The celebrations for the national holiday in Vienna’s:
Report: Muhammad Amir Siddique Journalist Vienna Austria.
Big crowds on the national holiday.The celebrations for the national holiday in Vienna’s city center began on Thursday morning with the traditional laying of wreaths in the crypt on Heldenplatz. Open doors in the chancellery, parliament and presidential office as well as the military exhibition attracted many interested people early on. The Special Council of Ministers met at 8:30 a.m. and decided to further extend the Federal Army’s foreign missions. Afterwards, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler and other members of the federal government laid wreaths in the crypt in sunny weather. Heroes’ Square was already very busy early in the morning; people were expecting a Eurofighter flyover and the swearing in of the recruits. This year around 1,000 recruits, including twenty women, were sworn in.The political speeches focused on the current crises and conflicts and the associated security situation. Both Van der Bellen and Nehammer strongly condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Van der Bellen also expressly praised the increase in funding for the armed forces. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the “horrible and despicable attack by Hamas on the Israeli population” have shown “how important it is to be prepared as a state for defense,” said Van der Bellen. Austria is fully committed to military neutrality, “and at the same time we have an opinion, an attitude – and especially in these times it is necessary to show it,” said Nehammer. It is right and important to stand by Ukraine – “especially for neutral states”.Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) said that the world’s geopolitical order was “in transition”. Given the current security situation, a “strong army for our homeland” is necessary. Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) thanked the recruits for “the appreciation” they showed the republic. This is not a given “in times of many international crises”, with a war in Europe near the Austrian border. “Never again is now,” said Kogler in a statement on the national holiday, in which he emphasized Austria’s vigilance against anti-Semitism. Performance exhibition and tour in Parliament.
In addition to the Federal Army’s exhibition on Heldenplatz, the Chancellery and Parliament opened their doors again this year. A queue of several hundred interested people had already formed in front of the Hofburg in the morning. Van der Bellen and his wife Doris Schmidauer welcomed the waiting citizens at Ballhausplatz to the sound of brass music from the Austrian Justice Guard Music. Because of the great interest in recent years, the open day in the presidential office began at 10 a.m. this year. The representative premises in the Chancellery could be viewed. The visitors were also able to meet Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer as well as Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler and Family Minister Susanne Raab (all ÖVP). Parliament also opened its doors for a look behind the scenes; a long queue of visitors had already formed in the morning. This year, the committee rooms, which are otherwise inaccessible to the public, can also be visited. There is also the opportunity to exchange ideas with politicians. In the reception salon at the end of the pillared hall, the National Council Presidents Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) and Norbert Hofer (FPÖ) as well as National Council President Doris Bures (SPÖ) were available for discussions. Because of the rush, you had to register online in advance. Those interested can also go to the Constitutional Court (VfGH), which also has an open day. Police Day takes place on Minoritenplatz, and the City of Vienna’s security festival takes place on Rathausplatz. The Leonardo helicopter AW169 celebrates its Vienna premiere at the Armed Forces exhibition. Defending against cyber attacks is becoming increasingly important for armed forces around the world; the Federal Army is also presenting its cyber defense capabilities. In addition to the helicopter, almost all armored vehicles from the Leopard to the Ulan and a 1:1 model of the Eurofighter can be seen.
Another highlight is a flight simulator. The middle street on Heldenplatz is used for performances. Among other things, the parachutists from the hunting command will land there and the guards will perform a demonstration. The second highest terror alert level currently applies in Austria. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the planned events will be analyzed in this context and any measures derived. According to the government, there is no concrete risk of an attack.“We will of course monitor and assess the security situation on an hourly basis,” emphasized Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP). Should the situation require it, the corresponding security measures would be increased and tightened.
