Government and Politics of Austria

Government Type

federal republic

Administrative Divisions

9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Legal System

civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections

Citizenship

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

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017; re-elected December 2022) head of government: Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (OeVP) (since 6 January 2022); Vice Chancellor Werner KOGLER (Greens) (since 7 January 2020) cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year term; presidential election last held on 9 October 2022 (next to be held in 2028); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president from the plurality party in the National Council; vice chancellor chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor election results: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN re-elected president in the first round; percent of vote - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent) 56.7%, Walter ROSENKRANZ (FPOe) 17.7%, other candidates combined 25.6% note: government coalition - OeVP and Greens

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of the Federal Council or Bundesrat (61 members; members represent each of the nine states on the basis of population, but with each state having at least 3 representatives; members serve terms corresponding to the legislative period of the respective state parliament) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms). Elections: National Council - last held on 29 September 2024 (next to be held in 2029). Election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - FPOe 28.8%, OeVP 26.3%, SPOe 21.1%, NEOS 9.0%, Greens 8.2%; seats by party - FPOe 57, OeVP 51, SPOe 41, NEOS 18, Greens 16. Following coalition negotiations, the OeVP, SPOe, and NEOS formed a three-party coalition government in January 2025, marking the first time the Freedom Party was excluded from government formation despite finishing first in the election.

Judicial Branch

Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof

Political Parties

Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Joerg HAIDER]; Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER BELLEN]

Head of State

President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017

Head of Government

Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (OeVP)

Cabinet

Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

Elections

National Council - last held on 29 September 2024 (next to be held in 2029).

Election Results

National Council - percent of vote by party - FPOe 28.8%, OeVP 26.3%, SPOe 21.1%, NEOS 9.0%, Greens 8.2%; seats by party - FPOe 57, OeVP 51, SPOe 41, NEOS 18, Greens 16. Following coalition negotiations, the OeVP, SPOe, and NEOS formed a three-party coalition government in January 2025, marking the first time the Freedom Party was excluded from government formation despite finishing first in the election.

Constitution

1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)

Independence

1156 (from Bavaria)

National Holiday

National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the State Treaty restoring national sovereignty and the end of occupation and the passage of the law on permanent neutrality

International Organization Participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700 FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Susan R. McCAW embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [43] (1) 31339 FAX: [43] (1) 3100682

Capital City

Vienna

Location

48 12 N, 16 22 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

the origin of the name is disputed but may derive from early Celtic settlements of the area; a plausible reconstructed Celtic name from several centuries B.C. is Vedunia (meaning "forest stream"), which in Old High German became uuenia (wenia), and later wien (its current German form) in New High German; another possibility is that the name stems from the Roman settlement Vindobona, established around 15 B.C., and its Celtic-derived name (likely from the Celtic windo, meaning "white, fair, or bright" and bona meaning "base, fortification, or settlement" to give a connotation of "white settlement" or "white fort"); archeological remains of the latter survive at many sites in the center of Vienna

EMBASSY LOCATION: U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Consular Section Parkring 12a Telephone: 43- 1-31339-7535 After hours: 43-1-31339 Facsimile: 43-1-512 58 35 E-mail: ConsulateVienna@state.gov

Military Branches

Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)

Service Age and Obligation

Registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory service; males under the age of 35 must complete basic military training (6-month duration); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service