Lyla Lindsey
The Austrian Parliament, also known as the Österreichisches Parlament in German, is a bicameral federal legislature that consists of two chambers: the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat). The Austrian Parliament Building, located in Vienna, is the meeting place for these two chambers. The building, designed by Theophil Hansen in a Greek Revival style, was constructed between 1874 and 1883. It is a significant site for state ceremonies, including the swearing-in of the President of Austria.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Austrian Parliament (German: Österreichisches Parlament) |
| Type of Government | Parliamentary Democracy |
| Type of Parliament | Bicameral federal legislature |
| Number of Chambers | 2 |
| Names of Chambers | National Council (Nationalrat), Federal Council (Bundesrat) |
| Number of Members in National Council | 183 |
| Election Process of National Council | Elected through proportional representation in a general election |
| Legislative Period | 5 years |
| Election Process of Federal Council | Elected indirectly through the Provincial Assemblies (Landtage) of the nine States of the Federal Republic |
| Meeting Place | Austrian Parliament Building, Vienna |
| Functions | Examining and passing bills into laws, checking the work of the Government |
| Languages | German (official), English |
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What You'll Learn
Austrian Parliament Building
The Austrian Parliament, or Österreichisches Parlament in German, is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers: the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat). The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election every five years. The Federal Council is elected indirectly through the provincial assemblies (Landtage) of the nine States of the Federal Republic.
The Austrian Parliament Building, or Parlamentsgebäude in German, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Austrian Parliament. The building is located on the Ringstraße in the first district, Innere Stadt, near Hofburg Palace and the Palace of Justice in Vienna. It was built to house the two chambers of the Imperial Council (Reichsrat), the bicameral legislature of the Cisleithanian (Austrian) part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The foundation stone was laid in 1874, and the building was completed in 1883. The architect responsible for its Greek Revival style was Theophil Hansen.
The Parliament Building is the site of important state ceremonies, most notably the swearing-in ceremony of the president of Austria. The building is closely associated with the two parliamentary bodies, as shown by the use of the term Hohes Haus as a metonym for "Parliament". Parliamentary offices spill over into nearby buildings, such as the Palais Epstein. The building reopened in 2023 after five years of renovations.
The precursor to the present building was the temporary House of Representatives, located on Währinger Straße, off the newly laid-out Ringstraße boulevard. It was designed by Ferdinand Fellner, a famous Austrian theatre architect, and completed in 1861. It was used by the deputies of Cisleithania until the completion of the present-day parliament building in 1883, while the House of Lords met at the Estates House of Lower Austria.
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National Council
The Austrian Parliament (German: Österreichisches Parlament) is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers: the National Council and the Federal Council. The National Council (Nationalrat in Austrian German) is frequently referred to as the lower house of the Austrian Parliament. The National Council is where Austria's federal legislative authority is concentrated. The 183 members of the National Council are elected by nationwide popular vote for a term of five years. Each Austrian sixteen years or older on the day the election takes place is entitled to one vote.
The principal functions of the 183 members of the National Council are the introduction, preliminary deliberation and adoption of laws, and the control of the Federal Government. The National Council holds plenary sittings on two or three days each month. The President of the National Council serves as a moderator of parliamentary debate. The President of the National Council is the second-highest public official in Austria, junior only to the president. However, in practice, the Chancellor is the country's leading political figure.
The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election. The voting system aims at party-list proportional representation and uses partially open lists. The nine states of Austria constitute regional electoral districts, which are further subdivided into a total of 39 local electoral districts. The seats are often referred to as "mandates" and are assigned to political parties based on the percentage share of total votes obtained. However, parties must receive at least four percent of the votes nationwide or one direct mandate in one of the constituencies to be entitled to seats in the National Council.
In specific cases, the National Council and the Federal Council convene as the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung), a body whose function is mostly ceremonial in nature. The Federal Assembly meets only rarely, such as for the inauguration of the Federal President.
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Federal Council
The Austrian Parliament (German: Österreichisches Parlament) is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers – the National Council and the Federal Council. The Federal Council (German: Bundesrat) is the upper house of the Austrian Parliament, representing the nine States of Austria at the federal level.
