PARLIAMENTARY
DEMOCRACY
"Austria is a democratic republic.
Legislative power is in the hands of the people." Thus
Article I of the Federal Constitution.
The system of parliamentary democracy in
Austria had been annulled on March 4, 1933. From March 13, 1938,
onward Austria was occupied by Germany and thus prevented from
existing as a sovereign nation. Up to April 1945 it was part of
the "Third Reich."
In much the same way as had happened with the
First Republic, it was the political parties which founded the
Second Republic after the liberation of Austria in April 1945.
The three anti-fascist parties, the Socialist Party of Austria (SP?,
renamed Social Democrats in 1991, the Austrian People's Party (焀P
- Christian Democrats) and the Communist Party of Austria (KP?
agreed on the formation of a provisional government headed by
Karl Renner which proclaimed Austria's independence. This
Declaration of Independence was issued on April 27, 1945.
The Declaration of Independence contains the
following two clauses:
"Article I: The Democratic Republic of
Austria is restored and is to be re-established in the spirit of
the constitution of 1920.
Article II: The annexation imposed upon the
people of Austria in 1938 is declared null and void."
The Federal Constitution of 1920 is to a
great extent the work of Hans Kelsen, the expert on political and
international law who defined democracy as the closest possible
approximation to the idea of freedom within the framework of
social realities. Austria's constitution is guided by the rule of
law and based on the republican, democratic and federal
principles as well as on the strict division of legislative and
executive powers and of the judiciary and administration.
The constitutional guarantee of basic rights
in Austria looks back on a tradition more than a century old, and
the constitution is supplemented by the provisions of the
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms.
Federal President
The head of the Austrian state is the Federal
President. On May 24, 1992, the diplomat Thomas Klestil,
candidate of the Austrian People's Party (焀P), was elected head
of state. Thomas Klestil took his oath of office for his second
term on 8 July, 1998. Mr. Klestil had been re-elected with 63.5%
of the vote on 19 April, 1998.
Since 1951 the head of state has been elected
directly by the people. Voting in the presidential election is
compulsory in those provinces which have enacted legislation to
this effect.
The head of state holds office for six years.
Reelection for a consecutive term of office is admissible only
once.
The Federal President represents the Republic
internationally; he convokes and prorogues Parliament and,
subject to certain conditions, he can dissolve the Nationalrat,
although not more than once for the same reason. He appoints the
Federal Chancellor, usually the leader of the strongest party,
and, at the latter's suggestion, the members of the government.
No one can become a member of the government unless he has the
approval of the President.
Among the presidential duties are the signing
of treaties, the swearing in of provincial governors and the
verification of laws passed by Parliament. The head of state is
also commander-in-chief of the Austrian Armed Forces.
In the event of any violation of the
constitution the President is held legally responsible and he may
be deposed by referendum upon the request of Parliament before
his term of office expires.
Parliament
The Nationalrat and the Bundesrat, the two
houses of the Austrian Parliament, are the main legislative
bodies of the Republic.
The Nationalrat approves federal legislation
and also any newly formed government. A vote of no confidence on
the part of the Nationalrat may mean the dismissal of the
government or of individual members of the cabinet.
Along with the nine provincial legislatures
and governments, the Bundesrat, in which representation is by
province, reflects the federal element of the Austrian system of
government. Virtually every draft law approved by the lower house
must also be presented to the upper house. The Bundesrat can
object to such draft legislation, but if the Nationalrat once
again carries its original resolution, this is then authenticated
and passed.
The Nationalrat is elected for a four-year
term by proportional representation on a basis of equal, direct,
secret and personal suffrage. The right to vote can be exercised
by anyone who has completed his or her 18th year before the 1st
of January of the election year and whose suffrage has not been
forfeited. A law passed by the Nationalrat in 1990 also gives
Austrians abroad the right to cast their vote in elections and
referendums. Candidates are eligible for election if they have
completed their 19th year before the 1st January of the election
year and whose right to be a candidate has not been forfeited.
