Herbert Kickl (FPÖ) welcomed Slovenia’s recent constitutional reform as a breakthrough for financial freedom and argued that Austria must follow the same path.
“Slovenia has shown the way forward: the right to use cash will now be protected in its constitution. This is exactly what Austria needs as well,” he wrote in a Facebook post. For Kickl, cash is not merely a payment method but a fundamental pillar of personal liberty. As he put it:
Cash is more than a means of payment. It is a piece of lived freedom, it protects our privacy, and it guarantees real self-determination
Kickl warns that EU policymakers are gradually attempting to restrict the role of cash.
“With a salami tactic, EU centralists are trying to introduce cash limits, weaken the obligation to accept cash, and clear the path for the digital euro. The result would be the transparent, fully visible citizen,” he argued. He emphasised that every individual must remain free to choose how they pay: “Every person must be able to freely decide whether they pay in cash or digitally.”
Hungary and Slovakia have already adopted similar reforms. Hungary framed its constitutional clause around the risks of digital vulnerabilities and financial exclusion, while Slovakia’s amendment allows businesses to refuse cash only for clearly justified practical reasons. Together, these three countries have positioned themselves as defenders of cash at a time when many European governments are promoting digital payment systems.
For Kickl, Slovenia’s decision is proof that constitutional protection of cash is both possible and necessary. His message is clear: if Austria wants to preserve privacy, autonomy, and genuine choice in everyday economic life, it must follow Slovenia’s example and secure the right to cash at the highest legal level.
According to Kickl, “the FPÖ is the only political force consistently fighting for a constitutionally protected right to cash in Austria.”
