"I'm very excited"

Stephen Fry eligible to vote in Austria for the first time

Stephen Fry is voting this year.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Giles Anderson / Camera Press)

For the first time, a large group of descendants of Nazi expellees who regained their citizenship following an amendment to the law in 2020 are eligible to vote in the National Council elections. Among them is the British actor, director and screenwriter Stephen Fry.

"It's the first time for me and I'm very excited," says Fry in a YouTube video, in which he also speaks a few sentences and words in German.

Right to vote in Austria is a "privilege"
"I am proud to say that I am an Austrian citizen," emphasizes Fry. He described his right to vote in Austria as a "privilege" and called on all Austrians to make use of it.

"It is such an important right. It's wonderful that Austria is a modern and forward-thinking country that cares about its history and future. But none of this makes sense if everyone doesn't vote and form an opinion about the Austria they want to live in and the Austria they want to have," says the London native, whose grandmother fled Austria to escape the Nazis.

67-year-old Stephen Fry is one of the best-known British actors. He has appeared in films including "V for Vendetta", "Gosford Park" and "Sherlock Holmes" and has written several books.

Stephen Fry votes in Austria this year.

(Bild: picturedesk.com/Giles Anderson / Camera Press)

200,000 Austrians registered abroad
As of April, around 27,800 people had taken advantage of the opportunity to reacquire citizenship under Section 58c of the Austrian Citizenship Act. Almost all of these people live abroad, most of them in Israel, the USA and Great Britain.

According to Viennese political scientist Laurenz Ennser-Jedenastik, however, the number of eligible voters residing abroad has "only increased by a few hundred people" since the last National Council elections in 2019, which seems to indicate a low level of interest in the right to vote among new Austrians living abroad. They are not automatically entitled to vote, but must be registered in the electoral register. The corresponding application deadline for the upcoming National Council elections expired on August 8.

It is such an important right. It is wonderful that Austria is a modern and forward-looking country that cares about its history and future. But none of this makes sense if everyone doesn't vote and form an opinion about which Austria they want to live in and which Austria they want to have.

Stephen Fry

Around 200,000 Austrians living abroad are currently registered with the Foreign Ministry. As the ministry emphasized in response to an APA inquiry, raising awareness of co-determination is "an important aspect of the activities" of the ministry and the embassies.

In the run-up to the EU and National Council elections, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) had sent a personal letter to all eligible voters who had given their express consent to be contacted, informing them about the elections, deadlines and opportunities to apply for polling cards. Corresponding social media campaigns were also designed.

"Special attention" was also paid to citizens who had regained their citizenship in accordance with Section 58c StbG. They were informed of their participation in the elections by means of a brochure when they received their citizenship certificate. The social media campaigns also focus on this group of people, as the video with Stephen Fry shows.