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Austria Government and Politics
Austria - Unavailable
Coat of arms of the province of Upper Austria
AUSTRIA'S POLITICAL SYSTEM has been a model of stability since
democracy was restored in 1945. In contrast to the interwar
period, when domestic political rivalries and foreign
intervention brought the system of government set out by the
constitution of 1920 to a standstill, after World War II this
reestablished parliamentary democracy functioned smoothly in what
came to be termed the Second Republic.
For most of the postwar period, Austrian politics appeared
unique in many respects to outside observers. Between 1945 and
1966, the country was ruled by the so-called grand coalition of
the two major parties, the Austrian People's Party
(Österreichische Volkspartei--ÖVP) and the Socialist Party of
Austria (Sozialistische Partei Österreichs--SPÖ). (In 1991 the
name of the latter party was changed to the Social Democratic
Party of Austria [Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs--SPÖ].)
This arrangement appealed to Austria's politicians and people
mainly because it symbolized the reconciliation between social
groups that had fought a brief civil war before the absorption
(Anschluss) of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. The coregency of
the ÖVP and SPÖ led to the systematic dividing of political
offices and civil service posts, known in Austria as
Proporz. Also benefiting from this arrangement were key
economic and professional organizations that were aligned with
the two major parties.
At times, Austria's political system seemed impervious to
change, but by the middle of the 1980s, it had become clear that
far-reaching social and economic trends were beginning to affect
the country's politics. The dominance of the ÖVP and SPÖ was
challenged by the reemergence of the Freedom Party of Austria
(Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs--FPÖ), led by Jörg Haider, a
young right-wing populist who appealed to German nationalist
sentiment. After the FPÖ's short-lived coalition with the SPÖ
between 1983 and 1986, it continued to attract increasing numbers
of voters. In the national election of 1990, the FPÖ won 16.6
percent of the vote, establishing itself as a new power in the
Nationalrat. In early 1993, however, some members of the FPÖ
withdrew from it and formed their own party, The Liberal Forum
(Das Liberale Forum), a potential threat to Haider's political
future. Concern over environmental issues has also affected the
Austrian political process, as evidenced by the entry of Green
political parties into parliament in 1986. Previous patterns of
government, which revolved almost exclusively around reaching
agreement between the ÖVP and the SPÖ, were replaced by a more
contentious, freewheeling atmosphere where more voices are heard.
While the political process underwent gradual but distinct
changes, a variety of scandals during the 1980s brought Austria
to the world's attention. The best-known involved Kurt Waldheim,
elected president in 1986. Shortly after his election, a sharp
international controversy erupted over whether he had been
involved in Nazi atrocities in Yugoslavia during World War II.
Although a thorough investigation found no evidence that Waldheim
had participated in any atrocities, his method of handling the
affair disappointed many Austrians and foreign observers. The
strong emotions unleashed inside Austria by this matter showed
that the older generation is still reluctant to discuss the
country's role in the Nazi era.
Major changes in Austria's political landscape opened
prospects of a new basis for its foreign policy. The bedrock of
Austrian diplomacy in the postwar period has been its commitment
to permanent neutrality. In order to achieve the removal of
Soviet occupying forces, the Austrian government in 1955 pledged
never to join a military alliance or to permit the stationing of
foreign troops on its soil. Thereafter, Austria pursued a policy
of active neutrality, which included participation in numerous
United Nations peacekeeping operations. During the Cold War
period, Austria was a consistent advocate of détente between the
United States and the Soviet Union.
By the late 1980s, a growing number of politicians had
concluded that the country should examine closely the question of
whether or not to join the European Community. After a prolonged
debate over the merits of membership, the Austrian government
submitted a formal entry application in the summer of 1989. As of
late 1993, a substantial number of Austrian citizens still had
serious reservations about joining the organization, which as of
November 1993 came to be known as the European Union. Membership
would have to be approved in a popular referendum. Whatever the
outcome of the vote, the disintegration of communism in Eastern
Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union have raised the
question of whether neutrality should--or could--remain the
guiding principle of Austrian foreign policy.
Data as of December 1993
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