Austria's Freedom: A Country's Rights And Liberties

Austria is a parliamentary democracy, a federation of nine states with a semi-presidential representative system. It is a wealthy country with a high quality of life, offering its citizens visa-free travel to approximately 190 destinations. It is one of the most prosperous and stable EU member states, with a free-market economy and a strong social focus. It has a well-developed system of social security and welfare schemes, and is considered a full democracy.

However, in 2025, the leader of Austria's far-right Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, was asked to form a new government—the first time a far-right party has been given this opportunity since World War II. The Freedom Party is known for its anti-immigration stance, euroskeptic views, and opposition to sanctions on Russia.

Austria has a history of occupation and annexation, and has been a part of the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg monarchy, Nazi Germany, and the Allied forces. It has also experienced periods of dictatorship and authoritarian rule.

So, while Austria is currently a free country with a strong democratic system, its political landscape is ever-evolving and subject to change.

Freedom of expression and assembly

Austria is a parliamentary democracy with constitutional power shared between a popularly elected president and a bicameral parliament. The country's multiparty parliament and coalition government exercise most day-to-day governmental powers. The Austrian constitution provides for freedom of expression, including for the press and other media, and the government generally respects this right. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system all promote freedom of expression, including for members of the media. Libel, slander, defamation, and the denunciation of religious teachings (blasphemy) are criminal offences and are prosecuted.

The Austrian government does not restrict or disrupt access to the internet but occasionally censors online content in line with European Court of Justice jurisprudence. There are no credible reports that the government monitors private online communications without appropriate legal authority. Authorities continue to restrict access to websites that violate the law, such as neo-Nazi sites or sites that incite violence. The law barring neo-Nazi activity provides for one- to ten-year prison sentences for public denial, belittlement, approval, or justification of National Socialist crimes.

The Austrian constitution and law provide for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respects these rights. However, some NGOs have criticised the government for banning several demonstrations to protest against COVID-19 pandemic measures. The government has cited reports that previous gatherings organised by the same groups were marred by acts of violence and offences under the law prohibiting Holocaust denial and minimisation of Nazi atrocities.

Austria's political landscape has been marked by the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), a right-wing populist, national-conservative, and soft eurosceptic political party. The party has moved towards the far-right in recent years, embracing the white nationalist identitarian movement and advocating for the "remigration" of non-ethnic Europeans from Austria. In 2024, the FPÖ won 28.85% of the votes cast in the Austrian legislative elections, marking the first time a far-right or ethnonationalist party won the most seats in a legislative election or assumed Austria's chancellorship after World War II.

While freedom of expression and assembly are generally respected in Austria, there have been instances where these rights have been curtailed or limited, particularly in relation to hate speech, neo-Nazi activity, and the denial or minimisation of Nazi atrocities.

Human rights issues

Austria is a parliamentary democracy with a constitution that divides power between a popularly elected president and a bicameral parliament. The country has a multiparty system, and the coalition government it elects exercises most day-to-day governmental powers.

Freedom of Expression

The Austrian constitution provides for freedom of expression, including for the press and other media, and the government generally respects this right. However, there are laws against incitement, insult, or contempt against a group based on race, nationality, religion, or ethnicity, and criminal penalties are imposed for violations. Libel, slander, defamation, and the denunciation of religious teachings are also criminal offenses and are prosecuted.

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association

The Austrian constitution and law provide for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respects these rights. However, some NGOs have criticised the government for banning several demonstrations against COVID-19 pandemic measures.

Freedom of Religion

The Austrian government generally respects freedom of religion. However, there have been reports of societal discrimination against members of unrecognized religious groups, particularly those considered "sects". There have also been incidents of antisemitism, including physical attacks, name-calling, property damage, and threatening letters, telephone calls, and internet postings.

Freedom of Movement

The Austrian law provides for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respects these rights. However, asylum seekers' freedom of movement is restricted to the district of the reception center that processes their initial application.

Protection of Refugees

The Austrian government cooperates with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations to provide protection and assistance to refugees, returning refugees, asylum seekers, and other persons of concern. However, there have been concerns about the inadequate protection of unaccompanied children seeking international protection.

Stateless Persons

As of January 2022, there were 18,884 stateless persons or persons with unknown citizenship in Austria. Stateless persons in the country were largely Austrian-born children of foreign nationals who could not acquire their parents' citizenship.

Discrimination and Societal Abuses

The Austrian government has laws in place to protect against discrimination based on race, gender, disability, language, or social status, and these are generally enforced effectively. However, there have been reports of violence against women, child abuse, trafficking in persons, and racial discrimination.

Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics

There are no laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults in Austria. The government has laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons and recognizes their rights. However, there have been reports of violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and desecrations of LGBTQI+ symbols.

