Leslie Massey
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The country consists of nine states (Bundesländer) and both regional and federal governments exercise executive power. The Federal President of the Republic of Austria is elected by popular vote for a term of six years and is limited to two consecutive terms of office. The president appoints the chancellor, the vice chancellor, and the ministers, which collectively form the Cabinet of Austria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of government | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Head of state | President |
| Head of government | Chancellor |
| Number of states | 9 |
| Number of representatives in the European Parliament | 20 |
| GDP per capita | €46 200 |
| Council of Ministers | Equivalent to the word "cabinet" |
| Council of the EU | Led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every 6 months |
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What You'll Learn
The Federal President of Austria
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The president is popularly elected and is the federal head of state. The chancellor, meanwhile, is the chief executive.
The federal president represents the Republic of Austria internally and externally and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president is elected by the people of Austria and is responsible for appointing the chancellor, who presides over cabinet meetings. The chancellor does not have decisional authority, but they do have the right to propose members of the government. The chancellor is supported by federal ministers, who are each responsible for their own ministry.
The Austrian federal parliament has two chambers: the directly elected Lower House (Nationalrat) and the Upper House (Bundesrat), which is elected by regional parliaments. Both regional and federal governments exercise executive power.
Austria is a semi-presidential representative democracy.
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The Chancellor of Austria
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The chancellor is appointed by the president, along with the vice chancellor and the ministers, who collectively form the Cabinet of Austria. The chancellor candidate of the party that won the most seats in the National Council is charged with forming a new Cabinet.
The chancellor is the most powerful political figure in Austria, as the president's powers are limited. The president's acts require a request or countersignature to become effective, and the countersigning authority is responsible for implementing the act. The president's role has varied drastically over time, from being a powerless figurehead to having tremendous power and then losing it again.
The first Federal Chancellor of Austria was Michael Mayr, who took office on 10 November 1920. Mayr was a Christian Social politician who ruled with the support of the Christian Social Party and the Greater German nationalists, while the Social Democrats remained in opposition.
Austria's government structure resembles that of larger federal republics such as Germany. The country consists of nine autonomous federal states (Bundesländer), and both regional and federal governments exercise executive power. The federal Parliament has two chambers: the directly elected Lower House (Nationalrat) and the Upper House (Bundesrat), which is elected by regional parliaments.
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The Austrian Constitution
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The country consists of nine states, each with their own regional governments that exercise executive power. The federal Parliament has two chambers: the directly elected Lower House (Nationalrat) and the Upper House (Bundesrat), which is elected by regional parliaments. The Chancellor presides over cabinet meetings, but does not have decisional authority. Each federal minister is responsible for their own ministry and may be supported by one or more state secretaries, who also participate in the cabinet's meetings. The Austrian Constitution came into effect on 10 November 1920, with Michael Mayr becoming the first Federal Chancellor of Austria.
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The Austrian Civil War
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The chancellor presides over cabinet meetings as first among equals without decisional authority, regardless of his right of proposal concerning the appointment of the government's members by the president.
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The Austrian Parliament
Austria is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor who is the head of government and a president who is the head of state. The country consists of 9 states, each with their own regional governments, which exercise executive power alongside the federal government. The federal Parliament has 2 chambers: the directly elected Lower House (Nationalrat) and the Upper House (Bundesrat) which is elected by regional parliaments.
The National Council is the more powerful of the two houses, as it has the sole power to initiate legislation and can override the Federal Council's veto with a two-thirds majority vote. The Federal Council, on the other hand, has the power to delay legislation and can propose amendments to bills passed by the National Council.
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Frequently asked questions
The head of state in Austria is the Federal President.
The head of government in Austria is the Chancellor.
The Federal President is elected by popular vote for a term of six years and is limited to two consecutive terms of office.
The Federal President's powers have varied drastically over time. Every act of the president requires a request or/and a countersignature to become effective, unless the Constitution expressly says otherwise. The president appoints the chancellor, the vice chancellor, and the ministers, which collectively form the Cabinet of Austria.