New legislation governing procedures for national elections came
into effect in 1993. It provides for a three-tiered system for
translating votes into parliamentary seats, retaining the
proportional representation principle, and introduces a 4% hurdle
nationwide to avoid excessive political fragmentation. The goal
of the new electoral law is to strengthen personal contact
between voters and candidates by reducing the size of regional
constituencies, and to enhance the voter's scope for influencing
the actual composition of Parliament by means on an extended
system of preference votes. The Nationalrat comprises 183 members..
The members of the Bundesrat are delegated by
the legislatures of the individual provinces. The Bundesrat
currently comprises 64 members. The number of members sent by
each province depends on the size of its population.
Together, the Nationalrat and the Bundesrat
form what is known as the Federal Assembly and one of their most
important tasks is to accept the oath sworn by the President when
he assumes office. Any Austrian entitled to vote has the right to
initiate legislative proceedings by starting a referendum. Any
total revision of the constitution must be submitted to a
referendum by the entire nation.
Federal Government
The Federal Government is headed by the
Chancellor, who, along with the Vice Chancellor and the cabinet
ministers, conducts all government affairs which are not the
responsibility of the President. If necessary, ministers may be
assisted by state secretaries. Only the federal ministers have a
vote in the Federal Government. Votes have to be unanimous. One
of the Federal Government's tasks is to approve draft legislation
which is then submitted to Parliament as government bills.
When the Austrian Republic was reestablished
in 1945, the Provisional Government formed by Chancellor Karl
Renner was made up of approximately equal numbers of
representatives from the Sozialistische Partei 珺terreichs (SP?Social
Democrats), the terreichische Volkspartei (P-Christian
Democrats) and the Kommunistische Partei terreichs (KP?Communists).
After the first elections to the Nationalrat,
in November 1945, in which the Communists won only four out of a
total of 165 seats, there was, until 1947, one communist minister
in addition to the cabinet members representing the two major
parties. With the exception of this two-year period, the
government until April 1966 was always in the hands of a
coalition between the People's Party and the Socialists, with the
Chancellor coming from the People's Party, which was consistently
the stronger. In 1966, the People's Party gained a majority and
formed a one-party government, which remained in power until
April 1970.
From 1970 to 1983, the duties of government
lay in the hands of the SP? When it lost its majority in 1983, it
formed a coalition government with the FP? Following a change in
FP? party leadership, the SP decided not to continue the
coalition government in 1986. The Nationalrat election of that
year resulted in the Green Party gaining parliamentary seats. It
was the first time since 1956 that there were four parties
represented in the Austrian Parliament. In February 1993, five
Nationalrat members left the FP and founded the "Liberal
Forum." Since then, the Nationalrat has been composed of
five parliamentary groups. In 1987, the SP and P formed a
coalition government. Viktor Klima (SP) has been Chancellor
since January 1997, Wolfgang Sch媠sel (焀P) Vice-Chancellor and
Foreign Minister since May 1995.
FEDERAL SYSTEM
The Austrian federal system is rooted deeply in
the country's history, during which each of the nine federal
provinces has acquired its own specific character. After the
collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, this individuality
lost none of its political significance; each province seeks to
maintain its independent character, but strictly within the
framework of the Austrian nation as a whole.
Each province is administered by it own
government , headed by a governor elected by the provincial
legislature. Members to these legislatures are elected according
to the same principles as those to the Nationalrat and their
numbers are determined in accordance with the population of each
province. The full significance of the federal system in Austria
is reflected in the fact that in the provinces, federal affairs
are exerted by the governor, that is to say by provincial
authority. Each province also has the right to protest to the
Constitutional Court if it believes that any federal legislation
encroaches on its authority.
The individual provinces' responsibility for
legislation, on such matters as young people's welfare, nature
conservation, building and hunting regulations, is exercised by
the provincial legislature.
At a lower level of regional administration
comes the Bezirk, or district, which is in the charge of a
specially appointed government official, and the local
municipality, which has a considerable degree of independence in
matters of local affairs. Each community has its council, which
is responsible for the election of a mayor.
