Walter Rosenkranz, the newly elected President of the National Council, is under scrutiny for his inaugural actions, including a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and an interview with a former Identitarian. Critics, including SPÖ spokesperson Jörg Leichtfried, have condemned his foreign policy choices, accusing him of aligning with anti-democratic figures. Rosenkranz claims his meetings were pre-arranged and emphasizes the necessity of dialogue, even suggesting he would engage with Putin if it could contribute to peace.
Walter Rosenkranz delivered a diplomatic inaugural address on Thursday, highlighting his intention to operate in a ‘consensual’ manner. However, controversy has already arisen just days after his election as President of the National Council.
Next Thursday, Rosenkranz is set to welcome Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the parliament. A private reception is scheduled, along with a meeting involving FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl. According to Rosenkranz, this meeting had been arranged with the FPÖ prior to his assumption of office and Orban subsequently requested a meeting shortly after his election.
Orban will be visiting Vienna for a discussion event hosted by the Swiss publication ‘Weltwoche’. The evening’s proceedings will feature ‘Weltwoche’ director Roger Köppel, with the participation of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD). All three figures—Orban, Schröder, and Köppel—are perceived as having close ties to Putin.
Rosenkranz’s recent interview has also sparked significant debate. The newly appointed President of the National Council took twelve minutes to respond to questions posed by former Identitarian Philipp Huemer, who is currently the domestic policy editor at the controversial broadcaster ‘AUF1’.
SPÖ’s Jörg Leichtfried: ‘Rosenkranz Must Serve Austria, Not the FPÖ’
Jörg Leichtfried, the SPÖ spokesperson for constitutional and European affairs, expressed his discontent in a press release. He condemned Rosenkranz’s decision to arrange his first international meeting with Viktor Orban, labeling him as an anti-democratic, anti-Western leader whose political allegiances lie with Putin. Leichtfried asserted that as President of the National Council, Rosenkranz is obligated to serve Austria and the parliament, rather than the FPÖ, emphasizing that his era as a ‘party soldier’ has concluded. He also critiqued the interview with the ex-Identitarian.
Numerous social media users have voiced their outrage as well. A post from ‘stopptdierechten.at’ on X (formerly Twitter) stated, “It begins: Rosenkranz brings an autocratic, corrupt anti-Semite into parliament as his first visit,” which was also shared by Green Party leader Werner Kogler.
NEOS MP Henrike Brandstötter remarked, “The first guest of NR President Rosenkranz – and only one week after his election: Viktor Orbán. Can we pause to think about whom Chancellor Kickl would invite?”
Alexander Pollak, spokesperson for SOS Mitmensch, criticized the ‘AUF1’ interview on X, denouncing it as a scandalous escalation. He pointed out that Rosenkranz seems indifferent to warnings from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which categorizes the channel as right-wing extremist, associating its operator with neo-Nazism. Pollak accused Rosenkranz of dragging his office into extremist territory.
Rosenkranz Clarifies Meeting Arrangements
Rosenkranz clarified that his encounter with FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and others had been arranged prior to the National Council’s inaugural session. He stated this during an appearance on the ORF program ‘Hohes Haus’ on Sunday, adding that Orban had contacted him shortly thereafter for a meeting.
Rosenkranz emphasized that meeting foreign representatives is not only intrinsic to his role but also a matter of protocol. He stressed the importance of engaging with international leaders, stating, “It is in keeping with my nature and my duty as President to meet foreign representatives if they wish to talk.”
On Inviting Putin
He described the notion of inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin as ‘very delicate’ but asserted, “You have to talk to everyone, especially if they are aggressors.” However, he noted that any meeting with Putin would be contingent upon seeing a potential for contributing to a peace process in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He firmly stated that under no circumstances would he invite members of the Identitarian movement to parliament.
When asked about the possibility of hosting Identitarian members in parliament, Rosenkranz confirmed, “There is no chance of that happening.” He further clarified that he had not interacted with Identitarians directly, only becoming aware of their presence during a campaign event in Wiener Neustadt.