For a decade now, the portrait gallery of former Presidents of the National Council has not seen any additions. During this period, two female presidents and one male president have stepped down. The fact that there are still no works of Doris Bures (SPÖ), Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP), and Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP) to admire has different reasons, as an APA inquiry revealed.

Basically, it is the case that Presidents of the National Council have been honored with a portrait since the beginning of the Second Republic after the end of their term. The works are currently displayed in a corridor near the plenary hall.

Portrait of Bures in the Archive

However, there is a small restriction. They are only hung once the respective person is no longer a member of the National Council. This explains why there is still no portrait of Bures to admire. Because after the SPÖ lost its top position in voter favor, she did not leave the National Council but was initially elected as the Second President and after last year's election as the Third President.

It is little known that the portrait of Bures has already been created. It is now waiting in the archive to receive public attention upon the departure of the SPÖ politician.

Gallery Still Without Köstinger

It was more controversial whether Köstinger should be honored in this way at all. Her election as President in November 2017 was already accompanied by criticism, as it was generally - and as it later turned out, rightly - assumed that she would belong to the next government. Thus, the later Minister of Agriculture served only for one month and one week.

In a newspaper interview some time ago, Köstinger expressed disappointment that no portrait had been made of her and indirectly blamed the parliamentary directorate for this. They see no fault on their part. As communicated to the APA upon request, they had asked Köstinger in writing, after her regret, to specify which artist should create the work according to her wishes. They have heard nothing from the short-term president since then.

Sobotka left Parliament in 2024

It is customary for the honorees to decide who will create their portrait, while a certain budget framework must be adhered to. Apparently, Sobotka is still pondering this, having left the parliament with the inaugural session of the National Council in October last year, and thus more than a year ago. So far, he has also not named anyone to artistically portray him, the parliament informed upon a corresponding APA request. From Sobotka's office, it was announced to the APA that the president is still in the selection process.

This must be well considered. For instance, some were quite surprised when Andreas Khol (ÖVP) was portrayed in a somewhat bulky-looking relief by the Styrian artist Josef Kern. Posthumously, the portrait of Barbara Prammer (SPÖ) was created in 2015. The well-known artist Eva Schlegel chose a color photograph by Georg Wilke for a lead screen print. It is the only photo work among the eleven publicly known works so far.

Robert Fuchs in action several times

For a long time, the portraits were very conservatively designed. The first four were each created by the academic painter Robert Fuchs, Adalbert Pilch picked up the brush twice, and Robert H. Pippal once. The choice of Georg Eisler, who depicted Rudolf Pöder (SPÖ) in the style of realistic expressionism, was considered an artistic breakthrough. This more innovative approach was continued, for example, by the colorful Heinz Fischer portrait by Xenia Hausner.

Now one can probably assume that the art-loving Sobotka will also make an artistic statement upon his final farewell from the High House.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.