BASIC RIGHTS
Most of the basic rights and freedoms guaranteed
by the present Austrian Constitution were originally listed in
the Basic Law passed in 1867 under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy
before being included in the constitution of the new republic
when it was drawn up in 1920. Legislation in the Second Republic
has always been based on the principles set out in the United
Nations Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
In 1958, Austria became a signatory to the
Council of Europe's Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms.
The Federal Constitution states that all
citizens are equal before the law. There may be no discrimination
on the grounds of birth, sex, status, class, religion, race or
language and all citizens enjoy the right be elected to public
office.
Personal liberty is guaranteed. Arrest is
possible only on the strength of a warrant stating specific
reasons and there are similarly strict regulations concerning the
rights of the individual's home and the privacy of letters. The
constitution also safeguards the complete freedom of movements
and property within the state boundaries as well as the right to
emigrate. No Austrian may be deprived of his lawful judge.
Freedom of association is guaranteed. Everyone has the right
within the limits of the law to express his opinion through
speech or in writing, print or by pictorial representation. The
press may neither be subjected to censorship nor restricted by
the licensing system. There is complete freedom of conscience and
religion, and knowledge and its teaching are free.
THE JUDICIARY
Of paramount importance in the field of the
Austrian judiciary is the fact that the administration of justice
should be completely independent. The constitution states
specifically that judges are independent in the exercise of their
judicial function and that they can be neither dismissed nor
transferred. The institution of the lay assessor means that the
people take part directly in the administration of justice. The
lay assessors or, in the event of crimes entailing severe
penalties, a jury consider cases under the guidance of a
professional judge. A series of successive stages of appeal,
reaching as far as the Supreme Court, provides adequate insurance
against the possibility of legal error. The maximum penalty under
Austrian law is life imprisonment; there is no death penalty.
The Administrative Court ensures the legality
of all acts of public administration while the Constitutional
Court examines legislation to make sure that there is no
violation of the constitution. Any citizen who feels that his
rights have been violated by an administrative act or that his
basic rights as guaranteed by the constitution have been
encroached upon may appeal to the Administrative and
Constitutional Courts.
Controlling bodies
The Central Auditing Authority scrutinizes the
financial affairs of the public administration, the nationalized
industries and the social insurance authorities. It investigates
public expenditure - by the federal and provincial authorities
and by local councils in municipalities of over 20,000
inhabitants - to ensure that the taxpayer’s money is being
spent economically and productively.
The institution of the people’s lawyer
exists to register complaints brought forward by anybody who
feels that he or she has been treated unjustly by any
administrative authority. To facilitate the investigation of such
complaints the people’s lawyers have an unlimited right to
inspect administrative records, and on the basis of their
investigations they can submit a recommendation to the authority
concerned to the effect that the injustice cited in the complaint
be rectified.
The people’s lawyers are an autonomous
institution accountable only to the Nationalrat, to which they
submit an annual report. They form a collegiate body consisting
of three people’s lawyers, with an annually rotating presidency.
They are appointed on the basis of recommendations by the three
parties with the largest number of seats in Parliament. The law
applying to the people’s lawyers is an integral part of the
federal constitution.
ARMED FORCES
In accordance with the terms of the
comprehensive national defense plan, the Federal Armed Forces (Bundesheer)
are designed to provide the following:
The Federal President is the commander-in-chief
of the Armed Forces and disposal over them lies with the Minister
of National Defense within the limits of the authorization
conferred on him by the government.
The Federal Armed Forces are kept up to
strength by means of compulsory national service. Every Austrian
male between the age 18 to 50 is liable for military service.
Since 1998, women can serve on a voluntary basis.
Basic military service lasts six months. In
addition to this, all those liable to service take part in
subsequent reserve training totalling 60 days, of which 30
generally have to be completed consecutively and immediately
after the basic military training. Within the ten years after the
completion of full basic military training, those liable for
military service are called up for exercises totalling the
remaining 30 days. To qualify for the status of cadre personnel,
an additional 60 or 90 days of exercises have to be completed.
Anyone who objects to military service on
grounds of conscience and is exempted on these grounds must
perform some alternative civilian form of service.