The Federal Council is made up of a president (elected for a term of half a year) and two vice-presidents. The president of the Federal Council is nominated by the largest party of each state in semi-yearly intervals. The Federal Council is elected indirectly, through the provincial assemblies (Landtage) of the nine States of the Federal Republic, and reflects the distribution of seats in the Austrian Landtage. The current Federal Council is composed of 61 delegates. The members of the Federal Council are elected according to proportional representation by each of the Austrian states' legislatures (Landtage) for 5- to 6-year terms.
The Federal Council is the less powerful of the two houses of the Austrian Parliament. Although it has to approve every new law decided for by the lower chamber, the National Council, the latter can – in most cases – overrule the Federal Council's refusal to approve. In most issues, the Federal Council only possesses a dilatory right of veto which can be overridden by the National Council. However, the Federal Council enjoys absolute veto powers over bills intended to alter the powers of either the states, or of the Federal Council itself.
The Federal Council and the National Council, if in joint session, form a third parliamentary body: the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) that convenes for the oath of office of the President of Austria. The Federal Assembly is mostly a ceremonial body and convenes only rarely, for instance, to witness the inauguration of the Federal President.
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Federal Assembly
The Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) is the body that comprises both houses of the Austrian Parliament. The Federal Assembly performs mostly ceremonial functions and convenes only on rare occasions, such as the inauguration of the Federal President. However, under extraordinary circumstances, the Austrian Constitution grants significant responsibilities to the Federal Assembly. For example, it would play a crucial role in the hypothetical impeachment of a Federal President.
The Austrian Parliament, officially known as the Österreichisches Parlament in German, is the bicameral federal legislature of Austria. It consists of two chambers: the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat). The National Council, composed of 183 members, is the dominant but "lower" house in the Austrian Parliament. Its members are elected through proportional representation in general elections held every five years or earlier if the council moves for its premature dissolution.
The Federal Council, on the other hand, is the "upper" house and is elected indirectly through the provincial assemblies (Landtage) of the nine states of the Federal Republic. The composition of the Federal Council reflects the distribution of seats in the Austrian Landtage. The Federal Council represents the interests of the provinces in Parliament, and its members remain in office throughout the legislative period of the Diet that delegated them.
Both the National Council and the Federal Council have important roles in the law-making process. The National Council, as the main legislative body, prepares and implements legislation in conjunction with the Federal Council. The Federal Council ensures that the interests of the provinces are considered in the legislative process.
The Austrian Parliament, housed in the Parliament Building in Vienna, is a symbol of democracy in the country. It is known for its transparency, with all documents and minutes of council sittings being made public, and its commitment to representing the interests of Austrian citizens.
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Imperial Council
The Imperial Council was the legislature of the Austrian Empire from 1861 until 1918. It was a bicameral body, consisting of an upper house, the House of Lords (Herrenhaus in German), and a lower house, the House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus in German). The Imperial Council was established by the February Patent, which was promulgated in 1861.
The House of Lords was convened for the first time on 29 April 1861 and was composed of influential Catholic archbishops and bishops of various cities, some in the Latin Church and others in one of the Eastern Catholic Churches. It also included hereditary peers, selected from certain families among the hereditary landowning nobility, and life peers, citizens of Austria appointed to the House for life by the Emperor, for services to the state, the church, science, or art.
The House of Deputies was made up of 343 deputies elected by the diets of the crown lands. The diets themselves were elected by four curiae, or assemblies of certain social classes. There was one curia for the landowning class, one for the chambers of commerce, one for the towns and cities, and one for rural communities.
To become law, bills had to be passed by both houses, signed by the government minister responsible, and then granted royal assent by the Emperor. After being passed, laws were published in the Reichsgesetzblatt (Reich Law Gazette).
The Imperial Council was dissolved on 12 November 1918, following Austria-Hungary's defeat in the First World War. The last meeting of the House of Lords was held on 30 October 1918 and was adjourned within five minutes. The House of Lords chamber of the Parliament Building was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War but has since been rebuilt and now serves as the chamber of the democratically elected National Council of the Republic of Austria.
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Frequently asked questions
The Austrian Parliament is called the Österreichisches Parlament in German. It consists of two chambers: the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat).
The National Council is the main legislative body and is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election. The Federal Council is the second chamber of Parliament and represents the interests of the provinces. Its composition depends on the relative strength of the parties in the Diets of the Federal Provinces.
The Austrian Parliament meets in the Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna, located on the Ringstraße in the first district, Innere Stadt, near Hofburg Palace and the Palace of Justice. The building was completed in 1883 and is designed in the Greek Revival style by Theophil Hansen.
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