On the second and final day of the plenary week, the National Council passed the ORF governance reform. The reform stipulates that the federal government will now appoint only six of the 35 members of the ORF Foundation Council. Also on Thursday’s agenda was an amendment to the National Fund, whose current chair is National Council President Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ). The session began with a Q&A session featuring Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP).

The ORF reform became necessary after Austria’s Constitutional Court (VfGH) ruled in 2023 that the federal government had too much influence in the appointment of ORF’s governing bodies. Under the new structure, the federal government will appoint only six members to the ORF Foundation Council instead of nine. Meanwhile, the ORF Audience Council—half of whose members are appointed by the federal government—will now send nine members instead of six. Additionally, the ORF broadcasting fee will be frozen until the end of 2029.

Amendment to National Fund Leadership

Another major item on the agenda was an amendment to the National Fund for Victims of National Socialism. The new regulation allows the President of the National Council to be represented or even removed as chair of the Fund. This move is expected to lead to Rosenkranz losing the chair, as the reform was initiated after strong criticism from the Jewish Community of Austria (IKG), who opposed having a member of a nationalist fraternity (Burschenschaft) in that role.

The National Council also addressed a report on the national strategy against antisemitism, two reports on equality, and the continuation of the scholarship program for students, teachers, and staff at Central, Eastern, and Southeastern European universities (CEEPUS IV). The session concluded with a first reading of an FPÖ proposal to change the procedural rules for parliamentary investigative committees.