The Armed Forces are divided into three corps
(Graz, Salzburg, Baden near Vienna) and an air corps with
headquarters in Langenlebarn near Vienna.
THE POLITICAL PARTIES
The political scene in the Second Republic
has been dominated by the Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische
Partei terreichs - SP? and the People's Party (
terreichische Volkspartei - 焀P) which have achieved varying
majorities. Apart from these two, only the Freiheitliche Partei
珺terreichs - FP? or its predecessor, the Independents' Union (Verband
der Unabh gigen - VdU), the Communist Party (Kommunistische
Partei terreichs - KP? until 1959, the Greens and the
Liberal Forum have been represented in Parliament.
In 1986 the Greens for the first time won
seats in the Nationalrat and thus rejuvenated the political scene
in Austria. The times when one of the two large parties had been
able to count on a majority of votes and seats at an election to
the Nationalrat were over. While, from 1959 to 1986, only three
parties had held seats in the Nationalrat, four parties have been
represented since 1986, five since 1993.
There follow descriptions of each of the
political parties represented in the Nationalrat:
SOZIAL DEMOKRATISCHE PART EI
TERREICHS (SP)
The Social Democratic Party of Austria has
emerged from every parliamentary election since 1970 with the
largest number of votes of any Austrian party and has held the
chancellorship since that year. It was founded by Victor Adler in
1889. During the era of the Dual Monarchy it served as the
spokesman of the workers, securing universal suffrage in Austria
in 1906.
In 1918 the Social Democratic Party was the
driving force behind the establishment of the Republic of Austria.
Up to 1920 the Social Democrat Karl Renner held the post of State
Chancellor. After 1920 it was forced into opposition but still
managed to implement its humanitarian political ideals in Vienna
and other towns and cities which had Social Democratic majorities
in their municipal councils. In 1934 the Austro-fascist regime
outlawed the Social Democratic Party, which went underground.
However, many Social Democrats remained politically active, at
enormous personal risk.
Reconstituted in 1945, the SP?- the runner-up
in national elections - belonged to the coalition governments up
to 1966 which oversaw the post-war reconstruction of Austria.
Following an internal reform initiated by Bruno Kreisky, the SP
achieved a Parliamentary majority in 1970 and in subsequent years
successfully worked to make Austria a modern and future-oriented
country with a good social infrastructure. Since 1986, the SP has
been the senior partner in a coalition with the 焀P. The 1995
Nationalrat election clearly strengthened the leading position of
the SP?in that coalition. The SP has been led by Chancellor
Viktor Klima since 1997.
The main objectives of the present
government can be summarized as follows: modernizing the welfare
state, ensuring a return to full employment, strengthening the
Austrian economy, safeguarding domestic and external security,
working toward a consistent environmental policy, including a
Central European area free from nuclear power plants, and
especially making the most of the new opportunities that arise
from Austria’s membership in the European Union. With about 500,000
members and numerous organizations subscribing to the ideals of
the Social Democratic movement and representing vocational groups
and specific interests, the SP is a typical grassroots party. In
recent years, though, it has undergone changes and has
increasingly addressed non-members.
In its many local and district organizations
and in the nine provincial organizations, the members vote
democratically on issues of local and regional policy and on
national political issues. Members’ and delegates’ assemblies
elect the party office holders by secret ballot. The party's
supreme decision-making body is the National Party Conference,
which is convened every two years. In 1993 the SP adopted new, up-to-date
party statutes providing for wider representation of women, a
more open structure and wider scope for non-members to play an
active role. Party members are accorded the right to nominate SP
candidates in a round of preliminary votes and to decide on
fundamental political issues in grassroots ballots.
The SP participates actively in both the
Socialist International and the Socialist Party of Europe.
It bases its policies on its unequivocal
commitment to the fundamental values of Social Democracy -
freedom, equality, justice, and solidarity - but has at all times
refused to bow to dogmatic rigidity and been open to new ideas.
