Austria's Social Democracy: A Comprehensive Overview

Austria's Social Democracy has a long history, with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) being the oldest extant political party in the country. Founded in 1889 as the Social Democratic Workers' Party, it has played a significant role in shaping the nation's politics. While the party has had its share of successes and setbacks over the years, including a period of suppression during Austrofascism and the Nazi era, it has consistently advocated for social democratic ideals. Today, the SPÖ is positioned as a centre-left party and holds significant influence in the country's National Council and state legislatures. However, the party also faces internal challenges and competition from other parties, particularly the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ).

The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ)

History

The SDAPÖ was the second-largest party in the Imperial Council of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the 1890s to the 1910s. After World War I, its leader Karl Renner became Chancellor of the First Austrian Republic, but the party lost power in 1920. During the interwar period, the party supported the idea of a union with Berlin to form a great democratic German republic. However, this was forbidden by the victors of the war. The SDAPÖ was banned in 1934 following the Austrian Civil War and suppressed during Austrofascism and the Nazi period.

In 1945, the party was refounded as the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ) and entered into a grand coalition with the ÖVP, remaining in government until 1966. From 1971 to 1983, the SPÖ, led by Bruno Kreisky, was the sole governing party. The party then ruled in coalition with the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) until 1986 and again with the ÖVP from 1987 to 2000. In 1991, the party reverted to including "Democratic" in its name, becoming the Social Democratic Party of Austria.

In the 2000s, the SPÖ faced challenges due to the rise of the right-wing populist FPÖ, which capitalised on voters' frustration with the grand coalition government. In the 1999 legislative election, the SPÖ lost votes but remained the strongest party, while the FPÖ became the second-strongest party. However, the ÖVP formed a coalition with the FPÖ, displacing the SPÖ from government for the first time in 30 years.

In the 2019 legislative election, the SPÖ won 21.2% of the votes, holding seats in the legislatures of all nine states and being the largest party in Burgenland, Carinthia, and Vienna. However, in the 2024 Austrian legislative election, the SPÖ's vote share dropped to 21.1%, its worst result ever in the National Council.

Policies and Ideology

The SPÖ has close ties to the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK). It supports Austria's membership in the European Union and is a member of the Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists. The party has traditionally been associated with social democratic and socialist ideals, advocating for workers' rights and reforms such as the eight-hour workday and paid holidays. In recent years, the SPÖ has also focused on issues of gender equality, introducing a quota for women candidates.

The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)

The ÖVP is the unofficial successor to the Christian Social Party, a conservative movement founded in 1893 by Karl Lueger, the mayor of Vienna. The Christian Social Party was highly controversial due to its right-wing populist ideology. The ÖVP was formed immediately after the Republic of Austria was re-established in 1945 and has traditionally governed in a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).

The ÖVP's ideology is centred on Christian democracy, conservatism, and liberal-conservatism. It has defined itself as Catholic and anti-socialist for most of its existence, upholding the ideals of subsidiarity as outlined in the encyclical Quadragesimo anno and decentralisation. The party's economic policies generally support a social market economy.

In recent years, the ÖVP has shifted further to the right, with a focus on cracking down on illegal immigration and fighting against political Islam. This shift was influenced by former chairman Sebastian Kurz, who changed the party's colour from black to turquoise and adopted the alternate name, The New People's Party (German: Die neue Volkspartei).

The ÖVP has played a significant role in Austrian politics, leading or partnering in most federal cabinets. It was the senior partner in grand coalitions with the SPÖ from 1945 to 1966 and governed alone from 1966 to 1970. After the 1999 election, the ÖVP formed a controversial coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), leading to diplomatic sanctions from the European Union. However, in 2017, the ÖVP became the largest party and formed a coalition with The Greens.

The ÖVP is a member of the International Democracy Union and the European People's Party, and it holds seats in the European Parliament as part of the EPP group. With five out of Austria's 19 MEPs, the ÖVP is the second-largest party in Europe by membership.

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ)

History

The KPÖ was officially established on 3 November 1918, during a period of worker protests and strikes in Austria caused by supply shortages resulting from the Allies' sea blockade during World War I. The party's early years were marked by internal factional struggles and attempts to establish a "Räterepublik" (council republic) in Austria, which ultimately failed.

During the First Republic, the KPÖ had little influence and was weakened by internal divisions. However, it played a significant role in the Austrian resistance during World War II, fighting alongside former political enemies such as Christian socialists, Catholics, Monarchists, and farmers against Nazi rule.

In the post-war period, the KPÖ gained national importance, benefiting from the support of the occupying Soviet authorities. It participated in the first provisional government under Karl Renner and held several ministerial positions. However, it faced criticism for its close ties to the Soviet Union and its uncritical stance towards undesirable developments in socialist countries.

