Holger Bonin, head of the , is calling for a debate on faster citizenship for children born in Austria to foreign parents. He cites German reforms as evidence of positive effects and suggests the government consult with .
A petition titled 'Ein Pass, der passt!' has gained 21,000 signatures, including support from Franz Vranitzky and Franz Fischler. It demands automatic citizenship for children born locally to long-term residents, addressing the 300,000 born here without it.
While Germany reduced residency requirements to five years, Austria maintains a six-year minimum for such children. The and oppose liberalization, with ÖVP's Markus Gstöttner defending the long-standing principle of descent as a functional system.