Austria's Federal Parliamentary Republic: A Historical Overview

Austria has been a federal parliamentary republic since 1945, when it resumed its republican government after the defeat of the German Reich. The Austrian Parliament is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria, consisting of two chambers: the National Council and the Federal Council. The Federal President is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a term of six years. The Chancellor is elected by the National Council.

Austria's federal parliamentary republic was suspended in 1933

Austria's federal parliamentary republic was first established in 1918, after the First World War, and lasted until 1933. During this time, the country was governed by a coalition of the conservative Christian Social Party and the right-wing Greater German People's Party or Landbund. The Federal President was elected for a four-year term, while the Chancellor was elected by the National Council.

The Austrian Parliament is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers: the National Council and the Federal Council. The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election. The Federal Council, on the other hand, is formed by representatives from the nine autonomous federal states that make up the country.

Austria's constitution characterises the republic as a federation of these nine autonomous federal states, each with its own written constitution defining it as a republican entity governed according to the principles of representative democracy. The country's head of state is the Federal President, who is elected by popular vote for a term of six years and limited to two consecutive terms.

After the defeat of the German Reich in 1945, Austria resumed its republican government and re-established democracy and self-determination. This new political system is referred to as the Second Republic. The three anti-fascist parties - the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ, now the Social Democratic Party of Austria), the Christian Social Party (now the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) - came together to form a new government.

Austria was occupied by the German Reich in 1938

Austria has been a federal parliamentary republic since 1945, when it resumed its republican government after being occupied by the German Reich from 1938 to 1945.

The First Republic ended with the Anschluss in 1938, and Austria remained part of the Third Reich until 1945. After the defeat of the German Reich in 1945, Austria fully regained its independence from the occupying Allied Powers and resumed its republican government. The Second Republic was founded by three anti-fascist parties: the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ, now the Social Democratic Party of Austria), the Christian Social Party (now the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), and the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ).

The Second Republic was founded in 1945

Austria is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of nine autonomous federal states. The Second Republic was founded in 1945, after the defeat of the German Reich, when Austria resumed its republican government. The Second Republic was founded by 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).

The Austrian Parliament is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers: the National Council and the Federal Council. The Federal President is elected for a six-year term in a full session of both houses, while the Chancellor is elected by the National Council. The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election. The legislative period lasts five years, and elections are held earlier if the National Council prematurely moves for its own dissolution.

The First Republic ended with the Anschluss (annexation) to Nazi Germany in 1938. From 1938 onwards, Austria was occupied by the German Reich and prevented from exercising its sovereign power. It remained part of the Third Reich until 1945. The First Republic lasted from 1918-1938.

Austria's government structure resembles that of larger federal republics such as Germany

The Austrian Parliament is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers – the National Council and the Federal Council. In specific cases, both houses convene as the Federal Assembly. The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election. The legislative period lasts five years, and elections are held earlier if the National Council prematurely moves for its own dissolution. The National Council is the dominant (albeit 'lower') house in the Austrian Parliament, and consequently the terms Parliament and National Council are commonly used synonymously.

The First Republic ended with the Anschluss (annexation) to Nazi Germany in 1938. Following the defeat of the German Reich in 1945, Austria resumed its republican government, after it fully regained its independence from the occupying Allied Powers. 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 an agreement on the re-establishment of democracy and self-determination, which is referred to as the Second Republic.

The new constitution created a bicameral legislature with the upper house—the Federal Council—formed by representatives from federal states, and the lower house—the National Council—to which deputies were elected in universal elections. The Federal President was elected for a four-year term in a full session of both houses, while the Chancellor was elected by the National Council. As no political party ever gained a parliamentary majority, Austria was governed by coalitions of the conservative Christian Social Party and the right-wing Greater German People's Party or Landbund.

The Federal President is elected by popular vote for a term of six years

Austria has been a federal parliamentary republic since 1945, when it resumed its republican government after the defeat of the German Reich. 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 is the head of state and is supported by the Federal Chancellor and the Parliament. The Austrian Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the National Council and the Federal Council. The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election, while the Federal Council is formed by representatives from the nine autonomous federal states. The legislative period lasts five years, and elections are held earlier if the National Council prematurely moves for its own dissolution.

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