VIENNA: Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has said he would support a change to Austria’s citizenship law that would allow children born in the country to acquire Austrian nationality. His remarks, made during the National Day celebrations in Vienna, have drawn attention to a long-running debate over who belongs in Austria and how citizenship should be granted, according to Heute.
Speaking at the traditional open day at the Hofburg, the president was questioned by an eleven-year-old girl. She asked why people born in Austria do not automatically receive Austrian citizenship, pointing to the United States, where citizenship is generally granted to anyone born on American soil.
Van der Bellen did not avoid the question. “Unfortunately, yes, I would support that,” he said, before adding that the law in Austria was currently different. Television cameras recorded the exchange, giving his unusually candid answer a wider audience.
Under Austria’s existing rules, citizenship is normally passed on through an Austrian parent. The place of birth alone does not determine nationality, unlike in the United States and several other countries. The president made clear that he could imagine a different approach, although he did not present a detailed reform plan or say how such a change should be introduced.
His comments are likely to reignite political discussion in Austria, where citizenship, migration and integration remain sensitive issues. Supporters of reform argue that children who grow up, attend school and build their lives in Austria should have a clearer route to citizenship. Critics, however, are expected to warn that any loosening of the rules could have far reaching legal and social consequences.
Van der Bellen’s intervention does not change the law, but it carries political weight. As head of state, he rarely enters policy debates so directly. For the young girl who asked the question, the answer was striking: Austria’s president believes that being born in the country should count for more.
