Free Membership
Newsletter
Help
Subscribe
Sign In
Search
February 8, 2023
All times are Vienna time
Search
Subscribe
Sign In
Countries:
Africa »
Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Côte d'Ivoire Ethiopia Ghana Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Mali Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda South Africa Sudan Tanzania The Congo Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific »
Afghanistan Australia Bangladesh Cambodia China Hong Kong SAR India Indonesia Japan Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal New Zealand North Korea (DPRK) Pakistan Philippines Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe »
Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Rep. Estonia Georgia Hungary Kosovo Latvia Lithuania North Macedonia Montenegro Poland Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine Western Balkans
Middle East »
Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Palestinian Territories Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen
Russia & CIS »
Russia Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Moldova Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
The Americas »
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Canada Central America Chile Colombia Cuba Ecuador Mexico Panama Paraguay Peru The Caribbean Uruguay Venezuela
United States
Western Europe »
Belgium Cyprus Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Monaco Norway Portugal Scotland Spain Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands United Kingdom Vatican City
Business:
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Politics:
Domestic
Brussels
International
Diplomacy
Companies:
Professional Services »
Banks Financial Services Real Estate Insurance Other Services
Energy »
Oil & Gas Utilities Renewables Mining
Industrials »
Construction Automotive Industrial Goods Basic Resources Chemicals Other Industrials
Transport »
Airlines & Airports Shipping Rail Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Organizations:
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
People:
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Lifestyle & Travel:
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
More+:
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Home
Countries
Business
Politics
Diplomacy
Companies
Organizations
People
Lifestyle & Travel
More+
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burundi
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Mali
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
The Congo
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
North Korea (DPRK)
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Rep.
Estonia
Georgia
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
North Macedonia
Montenegro
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Western Balkans
Middle East
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian Territories
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Russia & CIS
Russia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
The Americas
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Central America
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
The Caribbean
Uruguay
Venezuela
United States
Western Europe
Belgium
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Domestic
Brussels
International
Professional Services
Banks
Financial Services
Real Estate
Insurance
Other Services
Energy
Oil & Gas
Utilities
Renewables
Mining
Industrials
Construction
Automotive
Industrial Goods
Basic Resources
Chemicals
Other Industrials
Transport
Airlines & Airports
Shipping
Rail
Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Latest News
Ukrainian War
Covid in Austria
USA in Vienna
UK in Vienna
Russia in Vienna
China in Vienna
Iran in Vienna
UN
OSCE
IAEA
OPEC
Sponsored Content
Tweet
Share

Ceremonial Reopening of the Parliament in Vienna

More+ › Events ♦ Published: January 12, 2023; 18:44 ♦ (Vindobona)
Sponsored Content

On the occasion of the opening of the renovated parliament building, a grand ceremony was held in the Federal Assembly Hall, which was attended not only by top domestic politicians but also by numerous guests of honor from Austria and abroad. The historic house on the Ring, which took five years to renovate and modernize, now shines again in its new splendor.

The parliament shines again in new splendor after long renovation work. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Gryffindor, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

In a ceremonial act, the renewed parliament building was opened. On the weekend there will be open days for all visitors. The parliament's homepage has also been renewed.

After five years of renovation, the historic parliament building on Vienna's Ringstrasse reopened. "We are back home. The High House has us again and we have the High House again," said National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka, expressing his gratitude to be allowed to open the renovated building after Georg Friedrich Händel's "La Réjouissance" - the jubilation.

National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka, Federal Council President Günter Kovacs, Second National Council President Doris Bures and Third National Council President Norbert Hofer gave opening speeches. In their speeches, all speakers stressed the need for respectful cooperation and advocated strengthening trust in democratic institutions.

Sponsored Content

"With the reopening, the heart of democracy beats once again in this historic building," Federal Council President Günter Kovacs expressed his delight. Like Sobotka, he recalled the late former National Council President Barbara Prammer, under whom the renovation of the parliament was originally launched. In addition, he too addressed the growing distrust of democracy. The president of the provincial chamber hopes to be able to counteract this in the renovated building together with his colleagues in the chambers of parliament: The new building is a signal of democracy, "it is up to all of us that this signal is also heard."

