Alexander Van der Bellen was again sworn in as Federal President on Thursday before the Federal Assembly. With his speech, the head of state caused repeated laughter in the room – and an unforgettable exchange of views.
“Now I would ask you here in the hall to look at the person sitting next to you. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to hold hands right now, I already know where we are. But look at each other calmly. Obviously, you can’t like everyone. But everyone (…) represents a certain group of people in our beautiful country,” said the “new” Federal President.
Meaningful looks
After these words, most of those present burst into laughter, and some looked at each other knowingly – including Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and Chancellor Karl Nehammer. You can watch the scene here on the ORF-TVthek (1:36:58).
Whether they also had democracy, the importance of compromise and common solutions in mind at this point, as Van der Bellen previously warned, is an open question.
The fact is, however, that the Federal President provided a lot of entertainment in the Chamber. May it continue to be so for the next six years!
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.
