Film director Olga Kosanovic and General Secretary debated citizenship requirements on the ORF program Wednesday evening. Kosanovic, who was born in Austria, recently had her application for national citizenship rejected.
Gstöttner defended the current laws, calling citizenship the highest good the Republic can award. He emphasized that applicants must be integrated, speak German, be financially independent, and have no criminal record to qualify for the naturalization.
Kosanovic criticized the bureaucracy and exclusion of native-born residents from political rights, citing studies that link birthright citizenship to better integration. The ÖVP maintains that existing rules are transparent and rejects easing requirements.