Lyla Lindsey
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. It is currently the second-largest party in the National Council, with 51 out of 183 seats, and won 26.3% of the votes in the 2024 legislative election. The ÖVP is a member of the International Democracy Union and the European People's Party. It is the second-largest party in Europe by membership. The ÖVP has long dominated the rural states of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. It is less popular in the city-state of Vienna and in the rural but less strongly Catholic states of Burgenland and Carinthia. The ÖVP is often regarded as the Austrian Men's Party.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Party | Christian-democratic, conservative, liberal-conservative, centre-right |
| Current Leader | Christian Stocker |
| Seats in National Council | 51 of the 183 seats |
| Votes in 2024 Legislative Election | 26.3% |
| Coalition | Austrian Social Democrats and NEOS party |
| Membership | Second largest party in Europe by membership |
| Previous Leader | Karl Nehammer |
| Previous Coalition | Coalition with the FPÖ |
| Previous Votes | 42.27% of the vote in 2002 legislative election |
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What You'll Learn
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP)
The ÖVP was founded in 1945, immediately after Austria regained its independence. In the 1945 Austrian legislative election, the ÖVP won a landslide victory, taking nearly half of the popular vote and an absolute majority in the legislature. The party has consistently been the strongest or second-strongest party in the Federal Assembly and has led or been a partner in most Austrian federal cabinets.
The ÖVP has been described as a catch-all party of the centre-right and has explicitly defined itself as Catholic and anti-socialist for most of its existence. It is an unofficial successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The party has also been a member of the European People's Party and the International Democracy Union.
The ÖVP has undergone several changes in its history. In 2013, the party suffered minor losses in the Austrian legislative election. However, in the 2017 election, the ÖVP, under the leadership of Sebastian Kurz, changed its image by adopting the colour turquoise and using the alternate name, The New People's Party (German: Die neue Volkspartei). The ÖVP won the 2017 election and formed a coalition government with the FPÖ. This coalition collapsed due to the Ibiza affair, leading to the 2019 election, after which the ÖVP formed a new coalition with The Greens.
In the 2024 Austrian legislative election, the ÖVP came in second behind the FPÖ, and a coalition with the SPÖ and NEOS was eventually formed, with Christian Stocker as Chancellor.
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Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. It is currently the second-largest party in the National Council, with 51 out of 183 seats, and won 26.3% of the votes in the 2024 legislative election. The ÖVP holds seats in all nine state legislatures and is part of the government in seven of them, leading in six.
The ÖVP is a member of the International Democracy Union and the European People's Party. It is also the second-largest party in Europe by membership. The party is an unofficial successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ÖVP was founded immediately after the re-establishment of the Republic of Austria in 1945.
The ÖVP has long dominated the rural states of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. It is less popular in the city-state of Vienna and in the rural but less strongly Catholic states of Burgenland and Carinthia. The party has explicitly defined itself as Catholic and anti-socialist for most of its existence. The ÖVP's economic policies generally uphold a social market economy.
In the first election after World War II, the ÖVP presented itself as the Austrian Party, was anti-Marxist, and regarded itself as the Party of the center. The party consistently held power, either alone or in coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), until 1970. In the 2002 legislative election, the ÖVP won a landslide victory with 42.27% of the vote.
In the 2024 Austrian legislative election, the party fell to second place behind the FPÖ. The ÖVP has formed coalitions with various parties, including the SPÖ, FPÖ, and NEOS.
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The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)
The FPÖ is a descendant of the pan-German and national liberal camp (Lager) dating back to the Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. During the interwar era, this camp fought against the mutually hostile Christian Social and Marxist camps, which were struggling to structure the new republic according to their respective ideologies. The FPÖ has supported regulated economic liberalism with privatisation and low taxes, combined with qualified support for the welfare state. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, the party evolved economically, advocating for tax reduction, less state intervention, and more privatisation. Starting in the late 2000s, the party shifted towards populism, combining this stance with qualified support for the welfare state.
