Democracy gap – Is our citizenship law still up to date?

When we talk about democracy, many people first think of the right to vote. This is linked to Austrian citizenship and thus leads to a worrying democratic gap in a diverse and international metropolis like Vienna. Currently, 29% of Viennese employees and 68% of Viennese workers do not have Austrian citizenship and therefore do not have the right to vote.

The young generation is particularly affected, which means that the democratic deficit is increasing from year to year. The experience of not having the right to a political say leaves deep scars on people’s sense of belonging and identification with Austria.

Experts on citizenship law and naturalization will discuss the extent of political exclusion and what changes are needed for genuine representation and fairer access to Austrian citizenship.

Join the discussion and share your experiences, observations and ideas for solutions with us!

Where: FAKTory Universitätsstraße 9, 1010 Vienna

An event of the series “Reden über Demokratie” of the AK Vienna. Further dates:

April 10, 2025. 6.00 p.m.: Participation & Exclusion – How representative is our parliament?
May 14, 2025, 12.00 p.m.: Democracy 4.0 – Participation in the 21st century
4. June 2025, 12.00 noon: Young Voices: Old democracy and young people?

Contributors:

Amela Bousaki
… is Chairwoman of the Works Council at Caritas Vienna.

Franjo Markovic
… is a consultant in the Labor Market and Integration Department of the Vienna Chamber of Labor with a focus on migration and integration policy.

Maryam Singh
… works at the City of Vienna’s advice center for migrants and runs the initial information events on acquiring Austrian citizenship. She is a lecturer for Asylum & Migration at FH Campus Wien.

Moderation: Mara Verlic
Municipal Policy and Housing Department, AK Vienna

Excerpt from original – AK-Vienna, March 7, 2025