The celebrations for Austria’s National Day began on Sunday morning with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and members of the federal government. In the memorial chamber of the Outer Burgtor at Vienna’s Heldenplatz, they honored fallen soldiers and victims of the resistance. This year marks two anniversaries—70 years since the declaration of neutrality and 60 years since the introduction of National Day on October 26—and the military and political institutions once again offered a full program of events.
Van der Bellen and Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) first inspected an honor guard of the Austrian Army. The president then placed a ribbon on the wreath inside the memorial chamber, followed later by the federal government. Prior to the ceremony, the government had convened for a special cabinet meeting, though no legislative decisions were made.
Open Doors At Hofburg And Parliament
To mark National Day, the Hofburg, the Parliament, and the Federal Chancellery opened their doors to the public. Van der Bellen, accompanied by his wife Doris Schmidauer, greeted the waiting visitors at the gate, chatted with them, and shook hands. Defense Minister Tanner, who accompanied Van der Bellen to the Hofburg after the wreath-laying, enthusiastically posed for photos and selfies with attendees.
An hour before the doors opened, many visitors were already lined up in front of the Parliament. They were welcomed by the National Council’s presidium—Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ), Peter Haubner (ÖVP), and Doris Bures (SPÖ)—along with Federal Council President Peter Samt (FPÖ) and the heads of the parliamentary parties. In addition to guided tours of the building, visitors found party booths in the Pillar Hall offering information and small giveaways. Around 10,000 visitors were expected. The FPÖ also hosted its own “Festival of Neutrality” behind the Parliament.
Military Exhibition As Main Attraction
The centerpiece of Sunday’s events was the Austrian Armed Forces exhibition at Heldenplatz. Under windy autumn skies, visitors could view armored vehicles, a Eurofighter model, a “Black Hawk” helicopter, and demonstrations including an air force flyover and parachute jumps. Since Wednesday, the army’s career platform at Heldenplatz has been promoting recruitment opportunities. Around noon, Defense Minister Tanner presided over the swearing-in ceremony of new recruits at Heldenplatz.
