Austrian economist and activist Günther Fehlinger-Jahn, who has announced his intention to run for president of Austria in the 2028 elections, has made a special promise for Albania.
In a video published on social media, shot in a museum in Vienna, Fehlinger-Jahn states that, if elected president, he will work to return to Krujë the helmet and sword of Skanderbeg, preserved in Austria.
"As President of Austria, I pledge to return the helmet and sword of Skanderbeg to Kruja, Albania, to honor King Skanderbeg," he wrote in the post published on October 2.
As President of Austria
— Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn (@GunterFehlinger) October 2, 2026
I pledge to return Skanderbegs Helmet and Sword to Kruja Albania to honor King Skanderbeg pic.twitter.com/HP9jgrSFG5
Fehlinger-Jahn, chairman of the Austrian Committee for NATO Enlargement, is known for his ongoing commitment to NATO and European Union enlargement in the Western Balkans. He has also lived and worked in Albania for several years and has made frequent public statements about the country.
In an interview with Tirana Times in 2012, he said that he first came to Albania in 1998 and then settled in Albania in 2008, living there for several years. Meanwhile, he has publicly campaigned for international recognition and integration into NATO and the EU for Kosovo.
The helmet and sword attributed to Skanderbeg are kept in the Weltmuseum Wien. In 2012, these objects were temporarily brought to Albania as part of an exhibition at the National History Museum.
Fehlinger-Jahn has also previously announced ideas for strengthening Austro-Albanian historical ties and for erecting a monument to Skanderbeg in Vienna.