After an in-depth discussion that lasted
almost five years, the SP?is going to adopt a new party program
in 1998, which will focus on the implementation of "a social
order which aims at furthering the free development of the
individual in the community."
The policies which the SP?pursues attach
particular importance to the evolution of Austria into one of the
world's leading industrialized nations capable of fulfilling its
obligations in an integrated Europe. At the same time the party
is committed to safeguarding jobs, to promoting the social rights
of working people and to the full realization of the welfare
state. The concept of the ?ecological circulation-flow economy"
expounded by the SP envisages the reconciliation of economic
growth and the exigencies of environmental conservation.
TERREICHISCHE VOLKSPARTEI
The Austrian People's Party was founded on
April 17, 1945. It is a Christian Democratic party composed - in
accordance with the principle of partnership between social
groups - of six suborganizations: the Austrian Federation of
Workers and Employees ; the Austrian Farmers' Federation ; the
Austrian Economic Federation ; the Austrian Women's Movement ;
the Young People's Party (JVP); and the Austrian Senior Citizens'
Federation . In compliance with a pronounced sense of
federalism,is made up of nine provincial parties, each of which
runs its own party organizations at municipal and local levels.
The 焀P supreme body is the Federal Party
Conference, which is responsible for formulating basic policy
guidelines and electing the Federal Party Chairman and his
deputies. The Federal Party Executive Committee comprises the
representatives of the provincial party organizations and the
constituent organizations. Wolfgang Sch媠sel has served as 焀P
Federal Party Chairman since 1995.
The 焀P pledges itself to free and
independent Austrian active participation in European integration
within the scope of the European Union, and it pledges itself to
democracy, the rule of law and a free social order. It regards
respect for the individual and the dignity of people as its
highest obligation. As a party committed to social integration,
it seeks to realize the well-being of all people.
The 焀P set out to give the public a
greater role in political decision-making and thus advocates the
principle of personal election and preliminary ballot to which
all voters have equal access.
The 焀P seeks to strengthen the position of
the individual in relation to the government and the influence of
political parties. It sets out to enhance the standing of the
family and of small-scale organizational entities - in such
fields as the health system. It advocates an orderly policy on
immigration, giving assistance to the politically persecuted but
at the same time always bearing in mind Austria's needs and
capabilities. The 焀P supports Austria's involvement in
constructing the European security system and in international
peace-keeping efforts.
The 焀P advocates an economical and
efficient public administration, greater freedom and less
bureaucracy. It believes in individual performance and the need
to provide a broad spectrum of educational and training programs
and facilities.
By pursuing its concept of an eco-social
market economy, the 焀P seeks to mobilize the innovative
capacity of Austria's small and medium-size businesses on behalf
of environmental conservation. The 焀P upholds the principle of
entrepreneurial initiative and a system of social security which
aids the underprivileged and counters social abuse.
By reducing the burden with which they have
to contend, the 焀P seeks to strengthen the position of
consumers and of business in preparation for participation in new
markets and a new economic order in Europe.
The People’s Party is a member of the
European Union of Christian Democrats (UEDC), of the European
Democrat Union (EDU), and of the International Democrat Union (IDU).
FREIHEITLICHE PARTEI TERREICHS (FP)
Following the restoration of the Austrian
Republic in 1945, the four occupying powers allowed Conservatives
and Socialists to form parties, the 焀P and the SP? but the
liberal element among the population was initially refused
independent political representation. With the establishment in
1949 of the "Verband der Unabh鄚gigen" (Association of
Independents - VdU), the foundation was laid for a third
political force in Austria. The Association had the support of
"liberal-freiheitlich" circles and of voters
disappointed by the People's Party and the Socialists; it
proceeded to develop new social ideas based on the principle of
partnership. Anti-Marxist in character, the new group was
particularly opposed to all kinds of classwarfare.
The two parties which formed the coalition
government(焀P and SP? consistently prevented the "Verband
der Unabhgigen" from assuming any political responsibility
and when, as a result of this, the party began to disintegrate,
the new "Freiheitliche Partei 珺terreichs(FP? was founded
in 1955 by Anton Reinthaller. It took over the other group's
party organization and distinguished its ideology more clearly
from that of the other parties.
