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Austria Chancellor and Cabinet
The chancellor (prime minister) is the head of government as
well as chairman of the cabinet. Executive political power
formally rests in the hands of the cabinet. The chancellor, the
cabinet, and their working majority in the Nationalrat are the
real focal point of executive power in the political system. The
chancellor is appointed by the president and can also be
dismissed by him. The chancellor is usually the leader of the
party that has won the most seats in the latest parliamentary
election. At the very least, he or she is the choice of a
majority of the new deputies. The chancellor must be eligible to
serve in the Nationalrat but need not be a member of it. The
chancellor also serves as head of the Federal Chancellery, which
is staffed with civil servants.
In most respects, the chancellor functions as first among
equals in the cabinet. He coordinates the work of the cabinet but
is not entitled to give orders to individual ministers. However,
the chancellor's power varies depending on political
circumstances and his own political gifts. In a coalition
government, the chancellor shares coordinating duties with the
vice chancellor, who is the leader of the junior party in the
coalition. If the chancellor heads a one-party government, his or
her leeway to make decisions is increased. During the long period
of rule under Chancellor Bruno Kreisky (1970-83), the public
visibility of the chancellor was enhanced through the increased
use of television. From the standpoint of the public, the
chancellor had become the dominant figure of government.
On recommendation by the chancellor, the president appoints
individuals to the various cabinet positions. Cabinet members do
not have to be members of the Nationalrat, but they must be
eligible to be elected to it. Persons chosen as cabinet ministers
are usually leading members of a political party or interest
group. Occasionally, however, a person has entered the cabinet
from a high-level civil service position.
The number of ministries varies; in 1993 there were fourteen
ministries. In a coalition government, the apportionment of the
cabinet posts is roughly proportional to the parties' respective
strengths in the Nationalrat. The awarding of particular posts is
based on a coalition agreement reached between the two parties.
In keeping with the traditional Austrian principle of
Proporz (the dividing of political offices according to
the respective strengths and interests of the parties), parties
name individuals to posts of particular concern to them. For
example, if the SPÖ is a member of the coalition, at a minimum it
names the minister for labor and social affairs, in keeping with
the strong support it enjoys from the trade unions. By the same
token, if the ÖVP is part of the coalition, it names the minister
for agriculture and forestry because farmers are one of its main
interest groups. The chancellor and vice chancellor do not have
total control over the selection process for filling cabinet
positions. For example, the SPÖ faction in the Austrian Trade
Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund--ÖGB)
usually chooses the minister for labor and social affairs, and
the ÖVP is careful to allow its various auxiliary associations
and provincial parties to make certain selections. Beginning in
1987, the ÖVP and SPÖ have followed a practice of selecting an
independent to head the Ministry for Justice.
The cabinet is subject to dismissal by the president and the
Nationalrat. The president can dismiss the entire cabinet without
the concurrence of the chancellor, but removal of individual
members requires the recommendation of the chancellor. If the
Nationalrat passes a vote of no confidence--which requires that
one-half of the deputies be present--concerning the entire
cabinet or a minister, the cabinet or minister is removed from
office.
State secretaries are appointed and leave office in the same
manner as ministers, but each government ministry does not have a
state secretary. State secretaries aid ministers in parliamentary
business and are bound by their ministers' instructions. They are
nonvoting participants in cabinet sessions. A state secretary is
not necessarily a member of the same party as the minister he
serves.
Data as of December 1993
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