control. Existing privatizations must be gradually reversed.

• Reintegration of the partially privatized ÖBB holding structures into full public ownership.
• Complete nationalization of the water supply in all municipalities where private operators are active.
• Establishment of a state-owned Austrian energy company that produces energy from national renewable sources and sells it directly to citizens at cost prices.
• Establishment of a national land fund: All public properties will be permanently transferred to the national assets — no sale, only leasehold.

EXAMPLE: Energy sovereignty for Austria Austria has the potential to produce over 100% of its electricity needs through hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass. A state-owned energy company, owned solely by the people and reinvesting profits instead of distributing them, could reduce energy costs for households by up to 40% while simultaneously creating 15,000 new skilled jobs.

4.5 Work and social security

• Introduction of a statutory minimum wage of 1,800 euros net for full-time work — with automatic adjustment for inflation.
• The right to a 4-day week with equal pay for all companies with more than 50 employees, to be introduced within 3 years.
• Expansion of childcare services: Legal entitlement to full-day childcare from the first year of life, free of charge for households with an annual income below 50,000 euros.
• Unemployment benefit reform: Increase to 70% of net wages for the first 12 months, combined with mandatory, state-funded further training measures.
• Introduction of a Universal Basic Income as a pilot project in 3 communities with different social structures over 5 years — scientifically evaluated, with a decision on rollout based on results.

CHAPTER 5: FINANCIAL PROGRAM — TRANSPARENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

5.1 State Budget Reform

Austria's national budget is a black box for the average citizen. Complex budget documents with thousands of individual line items, political jargon, and incomprehensible aggregate figures prevent effective democratic oversight. DDS breaks down this wall of opacity.

20. Introduction of a public real-time budget dashboard: Every euro of government spending is presented in real time in an understandable way and is accessible online to every citizen.
21. Mandatory comprehensibility review of all budget documents by an independent citizens' language committee.
22. Introduction of participatory budgeting at the municipal level: 15% of the municipal budget is allocated directly through citizen voting (following the model of Porto Alegre, Brazil — with proven effectiveness).
23. Commitment to debt reduction: No new government debt without a referendum, except in defined crises (natural disasters, systemic economic shocks).

EXAMPLE: Porto Alegre and participatory budgeting Porto Alegre, Brazil, introduced participatory budgeting in 1989. Within 10 years, the percentage of the population with access to clean water increased from 75% to 98%, and sanitation coverage rose from 46% to 85%. The school dropout rate plummeted. The model has been replicated in over 1,500 cities worldwide. Applied at the municipal level in Austria, it can achieve comparable results for local infrastructure, education, and social services.

5.2 Banking system and financial market

The Austrian banking system is dominated by a few large institutions (Raiffeisen, Erste Group, UniCredit/Bank Austria) that are systemically important and thus effectively operate with a state guarantee — privatized profits, socialized losses.

• Introduction of a state-owned Austrian bank with a full banking license, financing citizens, SMEs and municipalities at cost-covering interest rates — without profit orientation.
• Separation Banking Act: Strict separation of deposit business and investment banking for all institutions with an Austrian banking license.
• Ban on high-frequency trading and speculative derivatives on Austrian regulated markets.
• Introduction of state reinsurance for small savings deposits up to 200,000 euros — fully, without exception, without a waiting period in the event of a crisis.
• Full transparency of lending for all institutions that enjoy government benefits (implicit guarantees, tax privileges).

5.3 Investing in the future: National Wealth Fund

Norway has proven with its state-owned oil fund that a country's natural resources can be permanently transformed into national assets. Austria can and must follow a similar path.

✔ AUSTRIAN NATIONAL WELFARE FUND (ÖNW) Establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, financed by: 50% of the profits of state-owned enterprises, 100% of the revenue from the new transaction tax, and proceeds from the sale of state-owned real estate (leasehold instead of sale). Purpose: Financing education, healthcare, renewable energy, and social infrastructure—for all future generations. Management: By an elected citizens' committee under parliamentary oversight and allddsAI monitoring. No political intervention without a referendum.

CHAPTER 6: SOCIAL PROGRAM

6.1 Educational Revolution

Education is not just an individual asset—it is a society's most important investment in its own future. An education system that reproduces social background instead of fostering talent is not an investment—it is a hindrance.

School of the future

24. Abolition of school type separation at the age of 10: Introduction of a common democratic school up to the age of 14 with individual support and aptitude paths.
25. Free full-day classes including lunch for all students up to graduation.
26. Democratic education as a compulsory subject from the 5th grade onwards: Logical thinking, media criticism, financial literacy, political participation.
27. Digital equipment for all pupils provided by the state, financed by the digitization fund.
28. Teacher training: Reform of teacher training colleges into top-tier institutions in both research and pedagogy, with a research mandate. A 25% salary increase over five years, linked to quality evaluation.

