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 December 2017 Wolfgang Sobotka has served as the current President of the National Council, Doris Bures as the [|Second President] and Norbert Hofer as the [|Third]. All 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 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, 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 officeParty
Karl Seitz, President of the Provisional National Assembly21 October 19184 March 1919SDAP
Jodok Fink/Johann Nepomuk Hauser, President21 October 19184 March 1919CS
Franz Dinghofer, President21 October 19184 March 1919GDVP
Karl Seitz, President of the Constituent National Assembly4 March 191910 November 1920SDAP

First Austrian Republic
NameEntered officeLeft officeParty
Richard Weiskirchner10 November 192020 November 1923CS
Wilhelm Miklas1923 November 206 December 1928CS
Alfred Gürtler1928 December 131930 December 4CS
Matthias Eldersch1930 December 41931 April 20SDAP
Karl Renner1931 April 291933 March 4SDAP

Second Republic
NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Leopold Kunschak1945 December 191953 March 13ÖVP
Felix Hurdes1953 March 181959 June 9ÖVP
Leopold Figl1959 June 91962 February 5ÖVP
Alfred Maleta1962 February 141970 March 31ÖVP
Karl Waldbrunner1970 March 311971 November 4SPÖ
Anton Benya1971 November 41986 December 17SPÖ
Leopold Gratz1986 December 171989 February 23SPÖ
Rudolf Pöder1989 February 281990 November 5SPÖ
Heinz Fischer1990 November 52002 December 20SPÖ
Andreas Khol2002 December 202006 October 30ÖVP
Barbara Prammer2006 October 302014 August 2SPÖ
Doris Bures2014 September 22017 November 8SPÖ
Elisabeth Köstinger2017 November 92017 December 15ÖVP
Wolfgang Sobotka2017 December 15presentÖVP

List of second presidents

First Austrian Republic
NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Matthias Eldersch10. November 192014. Dezember 1920SDAP
Karl Seitz19201923SDAP
Matthias Eldersch19231930SDAP
Rudolf Ramek19301933CS

Second Republic
NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Johann Böhm19451959SPÖ
Franz Olah19591961SPÖ
Friedrich Hillegeist19611962SPÖ
Karl Waldbrunner19621970SPÖ
Alfred Maleta19701975ÖVP
Roland Minkowitsch19751986ÖVP
Marga Hubinek19861990ÖVP
Robert Lichal19901994ÖVP
Heinrich Neisser19941999ÖVP
Thomas Prinzhorn19992002FPÖ
Heinz Fischer20022004SPÖ
Barbara Prammer20042006SPÖ
Michael Spindelegger20062008ÖVP
Fritz Neugebauer2008–2013ÖVP
Karlheinz Kopf20132017ÖVP
Doris Bures2017presentSPÖ

List of third presidents

, Third President of the National Council
First Austrian Republic
NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Franz Dinghofer19201926GDVP
Leopold Waber19261930GDVP
Sepp Straffner19301931GDVP
Stephan Tauschitz19311932LBd
Sepp Straffner19321933GDVP

Second Republic
NameEntered OfficeLeft OfficeParty
Alfons Gorbach19451953ÖVP
Karl Hartleb19531956WdU
Alfons Gorbach19561961ÖVP
Alfred Maleta19611962ÖVP
Josef Wallner19621970ÖVP
Otto Probst19701978SPÖ
Herbert Pansi19781979SPÖ
Rudolf Thalhammer19791983SPÖ
Gerulf Stix19831990FPÖ
Siegfried Dillersberger15 March 19904 November 1990FPÖ
Heide Schmidt19901994FPÖ
Herbert Haupt19941996FPÖ
Willi Brauneder19961999FPÖ
Andreas Khol19992000ÖVP
Werner Fasslabend20002002ÖVP
Thomas Prinzhorn20022006FPÖ
Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek20062008Grüne
Martin Graf20082013FPÖ
Norbert Hofer20132017FPÖ
Anneliese Kitzmüller20172019FPÖ
Norbert Hofer2019presentFPÖ