Austria And England: Connected Or Separate Identities?

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federal parliamentary republic with a chancellor as the head of government and a president as the head of state. The country is divided into nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous city and state. Austria is bordered by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Therefore, Austria is not part of England or the United Kingdom.

Austria's membership in the European Union

Austria is a member of the European Union. It joined on 1 January 1995, following a referendum in 1994 in which Austrian voters indicated their desire to join the EU.

Austria's membership in the EU has also brought numerous advantages for its citizens, such as the ability to travel through a borderless Europe, study in other member states, and settle in any EU member state. Additionally, Austria adopted the euro as its currency in 1999 and has been a member of the Schengen Area since 1 December 1997.

Austria's relationship with the EU has not always been smooth. In 2000, the inclusion of the Freedom Party in the Austrian government drew condemnation from both the Austrian left and the international community, leading to EU sanctions on Austria. However, these sanctions were withdrawn by the end of the year as they backfired and mobilised patriotic support for the government.

Austria has held the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU three times: in 1998, 2006, and 2018.

Austria's geography and landscape

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is predominantly mountainous, with around 47% of the country covered in forest. The country can be divided into three unequal geographical areas: the Alps, the Pannonian plain, and the Bohemian Forest.

The largest part of Austria (62%) is occupied by the Alps, which are relatively young mountains. Three major ranges of the Alps – the Northern Calcareous Alps, Central Alps, and Southern Calcareous Alps – run west to east through Austria. The Central Alps are the largest and highest ranges in Austria, and include permanently glaciated areas in the Ötztal Alps and the High Tauern. The Northern and Southern Calcareous Alps are predominantly limestone and dolomite. The highest mountain in Austria is Großglockner, which stands at 3,797 m (12,460 ft).

In the east, the Alps give way to a part of the Pannonian plain, and north of the Danube river lies the Bohemian Forest, an older, lower, granite mountain range. The Bohemian Forest is a low mountain range with bare and windswept plateaus and a harsh climate. It covers around 10% of Austria's area.

The Danube is the longest river in Austria, with 350km of the river flowing through the country. The major rivers north of the watershed of the Austrian Alps (the Inn, the Salzach, and the Enns) are direct tributaries of the Danube and flow north into the Danube valley. The rivers south of the watershed in central and eastern Austria (the Gail, the Drau, the Mürz, and the Mur) flow south into the drainage system of the Drau, which eventually empties into the Danube in Serbia.

Austria's history as a major power

In the 17th century, the Turkish threat, which included unsuccessful sieges of Vienna in 1529 and in 1683, prompted Poland, Venice, and Russia to join the Habsburg Empire in repelling the Turks. In the late 1690s, command of the imperial forces was entrusted to Prince Eugene of Savoy. Under his leadership, Habsburg forces won control of all but a small portion of Hungary by 1699.

In the 18th century, Austria became the birthplace of classical music and played host to different composers including Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert.

In the 19th century, Austria later became engaged in a war with Revolutionary France, which was highly unsuccessful in the beginning, with successive defeats at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte, meaning the end of the old Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Two years earlier, the Empire of Austria was founded.

In the 20th century, Austria was annexed by the Third Reich and ceased to exist as an independent country. After the end of World War II in 1945, Austria was restored to its 1937 frontiers and occupied by the victorious allies – the USA, the Soviet Union, the UK, and France – for a decade.

On May 15, 1955, the Austrian State Treaty was ratified, with Austria declaring its permanent neutrality.

Austria's government and politics

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). 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.

The government of Austria (German: Bundesregierung der Republik Österreich) is the executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria. It consists of the chancellor, who is the head of government, the vice chancellor, and the ministers. The chancellor is appointed by the Federal President and is usually the leader of the strongest political party. The chancellor has no power to direct other members of the government. The ministers are proposed for nomination by the chancellor, although the president has the final say. The president may also dismiss the chancellor and/or the whole government at any time. The federal cabinet answers to the National Council and can be forced to resign through a motion of no confidence.

The Parliament of Austria (Parlament) consists of two chambers. The National Council (Nationalrat) has 183 members, elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Upper House, the Federal Council (Bundesrat), consists of 62 members and is less powerful. Its members are selected by the state legislatures (Landtage). The Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung), formed by the National Council and Federal Council in joint session, is largely a ceremonial institution.

Austria's legal system distinguishes between three different instruments of direct democracy: referendums (Volksabstimmungen), popular initiatives (Volksbegehren), and national opinion polls (Volksbefragungen). A referendum on a bill is to be held if a majority of the National Council's members demand it or by a resolution of the President, which has to be counter-signed by all members of the government. Substantial changes to the constitution always require a referendum, while changes to parts of the constitution only require a referendum if at least one-third of the members of the National Council or if the Federal Council demands it. The result of a referendum is binding and the bill in question is not passed into law if a majority votes against it.

The Austrian Republic is 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 country is governed according to the principles of representative democracy and the rule of law. The constitution of Austria characterises the republic as a federation consisting of nine autonomous federal states (Bundesländer). The federation and all its states have written constitutions defining them as republican entities governed according to the principles of representative democracy. The Judiciary of Austria is independent of the executive and legislative branches of government.

Austria's 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 country ranks fifth in the European Union in terms of GDP per capita, with €46,200, well above the EU average of €37,600.

Austria has a strong labour movement, with labour unions having a large influence on labour politics. The Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) has a total membership of about 1.5 million, which is more than half of the country's wage and salary earners.

The most important industries in Austria are food and luxury commodities, mechanical engineering and steel construction, chemicals, and vehicle manufacturing. Tourism is also a vital part of the economy, accounting for around 10% of Austria's GDP.

Austria has an abundance of natural resources, including iron ore, non-ferrous metals, important minerals and earths, petroleum, and natural gas. The country also has a well-developed industrial sector, with global competitors in iron and steel works, chemical plants, and oil corporations.

In recent years, Austria's GDP growth has accelerated, reaching 3.3% in 2006. However, in 2024, Austria is projected to experience its second consecutive year of recession, with declining investment, lower exports, and weak private consumption.

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