The claim
In Austria there will be a referendum against the abolition of cash, which will take place on September 9, 2022.
Our conclusion
There is currently only one referendum that deals with the issue of cash, namely “for unrestricted cash payments”. This can be signed between September 19th and 26th, 2022.
Messages calling for people to take part in a referendum have been circulating on WhatsApp in recent weeks. An unknown author wrote this message, which now appears again and again on Austrian cell phones:

“Dear friends, dear acquaintances, dear relatives!
Plain text from WhatsApp message (sic!)
I'm writing this Whats up to wake you up and in your interest. From September 9th there will be a referendum against the abolition of cash. The digital euro is now being pushed forward even more vehemently. We should be able to be transparent, controlled and dispossessed. China is seen as a role model. But in Austria there is resistance in the form of a referendum. I ask you in your own interest to go. It begins on September 9th and is available in all district offices and municipal offices. IN YOUR INTEREST, GO AND SIGN AGAINST THE ABOLITION OF CASH. Please forward vigorously!!”
Concern about abolishing cash
The topic has been omnipresent for years. Already in 2017 there was news that cash would be abolished on August 1, 2018, about which we published a few articles: HERE , HERE and HERE .
At that time it was just about abolishing the 500 euro note. This was not immediately withdrawn from circulation on the deadline, but rather sorted out over time. No new notes were put into circulation.
But the topic persists. The increasing digitalization of all areas of everyday life is driving this concern. You often hear or read about fears of expropriation - as in the WhatsApp message.
Cash payment limit
The issue is likely to come up again at the moment, as the EU can imagine a cross-border upper limit for cash payments, with an upper limit of 10,000 euros being envisaged. This is quite mild compared to other countries. For example, the limit for cash transactions in Greece is 500 euros, reports br24.de in January 2022.
It can also be read here that a cash limit is intended to counteract money laundering, corruption and terrorist financing.
There are no plans to abolish cash, said EU Financial Markets Commissioner Mairead McGuinness in May 2021 .
What does it look like in Austria?
Yes, there is a referendum. However, there are two errors in the WhatsApp text: the topic and date are incorrect.
All current referendums can be viewed on the federal government's website Here we see that one of them has to do with cash. However, this is not a “referendum against the abolition of cash”, but rather a referendum for unrestricted cash payments . This will take place from September 19th to 26th, 2022.
The application states:
“The legislature should take federal constitutional measures to enshrine the retention of unrestricted cash payments. Cash must be fully protected as a means of payment and as a form of wealth, without any upper limits. Only anchoring cash in the federal constitution guarantees freedom and the availability of private assets and can be secured as a fundamental right.”
Request for a referendum for unrestricted cash payments (PDF)
Conclusion
There is currently no referendum “against the abolition of cash” in Austria.
When it comes to the referendum for unrestricted cash payments, it is important to note that an upper limit for cash transactions is by no means the same as the abolition of cash.
Source: br24.de , t-online.de , Current referendums in Austria (as of August 26, 2022, archived)
This might also be of interest: Bitcoin scam: No, Elon Musk does not help German citizens financially!
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