President of the National Council (Austria) explained

Post:President of the National Council
Insignia:Austria Bundesadler.svg
Insigniacaption:Coat of arms
Incumbent:Wolfgang Sobotka
Incumbentsince:20 December 2017
Department:National Council of Austria
Style:Mr. President
Status:Primary presiding officer
Seat:Redoute Wing, Hofburg Imperial Palace (provisionally)
Austrian Parliament Building (standard), Innere Stadt, Vienna
Nominator:Political parties
Appointer:National Council
Constituting Instrument:Constitution of Austria
First:Karl Seitz
Deputy:Doris Bures

Norbert Hofer
Website:parlament.gv.at

The President of the National Council is the presiding officer of the National Council, the lower house of the Austrian Parliament.

Since December 2017 Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) has served as the current President of the National Council, Doris Bures (SPÖ) as the Second President and Norbert Hofer (FPÖ) as the Third. All three Presidents together form the Presidium of the National Council.

In the Austrian order of precedence the President of the National Council places after the President and before the Chancellor.

Election

The President, the second and the third President are elected by the majority of the National Council at the beginning of each legislative session.

The Presidium even remains active after the dissolution of the National Council, until the Council obtains its new elected leadership. This also applies if the President of the former legislative session has no mandate in the new session.

In the second republic it became a political practice, that the most powerful party receives the President and the second and third most powerful party the second and third president.

Tasks and duties

The exact tasks of the President and his deputies are determined in the Nationalratsgeschäftsordnung. He is in charge of the administrative affairs of the National Council and creates a budget concept for the Council with the second and third President. The President is the representative of national council for the public and has to ensure moderation and balanced rights. He handles the Geschäftsordnung and has to guarantee for its observance (especially for the maintenance silence and order and the meeting hall), he exercises the Hausrecht in the Austrian Parliament Building and heads the parliamentary directorate.

The three Presidents and the parliamentary leaders together form the Präsidialkonferenz, a communicative organisation responsible for amiable cooperation under the parties within the Council.

The Presidium assumes the tasks of the Federal President in case of a longer during prevention or permanent suspension, for example because of death, a resignation or a deposition. This should ensure that overseeing tasks towards the Government and other duties are not lost.

List of officeholders

List of presidents

National Assembly

NameEntered officeLeft officeParty
Karl Seitz, President of the Provisional National Assembly21 October 1918 4 March 1919SDAP
Jodok Fink/Johann Nepomuk Hauser, President 21 October 19184 March 1919CS
Franz Dinghofer, President 21 October 19184 March 1919GDVP
Karl Seitz, President of the Constituent National Assembly4 March 191910 November 1920SDAP

First Austrian Republic

NameEntered officeLeft officeParty
Richard Weiskirchner10 November 192019 November 1923CS
Wilhelm Miklas20 November 19236 December 1928CS
Alfred Gürtler13 December 1928 1 October 1930CS
Matthias Eldersch4 December 193020 April 1931SDAP
Karl Renner29 April 1931 4 March 1933 SDAP
Source: [1]

Second Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Leopold Kunschak19 December 1945 13 March 1953 ÖVP
Felix Hurdes18 March 1953 8 June 1959 ÖVP
Leopold Figl9 June 1959 5 February 1962 ÖVP
Alfred Maleta14 February 1962 30 March 1970 ÖVP
Karl Waldbrunner31 March 1970 3 November 1971 SPÖ
Anton Benya4 November 1971 16 December 1986 SPÖ
Leopold Gratz17 December 1986 23 February 1989 SPÖ
Rudolf Pöder28 February 1989 4 November 1990 SPÖ
Heinz Fischer5 November 1990 19 December 2002 SPÖ
Andreas Khol20 December 2002 29 October 2006 ÖVP
Barbara Prammer30 October 2006 2 August 2014 SPÖ
Doris Bures2 September 2014 8 November 2017 SPÖ
Elisabeth Köstinger9 November 2017 17 December 2017 ÖVP
Wolfgang Sobotka20 December 2017presentÖVP
Source:

List of second presidents

First Austrian Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Matthias Eldersch10. November 1920 14. Dezember 1920SDAP
Karl Seitz19201923SDAP
Matthias Eldersch1923 1930SDAP
Rudolf Ramek19301933CS

Second Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Johann Böhm19451959SPÖ
Franz Olah19591961SPÖ
Friedrich Hillegeist19611962SPÖ
Karl Waldbrunner19621970SPÖ
Alfred Maleta19701975ÖVP
Roland Minkowitsch19751986ÖVP
Marga Hubinek19861990ÖVP
Robert Lichal19901994ÖVP
Heinrich Neisser19941999ÖVP
Thomas Prinzhorn19992002FPÖ
Heinz Fischer20022004SPÖ
Barbara Prammer20042006SPÖ
Michael Spindelegger20062008ÖVP
Fritz Neugebauer2008–2013ÖVP
Karlheinz Kopf20132017ÖVP
Doris Bures2017present SPÖ

List of third presidents

First Austrian Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Franz Dinghofer19201926GDVP
Leopold Waber19261930GDVP
Sepp Straffner19301931GDVP
Stephan Tauschitz19311932LBd
Sepp Straffner19321933GDVP

Second Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Alfons Gorbach19451953ÖVP
Karl Hartleb19531956 WdU
Alfons Gorbach19561961ÖVP
Alfred Maleta 19611962ÖVP
Josef Wallner19621970 ÖVP
19701978SPÖ
Herbert Pansi19781979 SPÖ
Rudolf Thalhammer19791983 SPÖ
Gerulf Stix 19831990FPÖ
Siegfried Dillersberger15 March 19904 November 1990FPÖ
Heide Schmidt19901994 FPÖ
Herbert Haupt19941996 FPÖ
Willi Brauneder19961999 FPÖ
Andreas Khol19992000ÖVP
Werner Fasslabend20002002 ÖVP
Thomas Prinzhorn20022006 FPÖ
Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek20062008Grüne
Martin Graf20082013FPÖ
Norbert Hofer20132017 FPÖ
Anneliese Kitzmüller20172019FPÖ
Norbert Hofer2019presentFPÖ

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Präsidentinnen und Präsidenten seit 1920 Parlament Österreich . www.parlament.gv.at.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "President of the National Council (Austria)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.