Austria Government

Austria is a democratic republic with a federal parliament. The legislature consists of two chambers: the National and the Federal Councils. Before becoming a democratic republic, Austria existed as a monarchy until 1918. The first republic of Austria took effect until 1938 when Germany took control of the country.

Elections in Austria are held at the federal level and at the local level. At the federal level, the President and the 183 members of the National Council are elected. The Federal Council (Bundesrat) has 61 members who are elected by the nine states of Austria. A president must garner 50% plus one vote to assume office. If none of the candidates achieve the threshold, then the first and second candidates compete in a runoff. Presidential elections are held after six years while elections for the National Council are held after five years. A president can serve for a maximum of two terms.

The Federal Assembly congregates at the Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna. The president’s official workplace and residence is the Hofburg; an imperial palace in the capital city of Vienna. The Austrian Chancellor resides at the Ballhausplatz building, also in Vienna.

The major political parties in Austria include the Austrian People's Party, the Freedom Party of Austria, and the New Austria and Liberal Forum.