Schilling, Lopatka

EU Performance Review: Who Skips Sessions Most Often and Who Talks the Most

Helmut Brandstätter, Lena Schilling, and Reinhold Lopatka are three of the 20 Austrian Members of the European Parliament.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Klemens Groh, Imre Antal, APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

There’s a lot of talking in the EU Parliament. But who does it most often? And who’s constantly absent during votes? The “Krone” has the track record of our representatives in Brussels.

The European Parliament is also currently on summer recess. It lasts until September 13, for a total of 66 days. Time to take stock. Have our MEPs dutifully fulfilled their obligations over the past two years?

After all, they receive a hefty gross salary of exactly 10,802.91 euros—not counting perks like per diems, allowances, or pensions. A list obtained by the “Krone” details the number of speeches and absences. While it’s impossible to definitively determine whether MEPs are actually lazy or hardworking, it does paint a clear picture of the overall atmosphere.

Who Speaks the Most
What stands out: ÖVP delegation leader Reinhold Lopatka has the most to say. Since the start of the legislative session in July 2024, he has spoken 111 times. Close on his heels is NEOS representative Helmut Brandstätter with 109 speeches. In third place is ÖVP Representative Lukas Mandl with 92. After that, there’s already a significant gap: SPÖ representative Hannes Heide has given 60 speeches, and FPÖ representative Petra Steger, 43. Thomas Waitz of the Greens and Andreas Schieder of the SPÖ are tied at 40 each.

The controversial young Green Party representative Lena Schilling, who recentlymade headlines again with her love life, comes in ninth place with 36 speeches, placing her just behind Anna Stürgkh. Schilling once again proved that she’s not one to mince words at the Opera Ball, where she made her opinion known by wearing a very unique dress.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

Speech is silver, silence is golden?
Those at the bottom of the list are significantly more reticent: Gerald Hauser of the FPÖ took the podium 14 times, while his party colleague Georg Mayer did so 16 times. Alexander Bernhuber and Sophia Kircher of the ÖVP each made 17 remarks.

When it comes to missed votes, Anna Stürgkh of the NEOS leads with 22 absences—though the Viennese lawmaker is excused due to her pregnancy. It was only this past March that Parliament amended the rule requiring in-person voting. Since then, women have been able to delegate their vote to a trusted colleague up to three months before their due date and for six months after giving birth.

Brandstätter follows with 20 absences. Kircher and Mandl were each absent 19 times. Elisabeth Grossmann of the SPÖ and Roman Haider of the FPÖ are flawless—at least according to these statistics. Neither missed a single vote. FPÖ representative Elisabeth Dieringer was absent only twice; Andreas Schieder, Lena Schilling, and Evelyn Regner were each absent three times.