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Page 1 of 7 The Austrian Political System
During the past decades observers both at home and abroad have repeatedly remarked that the Austrian political system shows some distinctive features. The unusual situation of two large, dominant parties on the one hand and the overriding principle of social partnership as a strong social and political factor on the other, for a long time left its mark on the development of the republic. A fundamental consequence is Austria’s remarkable political stability and governability today.
Austria, like other countries, has seen political change. Comparison in particular with the early 20th century, but also with the Second Republic, reveals that Austria’s political system has a markedly different appearance at the beginning of this century.
The main features of the political system in Austria are summarised in the following chapters.
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The Federal President
The Government
The Parliament
The Political System
Austria is a democratic republic. Its head of state (the Federal President) and its legislative organs are elected by the populace. Citizens of Austria have been guaranteed basic rights and freedoms (such as freedom of belief and conscience) since 1867. Austria has ratified the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of November 4, 1950.
Austria is a federal republic, composed of nine constituent federal states: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Upper Austria, Vienna and Vorarlberg. Vienna is also the nation''s capital. Federal legislation is enacted by the two chambers of Parliament, the ''Nationalrat'' and the ''Bundesrat''. The latter chamber represents the interests of the federal states. The state diets exercise the legislative power of the federal states.
The 183 deputies in the ''Nationalrat'' are elected by the populace every four years. The members of the state diets are elected by the population of the federal state concerned. The members of the ''Bundesrat'' - currently 62 - are nominated by the state diets.
After the last national parliamentary election on October 1, 2006, the distribution of seats is as follows: 68 Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), 66 Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), 21 Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), 21 The Greens (Grüne), 7 Alliance Future Austria (BZÖ).
The supreme federal executive organs are the Federal President and the members of the Federal Government, headed by the Federal Chancellor. The supreme state executive organs are the State Governments, each headed by the State Governor.
On October 26, 1955 the ''Nationalrat'' enacted a federal constitutional law declaring Austria to be a permanently neutral state.
Parliamentary Democracy
Austria is a democratic republic. Its laws proceed from the people. Thus Article 1 of the Federal Constitutional Act
Federal Constitution
The Austrian Federal Constitution was passed by the Constituent National Assembly on October 1, 1920.
The formulation of the Federal Constitution was the work of representatives of the political parties, experts from what was then the State Chancellery, but most notably Professor Hans Kelsen (1881-1973).
The Federal Constitution was amended by the ''''Nationalrat'''' on December 7, 1929. The purpose of this amendment was to grant wider powers to the Federal President.
The Constitutional Transition Act passed by the Provisional State Government on May 1, 1945 brought the Federal Constitutional back into force with the 1929 amendments. Austria is a federal republic comprised of independent federal states:
* Burgenland
* Carinthia
* Lower Austria
* Salzburg Styria
* Tyrol
* Upper Austria
* Vienna
* Vorarlberg
The territory of the federal republic is made up of the territories of the federal states, constituting a uniform monetary, economic and customs entity.
The federal capital and the seat of the supreme federal authorities is Vienna.
All citizens of Austria are equal before the law. There are no distinctions of birth, gender, status, class or religion.
German is the official language of the Republic of Austria, but specific rights have been accorded by federal law to the recognized linguistic minorities
The colours of the Republic of Austria are red, white and red.
Federal Coat of Arms
The Austrian Republic`s coat-of-arms consists of a single-headed black eagle with golden arms and red tongue. Its chest is covered by a red escutcheon with a silver cross-bar. The eagle bears a golden coronet with three visible merlons. Its claws are banded by a severed iron chain. In its right claw it holds a golden sickle with the blade turned inwards; in its left claw a golden hammer.
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