Politics in Austria

Austria is a democratic republic. Political power comes from the population and is exercised according to established rules. Fundamental rights protect, among other things, freedom, equality, and political participation. Austria is a federal state. Responsibilities are divided between the federal level, the nine federal states, and the municipalities. As a result, some matters are decided across Austria, while others are decided closer to where people live. The federal Parliament passes federal laws and oversees the Federal Government. It consists of the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat). The National Council is elected directly, while the Federal Council represents the federal states. The Federal Government administers federal matters and prepares many political initiatives. It comprises the Federal Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, and the federal ministers. The Federal President is the head of state and has constitutional responsibilities of their own. The federal states also have parliaments and governments. Their parliaments are called state parliaments (Landtag), and their governments are state governments. Municipalities are governed politically by municipal councils and mayors. Political parties bring together different ideas about how society should live together. After elections, parties often form a coalition when no party achieves a majority on its own. The opposition consists of the parties that are not part of the government and critically monitor its work. A typical law begins with a proposal, consultations, and votes. Committees examine many details before Parliament makes a decision. The prescribed confirmation and publication steps then follow before a law takes effect. The population participates through elections and, in certain cases, through instruments of direct democracy. These include popular initiatives (Volksbegehren), popular referendums (Volksabstimmung), and popular consultations (Volksbefragung), which have different effects. In addition, people can support petitions, contact elected representatives, or get involved in political parties, associations, and citizens' initiatives. Austria is a member of the European Union. As a result, some rules are created in cooperation with EU institutions and are then applied or implemented in Austria. Politics therefore often means cooperation between the municipality, the federal state, the federal level, and the European level.