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Federal and State Authorities
In the federal states the State Governor exercises federal executive power (indirect federal administration) where no separate federal authority exists (direct federal administration).
In matters pertaining to indirect federal administration, the State Governor is subject to directives from the Federal Government and individual Federal Ministers.
All state legislation enacted by the state diets must, immediately after their enactment, be made known to the Federal Chancellery before the State Governor publishes it.
Each state diet may be dissolved by the Federal President at the instigation of the Federal Government and with the consent of the `Bundesrat`. This dissolution may, however, be enforced only once on the same grounds.
From the History of the Republic
On March 4, 1933 parliamentary democracy in Austria was suspended. From March 13, 1938 onwards Austria was occupied by the German Reich and thus prevented from exercising its sovereign power. It remained part of the Third Reich until April 1945. As had been the case with the First Republic (1918-1938), it was the political parties that founded the Second Republic after Austria`s liberation in April 1945.
The three anti-fascist parties - the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ, now Social Democratic Party of Austria), the Christian Social Party (now Austrian People`s Party (ÖVP), and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) reached agreement on the formation of a Provisional State Government headed by Karl Renner (1870-1950) and on the proclamation of Austria`s independence.
This Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on April 27, 1945. The first two Articles read as follows:
Article I: The democratic Republic of Austria is restored and shall be instituted in the spirit of the Constitution of 1920.
Article II: The annexation enforced on the Austrian people in 1938 is declared null and void.
The Austrian Constitution is based on the principles of a republican, democratic and federal state, the principle of the rule of law, and the principle of the separation of legislative and executive powers and the separation of jurisdiction and administration.
The basic rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Federal Constitution were first accorded more than a century ago. The provisions of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms supplement Austria`s constitutional law.
Austrian Federal Constitution (German only)
The Austrian National Day
The celebration of the 26 of October as the Austrian National Day goes back to the beginnings of the 2nd Republic after WW II.
After the end of the War, Austria was occupied by the four Allied powers (Sowjet Union, United States, Great Britain and France) and accordingly divided into four zones. With their consent an Austrian government was elected democratically, but every legislative regulation or political action required their consent.
The negotiations over a State Treaty ending this occupation could finally be brought to conclusion in the spring of 1955: the Austrian State Treaty was signed on 15 May 1955 in Vienna's Schloß Belvedere (maybe one of the most moving events in Austrian history) and entered into force on July 27 1955.
October 26 marks the day that followed the day on which the last foreign troops left the Austrian territory; therefore de facto the first day Austria was again an independent and sovereign country. As the status of permanent neutrality was the condition upon which the Sowjet Union had agreed to the signing of the State Treaty, the Austrian Parliament also chose this very special day to pass the law on permanent neutrality to mark the fact that it was taking a unilateral and independent decision.
* The Federal Government celebrates this day every year with a series of events in Vienna:
* the Federal President and the Federal Minister for Defense attend a Mass on the Heldenplatz
* the Federal President followed by the Federal Government lay wreaths at the tomb of the unknown soldier in the Crypt of the outer Burgtor
* a festive meeting of the Council of Ministers is held
* the government attends a Concert for Austria at the Vienna Staatsoper and
* finally the new recruits of the Austrian Armed Service are sworn in.
The citizens are offered the possibility to visit the federal museums for free. Various institutions also traditionally open their doors for the day (ie. the Federal Chancellery). Around the country so called "marches for fitness" are organized to raise awareness among the population about the benefits of exercise and fitness.
Around the world the Austrian Embassies celebrate the National Day with receptions for the Austrian citizens.
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