The first visitors enter the House on the national holiday around ten o’clock in the morning. “Very impressive,” beams a young Viennese woman as she enters the building. It is her first visit to parliament. Together with her group, she is personally welcomed at the entrance by National Council President Walter Rosenkranz, Second National Council President Peter Haubner and Third National Council President Doris Bures as well as Federal Council President Franz Ebner. SPÖ parliamentary group leader Andreas Babler also arrived in Parliament in the morning to welcome the first guests – including many children – into the House.
Parliament as the “house of all citizens of Austria”
Just two days after his election as President of the National Council, it is a “new and very nice experience” for Walter Rosenkranz to receive visitors to Parliament on the national holiday. “My message to the visitors is that the parliament belongs to them – it is the house of all Austrian citizens.” He particularly recommends a visit to the historic meeting room: “Here you can feel the long history of our democracy and the legacy of our ancestors. It is a place that is charged with the energy and commitment of all those who have supported Austria over the decades have used”. The column hall is a very special place for Second National Council President Peter Haubner, as the columns come from his home in Salzburg. For Third National Council President Doris Bures, it is “always an honor and joy to experience this special day.” She also emphasizes: “Immediately after the constitution of the National Council, today Parliament, as the heart of democracy, is in the truest sense of the word the house of the people.”
Federal Council President Franz Ebner is also happy about the exchange with the guests in parliament. “It will come as no surprise to anyone that for me the meeting room of the Federal Council is the central room of the House of Representatives. The coats of arms on the ceiling represent the regions of the former monarchy and today the members of the state chamber meet there. That is a very nice symbol for our federalism and fits perfectly with my motto: Democracy needs a future, a future needs a heritage,” said Ebner.
Longer waiting times outside are accepted
At lunchtime the queues of people in front of Parliament get longer and longer. For the so-called “spontaneous visitors” who had not booked a fixed time for their visit in advance, the waiting time is more than two hours. “We accept that, it is what it is,” says a mother from Lower Austria who is standing in line with her daughters. A tourist couple from Athens isn’t put off by the waiting time either: “We didn’t know that today was a public holiday in Austria and just happened to pass by. We’ll be surprised by what there is to see,” they say in a good mood.
Photos with politicians in the colonnade
Democracy mediators from the parliament accompany the visitors in groups of 30 people through the parliament. They guide guests through the meeting rooms and answer their questions. At the end of the tour, visitors enter the colonnaded hall. There, things are lively at the stands of the parliamentary groups. Numerous members of the National Council and members of the Federal Council are looking forward to interacting with citizens and handing out small gifts. Many photos are taken with, among others, Herbert Kickl and Andreas Babler.
FPÖ MP Rosa Ecker is very impressed by the great interest shown by citizens: “It’s great that people are taking their time today and traveling long distances to visit parliament – some of them are already at 7 Sat on the train early in the morning,” says Ecker. For ÖVP MP Elisabeth Scheucher-Pichler (ÖVP), there is nothing better than meeting people and being a link to politics as a MP. She is pleased about the good atmosphere in the colonnade and emphasizes: “It is important to achieve the best for Austria by working together and to focus on the positive.” SPÖ MP Petra Tanzler is also overwhelmed by the number of visitors: “It is a great joy that so many people are showing interest in our work on today’s holiday, although Parliament can also be visited on other days.” Just two days after being sworn in as a member of the NEOS, Christoph Pramhofer is pleased to be able to represent his group at the open day in parliament: “As a member of parliament, you are a servant of the people and I am here today to demonstrate the value of democracy convey,” says Pramhofer. Agnes Sirkka Prammer (Greens) says that many citizens ask about the everyday work of MPs: “For example, they are interested in how much we travel as MPs.”
Parliamentary Directorate introduces itself
Not only the parliamentary parties present themselves to the visitors, the parliamentary management also introduces itself. Where committees usually take place, visitors can talk to employees of the Parliamentary Directorate on the open day. The Federal Council Service has prepared a coat of arms quiz and the National Council Service provides insights into the preparation and process of committees. In a voting booth that was used just the day before yesterday in the constituent meeting to elect the new executive board, visitors can vote on a question themselves and then throw their ballot into a ballot box that is emptied every hour. The votes are then counted by a visitor.
“Some children are so impressed by their visit to Parliament that they ask how one can become a politician,” says an employee of the Legal, Legislative & Scientific Service of the Parliamentary Directorate, who also introduces herself to the visitors. The Human Resources department provides information about career paths – not in politics – but in administration and management, and introduces the Parliamentary Directorate as an employer.
“Live is just something special”
“It’s very cool to see what the parliament looks like from the inside,” says a young visitor from Carinthia, who is visiting the House with his girlfriend. An Erasmus student from Ireland came to Parliament by chance: “I was looking on Google for something to do in Vienna on the public holiday and came across the open day,” she says. For a gentleman from Amstetten, it is a great experience to walk through the halls that he otherwise only knows from television: “It’s like football – live is just something special,” he laughs.
Visits to Parliament are possible all year round
Parliament cannot only be visited on open days. Guided tours are offered free of charge all year round. The meetings of the National Council and the Federal Council are generally open to the public. Further information is available on Parliament’s website. (End) bea
A NOTICE: Photos from the open day in Parliament and one Review of past events can be found in Parliament web portal. A video of the open day will be available in the Media library published.