Das war der Festakt zur Wiedereröffnung des sanierten Parlaments! Ein kleines #BestOf der heutigen Veranstaltung.
Parlamentsdirektion / Johannes Zinner & Thomas Topf & Ulrike Wieser#WiederDaheim #OeParl2023 pic.twitter.com/8lCGne0uVX

— Parlament Österreich (@OeParl) January 12, 2023

In his keynote speech, former President of the German Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble primarily addressed the serious crisis of confidence that representative democracy is currently experiencing. Schäuble, therefore, pleaded for seeking "the dispute in the middle of society" and for carrying it out publicly in the parliaments. In doing so, it is important to make it clear that people are fighting with each other for the sake of the cause and that politics is not an end in itself. This was followed by a moderated discussion with representatives of all parliamentary groups.

Renovation of the Parliament

Around 55,000m2, 740 windows, 600 historic doors and 500 historic chandeliers have been extensively renovated in recent years. More than 100 Austrian construction companies were involved in the renovation, and up to 550 workers were on the job at the same time at peak times.

A special eye-catcher is the impressive glass dome above the National Council Chamber. With a diameter of 28 meters and an area of 550 m², daylight enters the hall for the first time, making it shine with new splendor.

The "new" parliament also offers more than ever before in terms of gastronomy: the 800 m² Kelsen Restaurant, named after Hans Kelsen, the creator of the Austrian constitution, was created.

Diplomacy at the opening

Many foreign representatives up to the highest level, such as ambassadors, were also present at the reopening of the Parliament and participated in the event. On Twitter, some ambassadors even congratulated the Republic of Austria and the Austrians on the grandiose reopening of their parliament building.

Ich möchte dem @OeParl für die Einladung zu einer so wichtigen und bedeutungsvollen Eröffnungsfeier danken. pic.twitter.com/SghLBqe8WV

Sponsored Content
— OzanCeyhun (@OzanCeyhun) January 12, 2023

The Turkish and Greek ambassadors were also present and thanked the Parliament for the invitation to the reopening.

Die französische Botschaft gratuliert zur Eröffnung des restaurierten Parlamentsgebäudes @OeParl: Ein großer Moment für die Demokratie! pic.twitter.com/wlU0O6b7V1

— Frz. Botschaft Österreich (@France_Autriche) January 12, 2023

The French Embassy was also present and congratulated on the opening of the restored Parliament building. The French representation called this a "great moment for democracy!"

Honored to participate in the re-opening of the historic Austrian Parliament building. Congratulations to President Sobotka and to all members of parliament on a splendid ceremony at @OeParl! pic.twitter.com/f2N69hJ4P2

— Ambassador Victoria Kennedy (@USAmbAustria) January 12, 2023

The Ambassador of the United States of America, Victoria Kennedy, was also present and thanked on Twitter for the invitation and congratulated the Parliament for the "splendid ceremony."

Austrian Parliament

Copyright © Vindobona. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from Vindobona and redistribute by email or post to the web.
Sponsored Content
Fast News Search
Related News
Oskar Deutsch Reelected as President of Vienna Israelite Community (January 11)
Vienna Albertina Celebrates its 20th Anniversary (January 10)
The Hike of Real Estate Prices Is Ending (January 10)
Read More
Wolfgang Sobotka, Wolfgang Schaeuble, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Public Diplomacy, Ozan Ceyhun, Norbert Hofer, Hans Kelsen, Guenther Kovacs, Doris Bures, Diplomacy, Democracy, Catherine Koika, Barbara Prammer, Austria, Austrian Parliament
Featured
See latest Vindobona Newsletter
Sign up now for full site access and to read a limited amount of free premium articles per month:
Sign Up
×
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
©1995-2023 Vindobona
Contact
Help
Imprint
Press
Careers
Partners
Terms & Conditions
Site Security
Privacy
Sitemap
Advertise
About Us