1.    Securing the achievements of the welfare state, free access by all the people living in Austria to the health system and to high-quality care must be included in the constitution as guaranteed basic rights. This corresponds to the demands raised by 717,000 Austrians in the petition for a referendum on the welfare state of the year 2002.

2.    Financing public health insurance is facilitated by payments and by taxes. Of course, there have to be taxes to this end also on private assets, because without a top down redistribution of wealth the collapse of the public health system – created by politics – cannot be prevented. The introduction of deductibles of all kinds is rejected on the grounds that they undermine the solidarity system which is based on the principle: everybody contributes and those who need help receive it.

3.    The big institution of the social welfare state (health, accident, old age pension and unemployment insurances) must continue to be owned by those who are insured. The principle of self-administration is not to be abolished but extended by direct elections which were the practice before the time of Fascism. Reorganizing the self-administrative bodies into a holding is an act breaking the grounds for privatisation, which we reject because experience has shown that privatisation in the health system is always carried through at the expense of clients, patients, care-providing family members and the health personnel.

4.    Due to the necessity of defending the achievements of the public health system in Europe against the neo-liberal offensive towards privatisation, the forum contributes to a European movement or organisation to defend the public health system. In doing so, it seeks cooperation with the employees of the health sector, with trade unions, social organisations and initiatives, with those concerned and with interested individuals who are committed to the preservation and the expansion of the public health system. The forum suggests to the European Left to initiate an international network on health politics as soon as possible.