Politics of Austria

Politics in Austria is shaped by many parties working together. Today, the country is led by President Alexander Van der Bellen, who won the 2016 Austrian presidential election, and the Stocker government, which started after the elections of 29 September 2024.

Austria is a federal semi-presidential republic. The President, called the Bundespräsident, is the head of state, while the Chancellor, or Bundeskanzler, is the head of government. People elect leaders to make decisions at both local and national levels. Laws are made by the Federal Government and two parts of Parliament: the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat). Courts in Austria work independently to ensure fairness.

After World War II, two main parties, the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the centre-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), led the country for many years. Recently, new parties like the Greens and the NEOS have become more important. Austria began as part of the large Austria-Hungary empire, which ended in 1918. The country tried to govern itself in 1918 but faced hard times. After being taken over by Nazi Germany, Austria became a free nation again in 1945 and built a stable government. Today, Austria is known for its strong system of representative democracy and rule of law. In 2023, it was ranked the 35th most electoral democratic country in the world by the V-Dem Democracy indices.

Constitution

Main article: Constitution of Austria

Austria is a federation made up of nine states, each with its own constitution. These states work together under a system where people choose their leaders through voting. Even though the states have some independence, Austria's way of governing is similar to bigger countries like Germany.

Executive branch

Head of State

Main article: President of Austria

Austria's head of state is the Federal President (Bundespräsident), chosen by voters for six years and can serve up to two terms in a row. Former president Heinz Fischer was elected for a second term on 25 April 2010. He was succeeded by President Alexander Van der Bellen, who was elected on 4 December 2016. The president's role is mostly symbolic, but the constitution allows the president to dismiss the whole cabinet or to dissolve the National Council and call new elections.

Head of Government

Main article: Chancellor of Austria

The Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) is chosen by the Federal President. Although he is head of government, he does not have the power to direct other government members. After the Ibiza affair, on 30 May 2019, President Van der Bellen chose President of the Constitutional Court Brigitte Bierlein to be the Federal Chancellor of a temporary government until new elections could be held later that year.

Government

Main article: Austrian Federal Government

The federal cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor, chosen by the president, and several ministers chosen by the president based on the chancellor's advice. The cabinet must answer to the National Council and can be forced to leave office through a motion of no confidence.

Brigitte Bierlein's cabinet was made up of top civil servants (Spitzenbeamten) and current and retired jurors. Clemens Jabloner was Vice-chancellor.

After the National Council elections on 29 September 2019, in which the ÖVP became the strongest party, the president asked Sebastian Kurz to form a new government together with others. Van der Bellen, who used to lead the Green Party, hoped that many women would be included in the new cabinet. Women had equal roles in the temporary government.

Legislative branch

Main article: Parliament of Austria

Austria’s Parliament has two parts. The bigger part is called the National Council and has 183 members who are chosen every five years by voters. To get a seat, a party must get at least four percent of the votes or win in one of the local areas.

The smaller part is the Federal Council with 60 members chosen by state legislatures. It has less power and usually can only delay decisions, which can later be approved again by the National Council. Sometimes, for certain laws about states, its approval is needed.

Together, these two groups form the Federal Assembly, which mainly swears in the president and has a few special duties. After joining the European Union, Austria’s parliament shared some of its powers with EU institutions.

Judicial branch

Main article: Judiciary of Austria

The judicial branch in Austria ensures fair and impartial decisions in legal matters. It operates independently from the government to protect the rights of individuals and uphold the law. This system helps maintain justice and order in the country.

Direct democracy

Austria has three ways for people to have a direct say in laws: referendums, popular initiatives, and national opinion polls.

A referendum happens when most members of the National Council or the President ask for it, especially for big changes to the country's rules. If most people vote "no" in a referendum, the law cannot pass. Austria has had two referendums, the latest about joining the European Union.

Popular initiatives let people suggest new laws. If at least 100,000 people sign, the National Council must consider the idea. National opinion polls happen before a law is passed, but they do not force the law to change. Austria has had only one national opinion poll.

Political parties

Main article: List of political parties in Austria

Austrian People's Party

Main article: Austrian People's Party

The Austrian People's Party is a conservative group started in 1945. It has often been part of the government and is supported by farmers, business owners, and many people in rural areas. The party has been part of important decisions in Austria for many years.

Social Democratic Party of Austria

Main article: Social Democratic Party of Austria

The Social Democratic Party of Austria is a group that cares about workers and fairness. It was formed in 1888 and has helped lead the country at times. The party wants to support both workers and middle-class families.

Freedom Party of Austria

Main article: Freedom Party of Austria

The Freedom Party of Austria is a group that focuses on strong opinions about national issues. It has changed a lot over time and has sometimes been part of the government.

The Greens - The Green Alternative

Main article: The Greens - The Green Alternative

The Greens care about protecting the environment and helping people live fairly. They are strong in cities and with younger voters who care about nature and social issues.

NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum

Main article: NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum

NEOS is a newer group that believes in personal freedom and fair rules. They joined with another group in 2014 and have been working to get more support from voters.

Main article: Second Kurz government

Elections

Main article: Elections in Austria

Main article: Austrian presidential election, 2016

Summary of the 2019 Austrian legislative election results

See: 2017 Austrian legislative election and 2019 Austrian legislative election

Political conditions

Main article: Elections in Austria

Since World War II, Austria has had stable politics. After the war, elections were held in November 1945. The conservative People's Party won half the votes, the Socialists won 45%, and the communists won 5%. Different parties formed governments over the years.

In 2006, the Social Democrats became the strongest party and formed a government with the People's Party. In 2016, Christian Kern from the Social Democrats became chancellor. In 2020, the People's Party and the Greens formed a government together for the first time. In 2021, Sebastian Kurz resigned after a corruption scandal, and Alexander Schallenberg took over. Later that year, Karl Nehammer became chancellor, and the People's Party and the Greens continued to govern together.

Political pressure groups and lobbies

In Austria, different groups help shape the government's decisions. These include groups that represent workers, businesses, and farmers, as well as trade unions and special interest groups. These groups often work together in something called the Austrian Social Partnership, which helps decide important laws and policies, especially those related to jobs and work rules.

Some of these important groups are the Austrian National Union of Students, the Austrian Trade Union Federation, the Chamber of Labor, the Economic Chamber of Austria, the Federation of Austrian Industry, and the Roman Catholic Church.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Austria

In 1955, Austria announced that it would stay out of wars and not pick sides, a choice that shaped its foreign policy for many years. By the 1990s, Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and began taking part in United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Starting in 2009, Austria also served as a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council.

Austria works with many global groups and organizations to help support peace, trade, and shared goals around the world.

Maps

The maps show different colors for states where various political groups are involved in government or represented in parliament.