Council of Europe Conference in Rome: Austria's Parliamentary Leadership Emphasizes Diplomacy and Cybersecurity
At the conference of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Council of Europe’s member states in Rome, the Austrian Parliament’s delegation emphasized the central role of democratic values and international cooperation. National Council President Walter Rosenkranz highlighted the importance of diplomatic ties, while Federal Council President Christine Schwarz-Fuchs warned of pressing hybrid threats.
European Conference of Presidents of Parliament (Rome, 15-16. October 2026). / Picture: © Parlamentsdirektion/ Flickr/Camera dei deputati/Alessandro Para /Bild ID: 20193239
In his speech, National Council President Walter Rosenkranz argued that the international community no longer lacks a legal foundation. Rather, it cannot enforce rules even in the face of resistance from powerful actors. The more pressure existing orders come under, the more essential ongoing dialogue becomes.
“Democratic values and practices lead to more successful interstate relations, as they are built on a culture of mutual engagement and trust,” said Walter Rosenkranz, President of the National Council. Regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, Rosenkranz called on the Council of Europe to more actively fulfill its role as a guardian of human rights, peace, and democracy in future peace negotiations.
Countering Hybrid Threats and Protecting Institutions
Federal Council President Christine Schwarz-Fuchs focused on the rapidly growing threat posed by disinformation, cyberattacks, and covert influence operations. She noted that parliaments are prime targets of such attacks, which are primarily aimed at undermining trust in democratic structures.
Austria is responding to these risks with targeted initiatives such as strengthening cybersecurity, promoting democracy education programs, and establishing a center to combat foreign information manipulation.
Austria takes a whole-of-government approach to protecting its digital and critical infrastructure. The Austrian Cybersecurity Strategy forms the basis for securing public institutions, the financial and energy networks, and the healthcare system. The tightening of cyber resilience guidelines at the EU level significantly expands the obligations of companies and public agencies regarding risk management, emergency plans, and reporting requirements in the event of cyberattacks. Specialized cyber units of the Austrian Armed Forces, as well as the Federal Office for Cybersecurity within the Ministry of the Interior, monitor networks around the clock to thwart targeted hacking attacks or espionage attempts against democratic institutions (such as parliaments and ministries) at an early stage.
To counteract social division and the acceptance of conspiracy theories, Austria focuses specifically on prevention through education. A key program offered by the Parliamentary Administration teaches children and young people about how democracy works, the separation of powers, and how to engage critically with the media. Initiatives such as the polis Center (Learning Politics in School) provide teachers with instructional materials to help students learn how to deal with disinformation, conspiracy narratives, and image manipulation. Programs such as Saferinternet.at and media education training aim to teach students how to verify sources, use fact-checking tools, and recognize digital manipulations (e.g., deepfakes).
A center to combat foreign information manipulation is the most recent and politically high-profile measure taken by the Austrian federal government to counter hybrid threats, as reported by Vindobona.org. The planned center of excellence was presented to the Federal Council in October 2026. This move was prompted by warnings about targeted influence operations, targeted disinformation, and covert campaigns by foreign powers (particularly from Russia). Austria is modeling its approach on international examples such as the Hybrid CoE in Helsinki (Finland). The center’s mission is to continuously analyze digital information spaces and networks for foreign manipulation campaigns, compile situation reports, and convey options for action to policymakers. The operational launch of the new center is scheduled to take place in the spring with an international conference in Vienna.
Women’s Rights and Bilateral Cooperation
In addition to the main debates, the conference hosted a working breakfast for the female presidents of European parliaments, where the protection of women’s rights and increasing women’s political participation were discussed. On the sidelines of the summit, Schwarz-Fuchs also met with Dutch Senate President Mei Li Vos for bilateral talks on shared economic and social challenges.