Austrian Lawmakers Elect First Far-Right Parliament President
Date
10/24/2024 2:57:56 PM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
AFP
Vienna: Austrian lawmakers on Thursday elected for the first time a far-right politician as parliament president.
The far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) won national polls for the first time last month, gaining almost a third of the votes, though it has been unable to find partners to form a government.
But as the strongest party, it nominated lawmaker Walter Rosenkranz, 62, a lawyer and a former presidential candidate, as the parliament's president.
In parliament's first session following last month's national elections, Rosenkranz was elected with 100 out of 162 valid votes that were cast, current parliament president Wolfgang Sobotka said.
Rosenkranz, who has been widely criticised for being a member of a far-right student fraternity known for its strident pan-German nationalism, was elected in a secret ballot.
In a debate before the vote, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer -- who hopes to head another government -- said his party was "committed to the customs and traditions" of parliament of the strongest party nominating the president.
FPOe leader Herbert Kickl praised Rosenkranz for his "loyalty to democracy, the constitution and the rule of law".
MENAFN24102024000063011010ID1108816769
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.