President of the National Council (Austria)

Last updated
President of the National Council
Präsident des Österreischischen Nationalrates
Austria Bundesadler.svg
Wolfgang Sobotka 23-05-2013 01 (cropped).JPG
Incumbent
Wolfgang Sobotka
since 20 December 2017
National Council of Austria
Style Mr. President
(when addressed in parliament)
StatusPrimary presiding officer
Member of National Council
Seat Redoute Wing, Hofburg Imperial Palace (provisionally)
Austrian Parliament Building (standard), Innere Stadt, Vienna
Nominator Political parties
AppointerNational Council
Constituting instrument Constitution of Austria
First holder Karl Seitz
Deputy Doris Bures
Second President
Norbert Hofer
Third President
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.

Termination

List of officeholders

List of presidents

National Assembly

NameEntered officeLeft officeParty
Karl Seitz, President of the Provisional National Assembly21 October 19184 March 1919 SDAP
Jodok Fink/Johann Nepomuk Hauser, President21 October 19184 March 1919 CS
Franz Dinghofer, President21 October 19184 March 1919 GDVP
Karl Seitz, President of the Constituent National Assembly4 March 191910 November 1920 SDAP

First Austrian Republic

NameEntered officeLeft officeParty
Richard Weiskirchner 10 November 192019 November 1923 CS
Wilhelm Miklas 20 November 19236 December 1928 CS
Alfred Gürtler 13 December 19281 October 1930 CS
Matthias Eldersch 4 December 193020 April 1931 SDAP
Karl Renner 29 April 19314 March 1933 SDAP

Source: [1]

Second Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Leopold Kunschak 19 December 194513 March 1953 ÖVP
Felix Hurdes 18 March 19538 June 1959 ÖVP
Leopold Figl 9 June 19595 February 1962 ÖVP
Alfred Maleta 14 February 196230 March 1970 ÖVP
Karl Waldbrunner 31 March 19703 November 1971 SPÖ
Anton Benya 4 November 197116 December 1986 SPÖ
Leopold Gratz 17 December 198623 February 1989 SPÖ
Rudolf Pöder 28 February 19894 November 1990 SPÖ
Heinz Fischer 5 November 199019 December 2002 SPÖ
Andreas Khol 20 December 200229 October 2006 ÖVP
Barbara Prammer 30 October 20062 August 2014 SPÖ
Doris Bures 2 September 20148 November 2017 SPÖ
Elisabeth Köstinger 9 November 201717 December 2017 ÖVP
Wolfgang Sobotka 20 December 2017present ÖVP

Source: [1]

List of second presidents

Doris Bures, Second President of the National Council Doris Bures Eroffnung Bahnhof Sankt Polten 2010.jpg
Doris Bures, Second President of the National Council

First Austrian Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Matthias Eldersch10. November 192014. Dezember 1920 SDAP
Karl Seitz 19201923 SDAP
Matthias Eldersch19231930 SDAP
Rudolf Ramek 19301933 CS

Second Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Johann Böhm 19451959 SPÖ
Franz Olah 19591961 SPÖ
Friedrich Hillegeist 19611962 SPÖ
Karl Waldbrunner19621970 SPÖ
Alfred Maleta19701975 ÖVP
Roland Minkowitsch19751986 ÖVP
Marga Hubinek19861990 ÖVP
Robert Lichal 19901994 ÖVP
Heinrich Neisser19941999 ÖVP
Thomas Prinzhorn 19992002 FPÖ
Heinz Fischer 20022004 SPÖ
Barbara Prammer 20042006 SPÖ
Michael Spindelegger 20062008 ÖVP
Fritz Neugebauer 2008–2013 ÖVP
Karlheinz Kopf 20132017 ÖVP
Doris Bures 2017present SPÖ

List of third presidents

Norbert Hofer, Third President of the National Council Norbert Hofer - FPO-Neujahrstreffen 2019.JPG
Norbert Hofer, Third President of the National Council

First Austrian Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Franz Dinghofer19201926 GDVP
Leopold Waber19261930 GDVP
Sepp Straffner 19301931 GDVP
Stephan Tauschitz 19311932 LBd
Sepp Straffner19321933 GDVP

Second Republic

NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Alfons Gorbach 19451953 ÖVP
Karl Hartleb19531956WdU
Alfons Gorbach19561961 ÖVP
Alfred Maleta19611962 ÖVP
Josef Wallner19621970 ÖVP
Otto Probst 19701978 SPÖ
Herbert Pansi19781979 SPÖ
Rudolf Thalhammer19791983 SPÖ
Gerulf Stix19831990 FPÖ
Siegfried Dillersberger15 March 19904 November 1990 FPÖ
Heide Schmidt 19901994 FPÖ
Herbert Haupt 19941996 FPÖ
Willi Brauneder19961999 FPÖ
Andreas Khol 19992000 ÖVP
Werner Fasslabend20002002 ÖVP
Thomas Prinzhorn 20022006 FPÖ
Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek 20062008 Grüne
Martin Graf 20082013 FPÖ
Norbert Hofer 20132017 FPÖ
Anneliese Kitzmüller 20172019 FPÖ
Norbert Hofer 2019present FPÖ

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Präsidentinnen und Präsidenten seit 1920 | Parlament Österreich". www.parlament.gv.at.