Austria Government

What is the capital of Austria?

Country Name Austria
Full Country Name Republic of Austria
Local - Long Republik Oesterreich
Local - Short Oesterreich
Etymology- history of name the name Oesterreich means "eastern realm" and dates to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria, and, in fact, of all the Germans; the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name
Government Type federal parliamentary republic
Capital Name Vienna
Capital - geographic coordinate 48 12 N, 16 22 E
Capital Time Difference UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight Savings Time +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Independence no official date of independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established); 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed); 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)
National Holiday National Day (commemorates passage of the law on permanent neutrality), 26 October (1955)
Constitution history: several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934, replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945

amendments: proposed through laws designated "constitutional laws" or through the constitutional process if the amendment is part of another law; approval required by at least a two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly and the presence of one-half of the members; a referendum is required only if requested by one-third of the National Council or Federal Council membership; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote; amended many times, last in 2020

Austria Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Austria Government and Politics

Who is the president of Austria?

Executive Branch: chief of state: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017); note - President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN reelected to a second six-year term on 9 October 2022

head of government: Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021)

cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the chancellor and appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 October 2022; (next election to be held in 2028); chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor

election results:

2022: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in first round; percent of vote - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (the Greens) 56.7%, Walter ROSENKRANZ (FPO) 17.7%, Dominik WLAZNY (Beer) 8.3%, Tassilo WALLENTIN (independent) 8.1%, Gerald GROSZ (independent) 5.6%

2016: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Norbert HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%; percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbert HOFER 46.2%
Citizenship Criteria: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Legal System: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch: description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of:

Federal Council or Bundesrat (61 seats - currently 60; members appointed by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 seats in proportion to its population; members serve 5- or 6-year terms)

National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

Federal Council - last appointed in 2021

National Council - last held on 29 September 2019 (next to be held by 23 October 2024)

election results:

Federal Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 42.6%, SPOe 31.2%. FPOe 16.4%, The Greens 8.2%, NEOS 1.6%; seats by party - OeVP 26, SPOe 19, FPOe 10, The Greens 5, NEOS 1; composition as of August 2023 - men 31, women 29, percent of women 48.3%

National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 37.5%, SPOe 21.2%, FPOe 16.2%, The Greens 13.9%, NEOS 8.1%, other 3.1%; seats by party - OeVP 71, SPOe 40, FPOe 31, The Greens 26, NEOS 15; composition as of January 2024 - men 108, women 75, percent of women 41%; note - total Federal Assembly percentage of women 42.6%
Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the president

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts
Regions or States: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland)

Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
Political Parties and Leaders: Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Karl NEHAMMER]

Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Herbert KICKL]

The Greens - The Green Alternative [Werner KOGLER]

NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum [Beate MEINL-REISINGER]

Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Andreas BABLER]
International Law Organization Participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International Organization Participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic Representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Petra SCHNEEBAUER (since 19 APRIL 2023)

chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035

telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700

FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750

email address and website:

washington-ob@bmeia.gv.at

https://www.austria.org/

consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, Washington

consulate(s): Chicago
Diplomatic Representation from US: chief of mission: Ambassador Victoria Reggie KENNEDY (since 12 January 2022)

embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna

mailing address: 9900 Vienna Place, Washington DC 20521-9900

telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0

FAX: [43] (1) 310-06-82

email address and website:

ConsulateVienna@state.gov

https://at.usembassy.gov/
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