Paneuropean Lukas Mandl Joins the European Parliament

The Austrian National Council election also has consequences for the Austrian Members of the European Parliament: the Paneuropeans gain a new member with the swearing-in of Lower Austrian Lukas Mandl.

In addition to the announced withdrawal of Ulrike Lunacek, who was most recently Vice-President of the directly elected representative body, ÖVP Secretary General Elisabeth Köstinger is now moving into federal politics. The mandate thus vacated will, fortunately, be filled by a long-standing member of the Paneuropa Movement Austria.

Lukas Mandl at a panel discussion with Paneuropa Youth leader Philipp Jauernik in early October.
© Stefan Denner

Lower Austrian Lukas Mandl was already on the ÖVP list for the 2014 European elections. The communications scientist and business economist was federal chairman of the Austrian Schülerunion from 1998 to 1999 and has been a member of the Lower Austrian State Parliament since 2008, where he chairs the European Committee.

Mandl was elected directly to the Lower Austrian State Parliament twice (2008 and 2013) with preferential votes. In the 2014 European elections, he received 4,758 preferential votes nationwide.

With Lukas Mandl and the already incumbent Upper Austrian Paul Rübig, two Paneuropeans are now representing Austria in the European Parliament.