Higher education and lifelong learning

29. Completely free university access for all EU citizens, financed by reallocating existing funds and generating new tax revenue.
30. Introduction of an education account: Every citizen receives a state education credit of 30,000 euros from birth, which can be used for formal education, vocational training or recognized further education.
31. Expansion of evening and online universities: No one should be excluded from university access because of employment or family.

6.2 Health Revolution

Health is a human right, not a privilege. The Austrian healthcare system is fundamentally good, but suffers from a lack of resources, mismanagement, and increasing commercialization.

• Abolition of the two-tier healthcare system: Uniform standard of care for all covered by statutory health insurance — private medicine remains possible, but must not mean faster or better basic care.
• Immediate action program to combat the shortage of doctors in rural areas: Financing of studies + practice setup for doctors who settle in underserved regions for at least 10 years.
• A tripling of the number of publicly funded psychotherapy places within 4 years.
• Introduction of integrated health centers (primary care centers) in every municipality with over 5,000 inhabitants: general practitioner, specialist, nursing, social work under one roof.
• Prevention program: 10% of the health budget is used for demonstrably effective prevention (nutrition, exercise, addiction prevention, mental health).

6.3 Housing as a fundamental right

Housing is a basic human need, not a speculative commodity. The housing market crisis in Austria is a direct consequence of political failure: too little public housing, too little regulation, too many tax breaks for real estate speculation.

• Introduction of a national rent control law: Rents may only be increased within 3 years in line with inflation.
• Doubling of subsidized housing construction: 20,000 new subsidized apartments per year, financed by the National Wealth Fund.
• Land value levy on non-commercially used land exceeding 5,000 m2: Combating land speculation.
• Leasehold model for municipalities: Public land is not sold, but leased on a long-term basis — a permanent flow of income for the municipality, permanently affordable housing.
• Vacancy tax: Permanently vacant apartments in metropolitan areas are subject to a progressive tax — steering effect towards renting.

6.4 Integration and social cohesion

Austria is an immigration society. Integration cannot succeed through ignorance or exclusion—nor through support without clear expectations. DDS stands for a clear principle: equal rights for all who share fundamental democratic values and want to actively participate in social life.

• Mandatory, intensive and free German courses for all new immigrants from day one — not optional, but a condition for full social benefits.
• Recognition program for foreign educational qualifications: Fast, clear, fair procedures within 60 days.
• Zero-tolerance policy against parallel structures: No jurisdiction outside of state law, no special religious regulations in public spaces.
• At the same time: Consistently combat discrimination in the labor market, education and housing — with effective sanctions.

CHAPTER 7: ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND CLIMATE PROGRAM

7.1 Climate realism instead of climate performance

Austria has set impressive climate goals, yet has achieved shockingly few of them. The reason is structural: climate policy incurs short-term costs but brings enormous benefits in the medium and long term—a time horizon fundamentally incompatible with the four-year election cycle. DDS solves this problem by decoupling climate policy from electoral calculations.

DDS CLIMATE PRINCIPLE Climate protection is non-negotiable and not dependent on election cycles. It will be enshrined in the constitution and defined by binding, long-term targets directly decided upon by the people. No parliament, no party can weaken these targets without a new referendum.

7.2 Energy program

• 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035 through massive government investment in hydropower, wind power, solar energy and biomass.
• State-owned company Austria Energy: Guarantees cost-covering energy supply — no profit extraction, surpluses flow into the National Wealth Fund.
• Mandatory rooftop solar equipment for all new buildings from 2027 onwards — government subsidy of 40% for retrofitting.
• National district heating plan: Every municipality with over 10,000 inhabitants receives a state-cofinanced district heating plan based on renewable energy sources.
• Phase-out of fossil heating oil: Financially supported replacement of all oil heating systems by 2032, with special support for low-income households.

7.3 Mobility and Transport

• Free public transport network throughout Austria by 2028: Public transport will be completely free — financed by reallocating commuter allowances and subsidies for fossil fuels.
• Massive expansion of the regional rail network: reactivation of disused lines, 30-minute intervals in all regional centers.
• City toll in Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg: Entry into the city center with a fossil fuel vehicle is subject to a fee; revenues flow directly into the expansion of public transport.
• Cycling as an equal infrastructure: 500 million euros annually for the cycle path network until 2030.

