Austrian parliament abolishes “gender language” in official documents

Austrian Parliament. Photo: Tribune Chretienne

On October 19, 2025, the Austrian parliament decided to abandon the use of so-called “gender-inclusive language” in official texts. According to Die Presse, lawmakers ruled that all National Council documents must now conform to the classical norms of the German language, as established by the Council for German Orthography.

President of the National Council Walter Rosenkranz stressed that the parliament is returning to linguistic clarity and naturalness: “True equality is achieved not through punctuation marks, but through education, equal opportunities, and respect. Parliament is a place of democracy, not of linguistic experiments.”

The decision ends the use of symbols such as asterisks, colons, and internal capitals – devices previously employed to denote “non-binary” and “transgender” forms. These elements, imposed by activist groups according to critics, had been repeatedly condemned by the German Language Association for violating grammar and obscuring meaning.

Austria’s move follows similar decisions in Germany and Switzerland, whose national councils have already rejected “gender writing.” Polls indicate that up to 90 percent of citizens in Austria and Germany consider such linguistic reforms unnecessary and ideologically driven.

Rosenkranz’s initiative reflects a broader European trend toward restoring traditional linguistic norms and resisting the politicization of language. Similar steps have been taken in Italy and France, where officials emphasize that language is not a tool for political experimentation but part of cultural heritage.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the EU plans to legalize gender transition for minors within five years.

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