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The Unloved Democracy of the Inter-War Period |
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Page 10 of 11
Political Changes in Austria
In its domestic policies, Austria experienced a decade of continuity in which, despite some signs of wear and certain disputes, the "large coalition" made up of the People's Party and the Socialist Party managed to remain in power. The third party that existed during this period of re-establishing the state, the Communist Party (KPÖ), was consistently losing followers and in 1959 did not gain enough votes to secure a seat in Parliament. In the meantime, national liberal groups had formed a new political camp, initially with the "Verband der Unabhängigen" (Association of Independents-VdU) and then with the "Freiheitlichen Partei Österreichs" (Freedom Party of Austria-FPÖ), which, with just eight Members of Parliament, for years occupied a minority position.
Between the coalition parties a new climate began to develop, which was reflected in a policy of conciliation without, however, the necessity of withstanding outside pressure. The SPÖ opened up to the Catholic Church and the parties which had fought against each other in the civil war of 1934 were united in their sorrow over what had happened.
In the mid-Sixties, a new generation of politicians who were not burdened by the experiences of the pre-war period. Both parties felt the desire for reforms. In the People's Party it was Minister of Finance Josef Klaus who launched a rigorous austerity program. In 1966, however, approval of these reforms on the one hand and misgivings about a number of issues concerning the media, on the other, led to the collapse of the large coalition and to a clear majority for the People's Party. For the first time in the history of the Second Republic, a one-party government was formed, headed by Josef Klaus. Austria's democracy stood this test with its newly-won maturity.
The new Federal Chancellor presented an ambitious reform program and, as the first government leader of the Republic to do so, included a woman in his cabinet. In the latter half of the 1960s, however, Europe was hit by recession, which hindered the implementation of some of these economic reforms. At the same time, the ÖVP Chancellor saw himself confronted in the SPÖ by a charismatic politician in the person of Bruno Kreisky, who claimed the goals of the "'68 movement" for his party. Kreisky successfully distanced himself from Communism before the suppression of the Prague Spring, which served to strengthen his position. Because of its links with armed Communism perpetrated by Soviet tanks, the KPÖ found itself in increasing isolation.
In the National Council elections of 1970 the People's Party lost its absolute majority. The Socialist Bruno Kreisky initially formed a minority cabinet, which enjoyed the support of the Freedom Party. After the adoption of new voting legislation which benefited the smaller parties, during second elections in 1971 Kreisky gained a clear majority. As a single-party government, the Socialists continued to pursue their policy of general liberalization and openness, while their efforts towards democratization and increased emancipation in a number of different areas found approval with their voters. With its good international connections, the Kreisky government's foreign policy enhanced Austria's position in the world. The prevailing economic boom facilitated the Socialist Party's advance to a middle-class workers' party.
Like many other European countries at the time, in the 1970s Austria became entangled in the web of international terrorism, which was reflected here, too, by the kidnapping of hostages and terrorist attacks.
When, in 1979, the "Vienna International Centre" was handed over to the United Nations as their third permanent headquarters, this constituted an important mile-stone for Austria's international reputation. The promotion of Vienna as an international centre was borne out by major conferences hosted by the city, such as the SALT II Conference. As part of its active policy of neutrality, Austria has participated in a number of peace-keeping operations and also lent strong support to the Middle East peace process by acting as a mediator.
After thirteen years of the Kreisky government, a change in political weighting began to manifest itself. Its misjudgment of the Austrians' fear of atomic energy, which became manifest when the establishment of a nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf was rejected in a referendum, and the ensuing growth of the ecological movements led to the Socialist Party's loss of the absolute majority in 1983. Bruno Kreisky resigned. His successor, Fred Sinowatz, formed a socio-liberal coalition with the Freedom Party, thus demonstrating Austria's progress towards democratic maturity.
The discussions focusing on the establishment of a hydro-electric power plant in a natural reserve on the Danube reinforced the attractions of the environmentally-oriented parties. Furthermore, in 1986 the socio-liberal coalition ran into problems when the Freedom Party elected a new party leader in the person of Jörg Haider, who abandoned the former liberal course. As a consequence, the new Socialist Chancellor Franz Vranitzky decided to discontinue his party's alliance with the FPÖ and to again seek a partnership with the People's Party. Together, the two leading parties bore the brunt of the international problems resulting from the Waldheim crisis. In economic affairs, Vranitzky steered a new course in that, faced with the problems of the nationalized industries, he showed his willingness for privatization and paved the way for European integration within his party.
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