Initiative wants citizenship for those born in Austria

A coalition of academics, former politicians, and public figures launched a citizen initiative on Wednesday demanding automatic Austrian citizenship for children born in the country. The group, led by political scientists Rainer Bauböck and Gerd Valchars, seeks to establish a conditional birthright principle, known as ius soli, which would grant nationality automatically if parents have lived legally in Austria for several years. The initiative, titled "One Passport That Fits," began collecting signatures ahead of the national holiday on October 26. It is supported by prominent figures including former Chancellor Franz Vranitzky of the Social Democratic Party and former European Commissioner Franz Fischler of the People's Party. The proponents argue that current laws create a growing democratic deficit. Approximately 1.9 million residents in Austria lack Austrian citizenship, with around 300,000 of them having been born within the country’s borders. According to Valchars, this situation means that a significant portion of the population is subject to Austrian laws but has no representation in legislative bodies. He noted that the proportion of non-citizens among young adults is higher than in older generations, resulting in a demographic imbalance where younger voters are underrepresented in elected organs. The initiative cites Germany as a model, noting that German law was amended roughly 25 years ago to grant automatic citizenship to local births if one parent had resided there legally for eight years. This requirement was later reduced to five years. Under current Austrian rules, being born in the country merely shortens the waiting period for naturalization from ten years to six, but does not grant automatic status. Critics of the current system point to bureaucratic hurdles that often prevent long-term residents from obtaining passports. One co-initiator, documentary filmmaker Olga Kosanovic, stated that her application for citizenship was rejected because she had spent 58 days outside Austria over the previous 15 years. She explained that the calculation includes holidays, school trips, studies, and work-related absences. Kosanovic described her case as typical rather than exceptional. Another high-profile example involves television presenter Ani Gülgün-Mayr, who received Austrian citizenship on October 8 after living in the country for more than 50 years. Gülgün-Mayr revealed that her initial applications were denied twice. The first rejection cited insufficient German language skills, despite her holding a university degree and working as a moderator where German is her primary tool. The second denial resulted from minor traffic violations, including parking fines and slight speed limit exceedances, some of which were committed by her son. She expressed frustration at the bureaucratic process, noting that applicants are sometimes advised to deregister their vehicles to avoid such penalties. The initiative argues that the current legal framework treats individuals born in Austria but descended from foreign parents differently than those born abroad to Austrian citizens. Children born overseas to Austrian parents acquire citizenship automatically, whereas those born locally to non-Austrian parents must undergo a costly and complex procedure to prove their integration. The authors of the accompanying commentary described this disparity as treating local residents as foreigners before the law. They emphasized that while learning the language and establishing roots is reasonable for new arrivals, requiring proof of belonging for those raised in the country is illogical. The text highlighted that students learn democratic principles in school at age 16, only to discover they are excluded from participating in the democratic process due to their lack of a passport. Political parties have shown hesitation regarding this reform. The government plans to revise the Citizenship Act with a focus on tightening regulations and reducing bureaucracy. While these changes might simplify income verification and document requirements, and potentially end rejections based on trivial infractions like parking tickets, opponents of the status quo argue such measures fail to address the core issue. They contend that the gap between eligible voters and non-voters continues to widen. The introduction of a birthright principle is presented as the only measure capable of reversing this trend. In Vienna, more than one-third of the population currently lacks voting rights due to the difficulty of acquiring Austrian nationality compared to other European states. Gülgün-Mayr, who recently obtained her passport, stated that she will surrender her Turkish citizenship within two weeks, as dual nationality is not permitted in Austria. She reflected on her journey, recalling how her mother, a seamstress from Turkey who worked as a cleaner at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, wept for months upon arriving in Vienna in the 1970s. Gülgün-Mayr, whose father was recruited as a foreman in Istanbul in 1970, described the early challenges of integrating into a society that felt grey and exclusionary. She noted that she was the only child of Turkish origin in her class. Despite these difficulties, she mastered German through television viewing during her childhood. The initiative organizers hope that their campaign will shift public perception and encourage a more humane approach to citizenship applications, ensuring that long-term residents feel recognized by the state. The collection of signatures aims to pressure political leaders to act before the upcoming national elections, addressing concerns that the representativeness of Austrian democracy is eroding as the number of disenfranchised residents grows.