Othmar Karas is an Austrian politician and works as a Professor at the Political Science Institute of the University of Vienna. Since 1999 he has been a Member of the European Parliament and since2019 he has been serving as one of its vice-presidents for the second time in his life. Karas is the president of the Hilfswerk Austria (Austrian relief organization). In 2009 he founded the non-partisan Bürgerforum Europa (citizens’ forum Europe).