From 1955 to 1966, the FP?provided the only
parliamentary opposition to the coalition formed by the 焀P and
the SP? When the coalition broke up, the FP?was able to assume a
more significant political role.
Attempts by the 焀P, during its period of
one-party government, to render the FP? completely ineffective
met with no success. The SP?drew its own conclusions from this
and acknowledged the FP?as a political partner in 1970. When the
Socialists formed a minority government, the FP?was called to
assume political responsibility, and during the period of SP?one-party
governments(1971-1983) it represented a negotiating partner,
independent of both SP?and 焀P, whose voice played a role in
making parliamentary decisions on Austrian domestic politics. In
1983, for the first time in its history, the FP?joined the
government as the coalition partner of the SP?
The FP?s modern party program, issued at
Salzburg in 1985, and its manifesto on social policy drawn up in
1973 reflect its progressive and anti-collectivist character. The
party appeals to people who attach value to personal achievement,
who are willing to accept the responsibilities of freedom rather
than sacrifice personal goals to apparent collective security.
In September 1986 J顤g Haider was elected
federal party leader. In the immediately following parliamentary
election in the same year the FP?won 18 seats, which increased to
33 in the 1990 election. Despite the secession of some members,
who founded the Liberal Forum, the Party made considerable gains
in the 1994 parliamentary election. 42 parliamentary seats speak
a clear language: the determined and consistent policies pursued
in the interest of Austria were for the first time supported by
more than one million voters. This upswing reached its first peak
with J顤g Haider being elected Provincial Governor of Carinthia
in 1989.
On account of this strong voter support,
which enabled the FP?to share governmental responsibilities in
almost all the provinces, the party has been able to implement
its freedom ideas in concrete form. At the same time, however,
the party continues its role as an opposition party which offers
constructive criticism and sees itself as the driving force
behind Austria’s political renewal.
The excellent election returns of the last
few years, which reflect the growing confidence of the voters in
the party’s political work, are seen by the party leaders as
making it incumbent upon them to defend the interests of Austrian
citizens to the best of their ability. In order to meet the
challenges of changing conditions, the traditional way of
regarding the political landscape as being divided into opposing
camps must be abandoned and the powers of political parties
limited.
The FP?#146;s next reform effort was the
"Compact with Austria" project, in which some thousand
experts were commissioned to develop a program designed to
develop the Austrian democratic system into a citizen’s
republic.
The Nationalrat election of 1995, which was
held only one year after the previous one, gave the FP?more than
one million votes. For the FP? 1996 was dominated by the European
Parliament elections. The FP?succeeded in narrowing the gap
between itself and the governing coalition parties in terms of
both votes and percentage. 6 of the 21 Austrian parliamentary
delegates representing Austria's interests in Brussels and
Strasbourg were members of the FP?
LIBERAL FORUM
The Liberal Forum was founded on February 9,
1993. A few days previously, the former Third President of the
Nationalrat, Heide Schmidt, who had been elected Chairwoman at
the party's founding conference in November 1993, declared her
secession from the FP?along with four other members of Parliament.
At their foundaing conference the Liberal Forum also adopted the
party's manifesto and its constitution.
The success of the Liberal Forum in its
first Nationalrat election in 1994 was reconfirmed in the
election of 1995 though the party suffered some minor losses. In
the meantime, Liberal Forum representatives have also been
elected to the provincial diets of Lower Austria, Styria and
Vienna.
The Liberal Forum has a close relationship
with its member, who it refers to as "partners."
Recognition as a "partner" is conditional on the
applicant signing a charter which contains in a few words the
Liberal Forum's concept of itself and its political objectives.
The charter - as well as the party's foundation manifesto,
adopted in November 1993 - is based on a conception of the human
being that is characterized by the individual's capability of
independent and responsible action.
In liberal politics, not only the
safeguarding of basic material well-being is an indivisible task
for the individual, as well as for society, but also assuming
responsibility for our environment, a duty incumbent on the
present generation particularly with a view to the rightful
claims of future ones.
