President of the National Council (Austria)

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

Since October 2024, Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ) has served as President of the National Council, Peter Haubner (ÖVP) as Second President, and Doris Bures (SPÖ) as Third President. The 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 of Austria 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 officePartyKarl Seitz, President of the Provisional National Assembly21 October 1918 4 March 1919SDAPJodok Fink/Johann Nepomuk Hauser, President 21 October 19184 March 1919CSFranz Dinghofer, President 21 October 19184 March 1919GDVPKarl Seitz, President of the Constituent National Assembly4 March 191910 November 1920SDAP

First Austrian Republic NameEntered officeLeft officePartyRichard Weiskirchner10 November 192019 November 1923CSWilhelm Miklas20 November 19236 December 1928CSAlfred Gürtler13 December 1928 1 October 1930CSMatthias Eldersch4 December 193020 April 1931SDAPKarl Renner29 April 1931 4 March 1933 SDAP Source:

Second Republic NameEntered officeLeft officePartyLeopold Kunschak19 December 1945 13 March 1953 ÖVPFelix Hurdes18 March 1953 8 June 1959 ÖVPLeopold Figl9 June 1959 5 February 1962 ÖVPAlfred Maleta14 February 1962 30 March 1970 ÖVPKarl Waldbrunner31 March 1970 3 November 1971 SPÖAnton Benya4 November 1971 16 December 1986 SPÖLeopold Gratz17 December 1986 23 February 1989 SPÖRudolf Pöder28 February 1989 4 November 1990 SPÖHeinz Fischer5 November 1990 19 December 2002 SPÖAndreas Khol20 December 2002 29 October 2006 ÖVPBarbara Prammer30 October 2006 2 August 2014 SPÖDoris Bures2 September 2014 8 November 2017 SPÖElisabeth Köstinger9 November 2017 17 December 2017 ÖVPWolfgang Sobotka20 December 201724 October 2024ÖVPWalter Rosenkranz24 October 2024presentFPÖ Source:

List of second presidents

First Austrian Republic NameEntered officeLeft officePartyMatthias Eldersch10. November 1920 14. Dezember 1920SDAPKarl Seitz19201923SDAPMatthias Eldersch1923 1930SDAPRudolf Ramek19301933CS

Second Republic NameEntered officeLeft officePartyJohann Böhm19451959SPÖFranz Olah19591961SPÖFriedrich Hillegeist19611962SPÖKarl Waldbrunner19621970SPÖAlfred Maleta19701975ÖVPRoland Minkowitsch19751986ÖVPMarga Hubinek19861990ÖVPRobert Lichal19901994ÖVPHeinrich Neisser19941999ÖVPThomas Prinzhorn19992002FPÖHeinz Fischer20022004SPÖBarbara Prammer20042006SPÖMichael Spindelegger20062008ÖVPFritz Neugebauer20082013ÖVPKarlheinz Kopf20132017ÖVPDoris Bures20172024SPÖPeter Haubner2024presentÖVP

List of third presidents

First Austrian Republic NameEntered officeLeft officePartyFranz Dinghofer19201926GDVPLeopold Waber19261930GDVPSepp Straffner19301931GDVPStephan Tauschitz19311932LBdSepp Straffner19321933GDVP

Second Republic NameEntered officeLeft officePartyAlfons Gorbach19451953ÖVPKarl Hartleb19531956 WdUAlfons Gorbach19561961ÖVPAlfred Maleta 19611962ÖVPJosef Wallner19621970 ÖVPOtto Probst 19701978SPÖHerbert Pansi19781979 SPÖRudolf Thalhammer19791983 SPÖGerulf Stix 19831990FPÖSiegfried Dillersberger15 March 19904 November 1990FPÖHeide Schmidt19901994 FPÖHerbert Haupt19941996 FPÖWilli Brauneder19961999 FPÖAndreas Khol19992000ÖVPWerner Fasslabend20002002 ÖVPThomas Prinzhorn20022006 FPÖEva Glawischnig-Piesczek20062008GrüneMartin Graf20082013FPÖNorbert Hofer20132017 FPÖAnneliese Kitzmüller20172019FPÖNorbert Hofer20192024FPÖDoris Bures2024presentSPÖ

See also Politics of Austria

References