By the 1990 general election, the FPÖ had moved away from its liberal mainstream course, instead focusing on immigration and becoming increasingly critical of the political establishment and the EU. In 1991, Haider, an FPÖ member, made a controversial remark about the "decent employment policy" of Nazi Germany, contrasting it with that of the current Austrian government. As a result, he was removed as governor by a joint SPÖ-ÖVP initiative. However, the FPÖ saw gains in three provincial elections that same year, particularly in Vienna. In 1993, the party launched the "Austria First!" initiative, calling for a referendum on immigration issues.
In the 1999 election, the FPÖ emerged in third place. However, in early 2000, it formed a coalition with the ÖVP, which had come in second. As a result, the EU imposed symbolic sanctions on Austria, and the USA and Israel, along with various other countries, reduced contacts with the Austrian Government. The coalition broke up in 2002 due to major disputes within the FPÖ. In the 2024 election, the FPÖ won 28.85% of the votes cast, making it the largest of five parties in the National Council, with 57 out of 183 seats.
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Far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative
The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a political party in Austria that has been described as far-right, right-wing populist, and national-conservative. The party has taken a populist approach since the late 2000s, combining support for a welfare state with a focus on immigration and criticism of the political establishment and the EU.
The FPÖ is the descendant of the pan-German and national liberal camp, dating back to the Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. The party was founded in 1956 as the successor to the Federation of Independents (VdU), representing pan-Germanists and national liberals who opposed socialism and Catholic clericalism. The FPÖ has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021 and is the largest of five parties in the National Council, with 57 out of 183 seats.
The party's policies include support for regulated liberalism, privatisation, and low taxes, as well as a qualified endorsement of the welfare state. However, the FPÖ argues that the current immigration policies will make it impossible to maintain the welfare state. The party has also expressed support for Israel's right to self-defence and has called for Austria to advocate for Israel within the EU.
The FPÖ has faced controversy due to its association with the Austrian National Socialism of the interwar era and its use of controversial rhetoric by its members. Despite this, the party has gained support in polls and elections, influencing the policies of other parties, such as the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), which adopted a similar rightward shift in 2017.
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Austrian political history
The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria. It is currently the second-largest party in the National Council, with 51 of the 183 seats, and won 26.3% of the votes in the 2024 legislative election. The ÖVP holds seats in all nine state legislatures and is part of the government in seven, leading in six.
The ÖVP was founded in 1945, immediately following World War II and the re-establishment of the Republic of Austria as a sovereign state. It is an unofficial successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Christian Social Party, founded in 1891, was a merger of the small trade movement and the Catholic social reform movement. It formed a government in 1920 with the support of the German Nationals, a pan-German movement that advocated for the annexation of Austria into Germany.
In the first election after World War II, the ÖVP presented itself as the Austrian Party, taking an anti-Marxist stance and positioning itself as the Party of the center. The ÖVP consistently held power, either alone or in coalition with the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), until 1970. During this period, the ÖVP's economic policies generally supported a social market economy.
In the 1999 election, the ÖVP formed a coalition with the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ), which led to symbolic sanctions on Austria by the EU and reduced contact from the USA, Israel, and other countries. The coalition broke up in 2002 due to internal disputes within the FPÖ. In the 2002 election, the ÖVP won a landslide victory with 42.27% of the vote, while the FPÖ's support dropped to 10.16%.
In the 2024 Austrian legislative election, the ÖVP came in second behind the FPÖ. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, often described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021 and is currently the largest party in the National Council, with 57 of the 183 seats. The FPÖ was founded in 1956 as the successor to the Federation of Independents (VdU), representing pan-Germanists and national liberals.
In early 2025, the ÖVP formed a coalition with the Austrian Social Democrats and the centrist NEOS party, with Christian Stocker as Chancellor. This coalition marked a shift away from including far-right parties in the government.
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