In addition it is necessary to assume
responsibility on an international level, within Europe and in
the developing countries.
The Liberals regard the democratic state,
which safeguards basic rights and freedoms and is based on the
principles of constitutionality, the rule of law and the
separation of powers as well as an economic order founded upon
private property, competition and a free market economy as the
best way to safeguard freedom, further achievement and
development for both the individual and society.
The Liberal Forum is a European party. One
of its prime liberal objectives has been reached by Austria's
accession to the EU. It will now be indispensable to make the
most of EU membership in the interest of promoting the further
development of both Austria and the whole of Europe. Therefore
the Liberal Forum works closely with ELDR (European Liberal,
Democrat and Reform Party,) the overhead organization of Liberal
Parties in the European Parliament. The Austrian Liberals also
take an active part in the work of the Liberal International (LI).
Heide Schmidt has been its Vice-President since September 1994.
THE GREENS
As in many other European countries, the
Greens are represented in the Austrian Parliament.
The formation of a Green party reflects the
political desire of a large number of people for a fundamentally
new approach to counter the destructive consequences of economic
activity.
According to the Greens, the established
political parties and the social partnership structures allied
with them have proved incapable of responding adequately to signs
of economic, ecological and social crisis.
Even before they entered Parliament the
Greens succeeded in preventing the commissioning of Austria's
first nuclear power station in Zwentendorf and the destruction of
one of Central Europe's last surviving meadowlands near Hainburg.
In order to be in a better position to
realize their own objectives, a number of groups and initiatives
decided to contest the 1986 national election and at their first
attempt won parliamentary seats.
The Greens had their greatest election
success so far in 1994, when they gained access to the provincial
diets (legislatures) in Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg and Vienna.
Eva Lichtenberger, Tyrol, is the first Green member of government
in her capacity as Provincial Councilor for Environmental Matters
in that province. In 1996, Vienna City Councilor Christoph
Chorherr succeeded Madeleine Petrovic as federal spokesperson for
the Greens.
As a party, "The Greens - The Green
Alternative," the Greens advocate those principles which
characterize the Green movement internationally (ecological and
social principles, grass-roots democracy and non-violence) but
also specifically Austrian issues.
The first parliamentary goal of the Greens
is to do away with the nebulous, authoritarian structures of
decision-making by informal quasi-governmental and oligarchical
groups and to restore the appropriate transparency to government.
This is of paramount importance in a country which has anenormous
amount of ground to make up in terms of liberal outlooks,
tolerance and democracy.
The Greens are always striving to promote a
greater awareness of ecological and democratic priorities within
the obscure workings of the superstructures which exist in such
fields as the energy-generating industry and the state-owned
sector. In their "Work through Environmentalism"
program, the Greens made proposals for a comprehensive investment
program in the fields of energy production, tourism, agriculture,
construction, public transport, waste disposal, recycling and
nature conservation, that not only place emphasis on ecological
concerns but would at the same time generate some 150,000 new
jobs.
"Green is more than a fashionable color:"
that was the motto of the first federal conference of the Greens.
In view of the unbroken succession of crises we are convinced
that the entire range of objectives pursued by the Greens will
continue to gain in importance.
ORGANIZED ECONOMIC INTERESTS
In the industrial society of the modern
democratic state, the organized representation of economic
interests has acquired special significance. Austria's economic
prosperity and the calm political atmosphere at home are due to a
great extent to the smooth cooperation between the two main
interest groups, workers and employers, cooperation which has
become institutionalized in Austria to a greater extent than in
virtually any other democratic nation. In 1996 there were no
strikes at all.
The interests of the employees in Austria are
represented by the Austrian Trade Union Federation , the Chambers
of Labor and the Chambers of Agriculture. Membership of the 涻B
is voluntary, while the chambers are public corporations with
compulsory membership.
