The Virtual Open Day at the Austrian Parliament

More+Events ♦ Published: October 21, 2021; 19:26 ♦ (Vindobona)

The Austrian Parliament Open Day will take place virtually on the upcoming Austrian National Day. Read about the event, how to participate in it, and what National Council President Sobotka said about it.

National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka: "Democracy is not only lived in the House but by each and every one of us." / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Gryffindor, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

This year’s Austrian Parliament Open Day will take place on the Austrian National Day 26 October. The title of the Open Day this year is “Parliament. Our Democracy.”

The day will be celebrated virtually again this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thus all citizens–from Lake Constance to Lake Neusiedl–have an equal opportunity to discover new facets of the High House.

At www.parlament.gv.at, the President of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, together with the Second President of the National Council, Doris Bures, and the Third President of the National Council, Norbert Hofer, as well as the President of the Federal Council, Peter Raggl, will warmly welcome all visitors to the virtual parliament in a personal message.

In addition to statements by the heads of the parliamentary groups, visitors can also experience a wide range of videos and podcasts on the annual focus on honorary office, as well as on the central topic of fundamental rights and the renovation of the historic parliament building.

The graphic focus of this year's virtual event is a design by the builder of the historic parliament building.

The rhombus–consisting of 8 triangles–subtly used by the architect Theophil Hansen is an element that can be found in many details in the historic parliament building on Vienna's Ringstrasse, from the windows to the ceiling decorations to the exterior balconies.

Translated graphically, this element forms the leitmotif of this year's virtual open day.

National Council President Sobotka

“Despite the corona pandemic, we would like to give you a glimpse into the heart of our democracy and bring Parliament to your home with numerous videos and podcasts,” emphasized National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka.

Sobotka continued, “Democracy is not only lived in the House but by each and every one of us. Civil society commitment and active participation are particularly emphasized this year - the Year of Volunteering. But parliamentary processes and the historic parliament building are also the subject of the explanatory videos. I cordially invite you to take a virtual tour of the House and look forward to welcoming you in person to the Ring again next year.”

The virtual open day can be found on 26 October 2021 at www.parlament.gv.at. All videos are available for 24 hours and can be accessed individually during this time.

Austrian Parliament