Exploring Austria's Unique Federal Structure: States Or Something Else?

Austria is a federal republic that consists of nine federal states, also known as provinces or 'Bundesländer'. The European Commission refers to these as provinces. Each state has an elected legislature, the federal state parliament, and a federal state government, headed by a governor. The federal states can pass laws within the limits of the constitution, and each state has representatives in the main Austrian parliament.

Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine states

Each Austrian state has an elected legislature, the federal state parliament, and a federal state government (Landesregierung) led by a governor (Landeshauptmann or Landeshauptfrau). The governor is elected by the federal state parliament and is responsible for administering much of the federal administrative law within their state.

The nine states of Austria are:

• Carinthia (Kärnten)
• Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
• Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
• Vienna (Wien)
• Burgenland
• Styria (Steiermark)
• Tyrol (Tirol)
• Vorarlberg
• Salzburg

While Austrian federalism is largely theoretical, with the federal states having few legislative powers, Austrians tend to identify strongly with their respective states.

The states are also called 'Länder'

Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine federal states, which are also called Länder. The European Commission calls them provinces. Each Austrian federal state has an elected legislature, the federal state parliament, and a federal state government (Landesregierung) headed by a governor (Landeshauptmann or Landeshauptfrau).

The federal state constitution, among other things, determines how the seats in the federal state government are assigned to political parties, with most federal states having a system of proportional representation based on the number of delegates in the federal state parliament in place. The governor is elected by the federal state parliament, though in practice, the governor is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the federal state parliament.

Vienna, the capital of Austria, plays a dual role as a city and a federal state. The mayor has the rank of a federal state governor, while the city council also functions as a federal state parliament. However, under the municipal constitution, city and federal state business must be kept separate. Hence, while the city council and the federal state parliament have identical memberships, they hold separate meetings, and each body has separate presiding officers. When meeting as a city council, the deputies can only deal with city affairs; when meeting as a federal state parliament, they can only deal with affairs of the state.

Each federal state in Austria has a unique history and cultural identity, and they vary widely in terms of population density and economic development. For example, Vienna is the most densely populated state, while the alpine state of Tyrol is the least densely populated. Vorarlberg stands out for its small size, isolated location, and distinct Alemannic culture.

The states in Austria are:

• Carinthia (Kärnten)
• Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
• Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
• Vienna (Wien)
• Burgenland
• Styria (Steiermark)
• Tyrol (Tirol)
• Salzburg
• Vorarlberg

The states are further divided into districts and statutory cities

Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine federal states, which are further divided into districts and statutory cities. Districts are subdivided into municipalities.

A district is a second-level division of the executive arm of the Austrian government. District offices are the primary point of contact between residents and the state for most acts of the government. Austrian constitutional law distinguishes two types of district administrative authorities: district commissions and statutory cities.

As of 2017, there are 94 districts, of which 79 are headed by district commissions and 15 are statutory cities. Statutory cities are vested with both municipal and district administrative responsibility. Town hall personnel also serve as district personnel, and the mayor discharges the powers and duties of a head of the district commission.

The district commission is the representative organ of the state administration and the national administration. Its tasks include issuing identification documents, passports, and driver's licenses, as well as the registration and regulation of companies and associations.

The federal states of Austria are:

• Carinthia (Kärnten)
• Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
• Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
• Vienna
• Burgenland
• Styria (Steiermark)
• Tyrol
• Salzburg
• Vorarlberg

Each state has its own elected legislature and government

Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine federal states, also called provinces or Länder. Each of these states has its own elected legislature, the federal state parliament, and a federal state government (Landesregierung) headed by a governor (Landeshauptmann or Landeshauptfrau).

The federal state parliament elects the governor, who is, in practice, the leader of the majority party or coalition in the federal state parliament. The governor's role is an important political position, as they are in charge of the administration of much of the federal administrative law within their respective province.

The federal state parliament's members are elected by all eligible voters in the state through an equal, direct, secret, and personal election. The state parliament exercises the states' legislative powers, and any legislation must be passed by the state parliament and then certified, countersigned, and published in the state gazette by the governor.

The state government is made up of the governor, their deputies, and other government members (Landesrate). While the governor represents the state, they have no authority over the other government members on matters concerning the state. On matters of importance to the state, the state government makes decisions as a collegiate body.

The federal states in Austria are:

• Carinthia (Kärnten)
• Lower Austria (Niederösterreich)
• Upper Austria (Oberösterreich)
• Vienna (Wien)
• Burgenland
• Styria (Steiermark)
• Tyrol (Tirol)
• Vorarlberg
• Salzburg

The states can pass laws within the limits of the constitution

Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine federal states, or provinces, that can pass laws within the limits of the constitution. Each state has its own elected legislature, the federal state parliament, and a federal state government (Landesregierung) headed by a governor (Landeshauptmann or Landeshauptfrau).

The federal state constitution determines how the seats in the federal state government are assigned to political parties, with most federal states having a system of proportional representation based on the number of delegates in the federal state parliament. The governor is elected by the federal state parliament and is typically the leader of the majority party or coalition in the federal state parliament.

While the federal states have representatives in the main Austrian parliament, they have comparatively little autonomy. Most matters of practical importance, including criminal law, civil law, corporate law, defence, most educational matters, academia, telecommunications, and the healthcare system, are regulated by national law.

The Austrian constitution initially granted all legislative powers to the federal states, but many of these powers have since been taken away. The federal states retain the power to pass laws on a limited number of matters, such as planning and zoning codes, nature protection, hunting, fishing, farming, youth protection, certain issues of public health and welfare, and the right to levy certain taxes.

The federal states also have some influence over the administration of federal law within their respective provinces, which makes the position of governor politically important. Additionally, federal state competences include zoning laws, planning issues, and public procurement at the regional level, which gives considerable weight to federal state politics.

In practice, the federal states have been able to delay projects endorsed by the national government, such as the case of the Semmering Base Tunnel, a railway tunnel being built under the Semmering.

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