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Waving Habsburg appeal angers conservatives
A Social Democratic (SPÖ) member of the Austrian parliament (MP) has waded into controversy by suggesting asking the Habsburgs to wave from the balcony of a tourism hotspot.
SPÖ whip Josef Cap said in parliament yesterday (Thurs) members of the Habsburg family – who ruled vast parts of Central Europe for decades – could "wave from the balcony of Schönbrunn Palace a bit."
Cap argued that the Austrian tourism industry would benefit from such activities. Schönbrunn Palace is one of the most popular attractions of Austria. Located in Vienna-Hietzing, thousands of holidaymakers visit the former family residence of the once powerful dynasty each day.
Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner was outraged by Cap’s remarks. The People’s Party (ÖVP) official hit out the Social Democrat, arguing that "there is no place for that kind of sarcasm in parliament."
MPs of the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) also criticised the SPÖ member for his remarks.
On the same day Cap made his disputed statements, parliament passed a bill which will allow Habsburg family members to run for president in upcoming ballots.
Ulrich Habsburg-Lothringen, a former councillor of the Austrian Greens, wanted to become federal president last year. Habsburg-Lothringen planned to call on the Constitutional Court to overrule the law and give the green light to his candidacy. However, he failed to collect as many signatures as needed to get his campaign underway. Every person interested in becoming president of Austria must garner at least 6,000 statements of support to officially run in ballots. Habsburg-Lothringen was unable to meet this criterion.
The now defunct Habsburg article was meant to keep members of the aristocratic family from reclaiming the vast estate they owned before World War One (WWI) in case they succeed in presidential elections.
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