The parliament building in Vienna, built in the 19th century, has been renovated and modernized for more than five years. Today the national monument on the Ring will be festively reopened. This puts an end to what was unanimously adopted by all parliamentary groups in 2014. Nearly half a billion euros poured into the project. You can follow the opening celebration in the live ticker.
In addition to speeches by the three presidents of the National Council, led by Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP), and the current President of the Federal Council Günter Kovacs (SPÖ), a speech by the longtime president of the German Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU), is planned.
The five club officials also have their say. All members of both chambers are invited. Officially, Austria is represented by, among others, representatives of the Federal Government and the Federal President.
Approximately 55,000 square meters of net floor space, 740 windows and 600 historic doors, as well as 500 chandeliers and lamps were renovated. The usable area was expanded by approximately 10,000 square meters. The most important architectural innovation is the new glass dome above the National Council Hall with a diameter of 28 meters and a surface area of 550 square meters.
The plenary hall will of course not be inaugurated by the National Council until 31 January. The ceremony will take place in Federal Assembly Hall. where the recovery of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will take place in two weeks. The Chamber of the Länder will then meet on 16 February in the new chamber of the Federal Council.
Those interested will be given the opportunity to look around the new parliament in advance. Two open days are scheduled for the coming weekend.
At the same time, the reopening of the Theophil Hansen Building marks the end of the replacement quarters that have been in use for more than five years. The three containers, which housed clubs and committee offices, among other things, will be dismantled from February 20 and the spaces that were used in the Hofburg will be handed over to the Burghauptmannschaft.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