Persons with Disabilities

The Austrian law mandates that persons with disabilities have access to education, health services, public buildings, and transportation on an equal basis with others, and the government generally enforces these provisions effectively. However, there have been complaints that some public buildings remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities due to insufficient enforcement of the law.

Worker Rights

The Austrian law provides workers with the right to form and join independent unions, conduct legal strikes, and bargain collectively, and these rights are generally respected in practice. However, there have been reports of anti-union discrimination and other forms of employer interference in union functions.

Political system

Austria is a parliamentary democracy, or a semi-presidential representative democracy, with a popularly elected president as head of state and a chancellor as head of government and chief executive. The president is directly elected by popular majority vote, with a run-off between the top-scoring candidates if necessary. The chancellor is selected by the president and tasked with forming a government based on the partisan composition of the lower house of parliament, the Nationalrat. The government can be removed from office by either a presidential decree or by a vote of no confidence in the Nationalrat.

Austria's parliament consists of two chambers. The composition of the Nationalrat (183 seats) is determined every five years by a general election in which every citizen over the age of 16 has the right to vote. While there is a general threshold of 4% of the vote for all parties in federal elections to participate in the proportional allocation of seats, there remains the possibility of being elected to a seat directly in one of the 43 regional electoral districts. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, has a limited right of veto, with the Nationalrat being able to override it with a "vote of persistence".

The multiparty parliament and the coalition government it elects exercise most day-to-day governmental powers. Parliamentary elections in 2019 and presidential elections in October 2022 were considered free and fair. Since 1945, governing via a single-party government has occurred twice: 1966-1970 (Austrian People's Party) and 1970-1983 (Social Democratic Party of Austria). During all other legislative periods, either a grand coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Austrian People's Party or a "small coalition" (one of these two and a smaller party) has ruled the country.

Austria's political system is characterised by Proporz, whereby most posts of political importance are split proportionately between members of the Social Democratic Party and the Austrian People's Party. Interest group "chambers" with mandatory membership (e.g. for workers, business people, and farmers) are usually consulted in the legislative process, so hardly any legislation is passed that does not reflect a widespread consensus.

Economy

Austria has a highly developed social market economy, and is one of the fourteen richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. The service sector is the most important part of the Austrian economy, generating the vast majority of the country's GDP. Sales, hotel and restaurant services, as well as health and education, are the largest employers within the service sector.

Austria has a strong focus on social welfare, with social expenditure standing at roughly 29.4% of GDP. The country also has a strong labour movement, with labour unions having a large influence on labour politics.

Austria has a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which make up 99.6% of all companies in the country. These SMEs are incredibly specialised in their respective fields, and are often market leaders in their industries.

The industrial sector in Austria is highly developed, with the country covering every branch of manufacturing, from basic goods to the labour-intensive production of highly processed products. Important industries include food and luxury commodities, mechanical engineering and steel construction, chemicals, and vehicle manufacturing.

Agriculture is a much smaller part of the Austrian economy, making up only 1.2% of the country's GVA, and employing only one in thirty Austrians. Austrian farms are small and fragmented, and production is relatively expensive.

Tourism is a vital part of the Austrian economy, accounting for around 10% of the country's GDP. Austria is a mountainous country with one of the largest natural land reserves in Central Europe, making it a popular tourist destination.

In terms of trade, Germany has historically been Austria's main partner. However, since Austria joined the European Union, it has gained closer ties to other EU economies and reduced its economic dependence on Germany. Trade with other EU countries now accounts for almost 66% of Austrian imports and exports.

Austria has an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore, non-ferrous metals, important minerals and earths, as well as its own resources of petroleum and natural gas. The country is also a leader in the field of hydroelectric power generation within the European Union.

Social security

Austria has a comprehensive social security system in place, which is considered the most important part of the country's social policy. It provides protection against various risks in life, such as illness, accidents, the inability to work, and old age. The system consists of three main elements:

• Statutory pension insurance system
• Statutory health insurance system
• Statutory work accident insurance scheme

Both the employer and the employee are required to pay social security contributions. The basis of assessment for these contributions is the employee’s monthly gross salary. The contributions cover insurance for health, unemployment, old age, and disability.

For freelancers or independent contractors, the situation is a bit different. If they have a work contract with a firm, they need to determine whether they are truly self-employed or considered employees of the firm. This classification depends on factors such as the level of dependence on the firm, working times, and the use of firm resources. If considered an employee, they must obtain a work permit unless they are an EU national. Additionally, if their monthly income is above a certain threshold, they are required to make social insurance contributions.

Austria's social security system also includes provisions for minimum-wage workers, who are covered by accident insurance. While health insurance and pension insurance are not mandatory for this group, it is recommended that they obtain voluntary coverage.

The social security system in Austria has undergone reforms in recent years, with the Social Insurance Organisation Act (SV-OG) leading to the restructuring of the social insurance institutions responsible for implementing legislation on social insurance.

Frequently asked questions