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The Länder administration
Administration in the Länder (provinces) is the duty of the regional governments, the Landesregierungen.
A regional government is made up of the governor (Landeshauptmann or Landeshauptfrau), his deputies, and other government members (Landesräte).
The governor represents the province.
The governor is sworn in on the Federal Constitution by the Federal President, the other members of the regional government by the governor before taking office.
In matters concerning the province, a governor has no authority over the other government members. On matters of importance to the province, the regional government makes decisions as a collegiate body. As regards indirect federal administration, the Landeshauptmann acts as the administrative authority, bound on the one hand by instructions from the federal ministers, and authorised, on the other, to give instructions to the other government members.
Landtag (State parliament)
The Landtag exercises the provinces` legislative powers.
The members of the Landtag are elected by all the female and male residents of the state eligible to vote on the basis of an equal, direct, secret and personal ballot.
Legislation of a province must be passed by the Landtag and then certified, countersigned and published in the state gazette by the governor.
In the event that a state law requires the co-operation of federal bodies for its execution, the Federal Government must give its approval.
Immediately after legislation has been passed by the Landtag and before it is published, the governor must notify the Federal Chancellery thereof.
The Federal President is empowered to dissolve any Landtag at the instigation of the Federal Government and with the consent of the `Bundesrat`. This dissolution may, however, be carried out only once on the same grounds.
In the case of Vienna, which is national capital and state at one and the same time, the City Council also serves as the Landtag, the City Senate as the Landesregierung, and the Mayor as the Landeshauptmann/frau.
Links to the regional governments (German only):
Burgenland
Carinthia (Kärnten)
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
Salzburg
Styria (Steiermark)
Tyrol (Tirol)
Vorarlberg
Vienna (Wien)
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