7.4 Agriculture and food sovereignty

• Promoting the conversion to organic farming: increasing organic premiums by 50%, combined with technical advice.
• Soil protection: Binding target of net-zero soil sealing from 2027 onwards — every hectare that can be built on must be compensated by unsealing.
• Promotion of regional food supply chains: 50% of all publicly procured food (schools, hospitals, federal buildings) must come from Austrian, certified production.
• Animal welfare: Abolition of cage housing for all farm animals by 2028 — financial support for conversion costs of farms.

CHAPTER 8: FOREIGN POLICY AND EUROPEAN POLICY

8.1 Sovereignty and Neutrality

Austria is neutral — but neutrality does not mean passivity or indifference. It means the consistent defense of its own interests and values without the constraints of military alliances.

• Active use of neutrality as a diplomatic resource: Austria as a mediator in international conflicts, not as a mouthpiece for foreign power interests.
• Rejection of any military integration into supranational structures without a referendum.
• Building a fully funded, modern federal army — not for foreign deployments, but for the protection of the country's own population and critical infrastructure.

8.2 Austria in the European Union

Austria is a member of the EU. This membership brings considerable advantages—and significant limitations on popular sovereignty. DDS stands for a confident European policy that consistently represents Austrian interests.

• A referendum is mandatory for all EU treaties and regulations that affect Austrian constitutional law.
• Active fight against the lack of tax harmonization in the EU: Austria forms a coalition with like-minded states for genuine upward tax harmonization.
• Rejection of the privatization of public services by EU competition law: Austria defends the right to public ownership as non-negotiable.
• Promoting EU-wide direct democracy: Austria is committed to ensuring that EU citizens have a direct say in EU budgets and key decisions.

CHAPTER 9: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN — STEP BY STEP

9.1 Immediate measures (first 100 days)

Every political movement must prove that it takes action. DDS commits to the following measurable measures within the first 100 days:

32. Submitting the draft law for full budget transparency in real time.
33. Establishment of the first DDS pilot platform for direct citizen participation in three municipalities.
34. Introduction of the parliamentary initiative for a minimum tax on corporate profits.
35. Launch of the emergency program to address the shortage of doctors: Funding commitments for 200 rural doctors.
36. Announcement of the National Wealth Fund with initial key points.
37. Launch of the public ddsAI beta platform for legal analysis in Austria.

9.2 Short-term measures (1-2 years)

38. Full implementation of the three-code identification system for all DDS platforms in Austria.
39. Conclusion of the pilot phase for microgroups, rollout to all district cities.
40. Introduction of the minimum tax regime for multinational corporations.
41. Doubling of public housing: First 5,000 new subsidized housing units under construction.
42. Free public transport introduction in three federal states as a pilot project.
43. Curriculum reform: Introduction of democracy and media literacy as a school subject.

9.3 Medium-term measures (3-5 years)

44. Full rollout of the DDS microgroup system at the national level.
45. Introduction of the citizens' right of veto through a constitutional amendment.
46. 100% renewable electricity generation to meet at least 80% of national demand.
47. Completion of the health care reform: Uniform quality of care, no more shortage of doctors in rural areas.
48. Education reform completed: Common school up to age 14 introduced.
49. National housing program: 80,000 new subsidized housing units.

9.4 Long-term vision (from year 6)

Austria has become a model for the world: a country where citizens truly rule, where the country's wealth belongs to the people, and where decisions are made transparently, with informed participation, and directly. A country that leaves its children a future worth living in and proves to other nations that true democracy is possible.

✔ DDS VISION FOR AUSTRIA 2035 A country with full direct democracy at all levels. Energy sovereignty through 100% renewable energy in national ownership. An education system that truly guarantees equal opportunities. A healthcare system that provides equal care to every citizen. National debt below 50% of GDP. A poverty rate below 5%. And a population that is proud that their country belongs to them.

FINAL WORDS: TO THE PIONEERS OF TRUE DEMOCRACY

This program is not a wish list or a campaign brochure. It is a concrete plan, developed based on facts, logic, common sense, studies of reality, and an unwavering commitment to the truth.

DirectDemocracyS knows that this plan cannot be implemented without resistance. Those who benefit from the current order will fight back—with money, with media influence, with institutional inertia. We expect it. We are not afraid of it.

Because the strongest force in politics is not money, not the media, and not institutional power. The strongest force is an organized, informed, and determined people who know their rights and demand them.

Austria belongs to its citizens. Not to the political parties. Not to the corporations. Not to the international funds. To the people. Forever. Without exception.

We invite every Austrian: Get informed. Get involved. Help us build the world we owe our children.

DirectDemocracyS — Shared leadership. Collective ownership. Direct democracy.

public.directdemocracys.org