CHAMBERS OF LABOR
The Chambers of Labor are designed to support
the 涻B and the public authorities in any field where the
interest of employees are concerned. In accordance with Austria's
federal system, there are nine individual provincial chambers
which are represented at the federal level by the Federal Chamber
of Labor. Among the responsibilities of the chamber are the
appraisal of draft legislation, drawing up an economic and social
basis for effective representation of the employees' interests,
providing training and advice for employees and for the workers'
councils , and public relations.
Agricultural employees are represented by the
Chambers of Agricultural Labor.
ECONOMIC CHAMBERS
The economic chambers are public corporations
representing the enterprises active in Austria's economic life.
There are nine regional chambers and one at the federal level,
the Economic Chamber of Austria.
Each of the regional chambers, as well as the
national or federal chamber, is divided into six sections:
industry; commerce; trade; finance, credit and insurance;
transport; tourism. And each section is split into further
subgroups.
The Economic Chamber of Austria reviews draft
legislation and, like the Chambers of Labor, is instrumental in
shaping economic life through its activities on various advisory
bodies. It supports the public administration and enters on
collective bargaining agreements .
The Economic Chamber of Austria also maintains
trade commissioners in many foreign countries which provide a
major contribution to the promotion of Austria's foreign trade.
The Chambers of Agriculture, which represent
the interests of those independently employed on the land, exist
only at the provincial level. There is central representation,
however, at the Presidential Conference of Chambers of
Agriculture.
FEDERATION OF AUSTRIAN INDUSTRIALISTS
The Federation of Austrian Industrialists, has
a membership of 4,000 employers who, taken together, account for
a work force of more than 400,000. In accordance with its
significance the Federation exerts an influence on political
decisions in the economic and social spheres.
The Federation's constituent bodies are the
general management, the management board and the governing body.
There are also special committees which deal with such fields as
economic, social, tax and fiscal policy and foreign trade. The
Federation has set up regional organizations and departments in
the provinces.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP
In Austria, employers and employees learned
considerably from the bitter years of the First Republic. In the
course of the Second Republic, representatives of labor and
industry came to realize that it is vital to work together in the
preparation and execution of economic measures, always giving top
priority to the requirements of the economy as a whole. In
particular they saw, and still see, the importance of close
cooperation in keeping wages and prices in check, which means
adopting a firm stand when demands are made by a particular
interest group within one's own ranks.
This tradition of "economic and social
partnership," as it has come to be known, is described by
Fritz Klenner in the book "珺terreich. - Die zweite
Republik" as "not a new ideology and not a philosophy
of life, but a new form of policy on the part of the unions and
the employers, an adaptation to the modern system of social, if
not economic equality and the consequent attempt to settle
differences impartially."
Klenner goes on to confirm that labor and
industry in Austria have indeed "settled their differences
with more understanding and consideration for the common good
than has been shown anywhere else in the world."
Parity commission
The policy is reflected particularly clearly
in the work of the Parity Commission for wage and price
negotiations. It is a voluntarily constituted forum with no
legislative basis. The following bodies are represented on the
Parity Commission: the 涻B, the Federal Chamber of Labor, the
Economic Chamber of Austria, the Austrian National Bank, the
Presidential Conference of Chambers of Agriculture and the
Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, of Economic Affairs, and
of Labor, Health and Social Affairs. All of these meet under the
chairmanship of the chancellor. Only the first four of the above
bodies are entitled to vote. The commission's decisions must be
approved unanimously - a factor which significantly reinforces
the process of compromise.
The Parity Commission wields no legal power
but the organizations represented on it can use their influence
to bring its resolutions to bear on the groups whose interests
they represent. Any plans for wage or price rises must be
presented to the commission's wage or price subcommittee. The
wage subcommittee considers such plans in the light of their
overall economic implications and can then give the go-ahead for
negotiations between the contractual partners on changing the
terms of a collective bargaining agreement. But the subcommittee
has no power to influence the substance of any new agreement
reached, least of all the extent of any wage increases negotiated.
In the case of the price subcommittee, the applicant must submit
an objective justification for the requested price increase to
representatives of the employees' organizations before any
decision can be taken. "Politico-economic debates"
chaired by the Federal Chancellor serve the purpose of discussing
medium-term economic policy.
return to Austria Index