On 8 September, the President of the Council of States, Claude Hêche (SP, JU), received the President of the Austrian Federal Council, Gottfried Kneifel (ÖVP), in Bern for an official visit.
In the Austrian Parliament, the Federal Council represents the nine federal provinces and their legislative interests. The presidency of the Federal Council rotates between the provinces on a half-yearly basis. Gottfried Kneifel has been president of the Austrian Federal Council since 1 July. It is the third time he has held this office.
Bilateral relations between the Republic of Austria and Switzerland are both close and diverse. The two countries have a long history of working together in various fields such as providing services to citizens abroad, economic and financial matters and issues related to education, research, innovation and culture. Regular exchanges between the two parliaments further cement ties between both nations.
During their bilateral meeting, Claude Hêche and Gottfried Kneifel discussed various topics such as direct democracy, the digital revolution and citizen participation.
Mr Kneifel also met with the president of the delegation for relations with the Austrian Parliament, Susanne Leutenegger Oberholzer (NC, SP, BL) and the vice president of the delegation, Walter Müller (NC, FDP, SG). The meeting focused on topical issues such as responsible refugee policy, the implementation of the ‘mass immigration’ initiative and its impact on cross-border commuters.
Finally, discussions were continued and intensified over lunch.