Recent Developments

In recent years, the KPÖ has seen a revival, particularly in the state of Styria, and has made electoral gains. In 2021, Elke Kahr, a member of the KPÖ, became the mayor of Graz, Austria's second-largest city. The party has also secured seats in the Salzburg and Styria state parliaments and holds over 130 seats on district and municipal councils across the country.

The KPÖ's recent success has been attributed to its focus on issues such as affordable housing and improved living standards for all Austrians, as well as the personal integrity of its candidates and their engagement with citizens. The party has also been commended for its salary cap policy, with all officials capping their salaries at a net maximum of €2,300, donating the rest to funds that assist those in need.

Despite its gains, the KPÖ has faced criticism and accusations of being wedded to Stalinism and not sufficiently addressing its historical legacy. However, the party has actively engaged with its past and initiated a reorientation with a critical view of its history.

Ideology and Policies

The KPÖ is part of the New European Left Forum (NELF) and the Party of the European Left. It has consistently criticised NATO and the European Union, comparing Austria's accession to the EU to the Anschluß by Nazi Germany. The party also campaigned against the European Constitution and supports Austria's neutrality.

The KPÖ has a strong stance on affordable housing, having successfully campaigned for rent restrictions in public housing and blocked initiatives to privatise city housing stock. It also advocates for improved living standards for all Austrians and has a salary cap policy to ensure politicians remain attuned to the financial needs of their constituents.

The Freedom Party (FPÖ)

The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a right-wing populist, national-conservative, and soft eurosceptic political party. It was founded in 1956 as the successor to the Federation of Independents (VdU), which was established in 1949 by two liberal Salzburg journalists who were former prisoners of Nazi Germany. The VdU was intended to be a national liberal alternative to the main Austrian parties, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).

The first leader of the FPÖ was Anton Reinthaller, a former Nazi Minister of Agriculture and SS officer. The party initially presented itself as a centrist party and did not advocate far-right policies. Under the leadership of Norbert Steger in the early 1980s, the FPÖ sought to style itself as a moderate centrist liberal party, similar to Germany's Free Democratic Party (FDP).

However, the FPÖ began an ideological turn towards right-wing populism when Jörg Haider became leader in 1986. This shift resulted in a strong surge in electoral support but also led to the SPÖ breaking ties and a splinter group forming the Liberal Forum in 1993. Under Haider, the party focused on issues such as immigration and criticism of the political establishment and the EU. The FPÖ became known for its anti-Muslim and anti-Islam rhetoric, targeting Muslims as a threat to Austrian identity.

In the 1999 general election, the FPÖ won 27% of the votes, beating the ÖVP for the first time. In 2000, the FPÖ formed a coalition government with the ÖVP, but Haider stepped down as party chairman as he was too controversial to be part of the government. The FPÖ's participation in the government led to intense international criticism and sanctions from the European Union.

The FPÖ has experienced internal struggles and shifts in leadership over the years, with Haider leaving the party in 2005 to form the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ). The party has also been accused of being involved in right-wing extremism and possessing a neo-Nazi ideology. In recent years, under the leadership of Herbert Kickl since 2021, the FPÖ has moved unambiguously to the far-right, embracing the white nationalist identitarian movement and advocating for the "remigration" of non-ethnic Europeans from Austria.

In the 2024 Austrian legislative elections, the FPÖ won 29.2% of the vote, placing first and achieving its best result in the party's history. This marked the first time that a far-right or ethnonationalist party won the most seats in a legislative election in Austria since World War II.

The Socialist Youth Austria (SJÖ)

The SJÖ's program, adopted in 2004, is based on scientific socialism and Marxism, positioning it further to the left than the social democratic SPÖ. The organisation is present across all nine federal states through state organisations, which are further subdivided into local and district groups. Their activities include educational work, such as group meetings and political seminars, and political activism. During elections, the SJÖ frequently puts forth its own candidates and gathers preferential votes for them.

The SJÖ is independent from the SPÖ in terms of both organisation and ideology, notably choosing not to change its name to "social-democratic" when the SPÖ rebranded itself in 1991. This autonomy has often led to tensions between the two, with the SPÖ reducing the SJÖ's funding at times. In response, the SPÖ established a separate, less autonomous youth organisation called the Young Generation (JG) in 1958, which has evolved into a parallel structure closely aligned with the SPÖ's objectives.

The SJÖ explicitly adheres to Marxism and advocates for the replacement of capitalism with socialism. It is a pluralistic organisation, with the fundamentally Marxist orientation regaining dominance in 2000. The SJÖ also includes a smaller, more radical Trotskyist faction and a Marxist-Leninist faction following the "Stamokap" theory.

The SJÖ has taken positions on various issues, including reducing working hours, addressing peace concerns, opposing nuclear power plants, and advocating for the abolition of the Austrian Federal Army and the legalization of soft drugs. It has also been active in bringing issues like affordable housing and cannabis legalization back into public debate.

The SJÖ has produced several influential politicians who have shaped the SPÖ's direction, including Bruno Kreisky and Andreas Babler.

Frequently asked questions