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Fischer defends Putin’s Austrian visit

President Heinz Fischer defended Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Vienna at the end of June as well as the planned South Stream gas pipeline.

Published: 6 July 2014 14:17 CEST
Fischer defends Putin's Austrian visit
Photo: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER

To again nominate Johannes Hahn from the conservative People's Party (VPÖ) as Austrian EU Commissioner would be "good" Fischer said on state broadcaster ORF television on Sunday. There would be better chances if Hahn was nominated earlier, Fischer said. Furthermore he said that if the government had waited too long with a decision this would have created "insecurity".

Each country within the European Union has the right to appoint its own candidate. Several Austrian members of the European Parliament from the People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Greens had wanted a female candidate for the job as European Commissioner.

Asked about Putin's visit to Vienna, Fischer said that a "strategic partnership" between Europe and Russia would be "necessary". The Estonian President Hendrik Ilves had criticized whilst he was visited by Fischer that Russia could "never be a strategic partner". According to Fischer this statement was made due to historical reasons.

Instead of that Fischer emphasized that Putin's visit could serve as a "small contribution" to solve the conflict in Ukraine. It was Putin's first visit to a EU country since the crisis in Ukraine had erupted. Fischer said that he was "content" with Putin's internationally criticized visit.

Furthermore he said that Austria wanted to keep "all channels of dialogue" open. It was necessary to close the borders between Russia and Ukraine, to stop the violence and keep looking for a non-military solution.

Moreover he rejected criticism concerning the deal between the Austrian oil and gas company OMV and the Russian gas giant Gasprom which signed a contract for the Austrian portion of the South Stream pipeline, which will transport gas from Russia to Austria while circumventing Ukraine. It would "not be clever" to miss "such an opportunity". Besides that the pipeline would also lead through NATO states, he added.

His planned visit to Iran was "acceptable" for Fischer who referred to existing diplomatic relations. He would not play a lone hand, Fischer clarified that his visit was coordinated with the Austrian government.

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POLITICS

Why 1.5 million people can’t vote in Austria’s crucial federal election

Almost one in five people in Austria won’t have a say in the upcoming election, mainly due to the country’s restrictive citizenship laws.

Published: 11 September 2024 10:15 CEST
Updated: 15 September 2024 08:19 CEST
Why 1.5 million people can't vote in Austria's crucial federal election

As Austria prepares for its upcoming National Council elections on September 29th, nearly 1.5 million people living in the country will be unable to participate despite being of voting age, Austrian media has reported.

This group, which represents around 19 percent of the population aged 16 and over, is largely composed of residents who do not hold Austrian citizenship.

While Austria has some of the most restrictive citizenship laws in the world, the election will still see some new eligible voters—particularly descendants of Nazi regime victims—casting their ballots for the first time, thanks to a 2019 amendment to the citizenship law that made the naturalisation process less restrictive for these cases. Among them is British actor Stephen Fry, whose grandmother fled Austria to escape Nazi persecution.

READ ALSO: Austria improves nationality law for descendants of Nazi victims

Over the past two decades, the number of residents not eligible to vote has more than doubled, from around 9 percent in 2002 to 19 percent today. Of the 1.5 million residents unable to vote, about half are citizens of other EU countries. While they are allowed to vote in EU elections, they are excluded from Austria’s national elections.

This growing number of non-voters contrasts with the shrinking pool of eligible voters. Despite having around 6.3 million eligible voters, Austria’s stringent naturalisation process means that only a small fraction of its long-term foreign residents can (or want to) attain citizenship and the right to vote.

READ ALSO: What makes Austrian citizenship so hard to get?

Who is eligible for citizenship in Austria?

Currently in Austria, if someone wants to take up citizenship via naturalisation they have to undergo an extensive and expensive process and fulfil specific criteria.

Generally, there needs to be at least 10 years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Austria. But there are exceptions for those with citizenship of an EU or EEA country, those born in Austria, or married to an Austrian, for example.

The main hurdles, however, include having to give up any other citizenships, as Austria doesn’t allow dual citizenship in naturalisation cases with few exceptions, and paying a high fee, which depends on the municipality.

What’s at stake?

The elections will determine the composition of the National Council, Austria’s parliament. The far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is currently leading in the polls, followed by the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). The results could significantly change the country’s political landscape.

While many are still unable to vote, Austria’s decision to grant citizenship to descendants of Nazi regime victims has (slightly) expanded the voter base. 

Under this provision, around 27,800 people, mostly living abroad, have regained Austrian citizenship. The Foreign Ministry has encouraged these new citizens to participate in the elections.

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