Austria - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Austria, it was 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 both Bavaria and all German peoples; the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name. The Government system in this country is the federal parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
National symbols
Eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white.
The flag
The National flag of Austria has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, in 1191, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed) |
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note 1: adopted 1947; the anthem is also known as "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" (Land of the Mountains, Land by the River); Austria adopted a new national anthem after World War II to replace the former imperial anthem composed by Franz Josef HAYDN, which had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and was thereafter associated with the Nazi regime; a gender-neutral version of the lyrics was adopted by the Austrian Federal Assembly in fall 2011 and became effective 1 January 2012
note 2: the beloved waltz "The Blue Danube" ("An der schoenen, blauen Donau"), composed in 1866 by the Austrian composer Johann STRAUSS II, is consistently referred to as Austria's unofficial national anthem
note 2: the beloved waltz "The Blue Danube" ("An der schoenen, blauen Donau"), composed in 1866 by the Austrian composer Johann STRAUSS II, is consistently referred to as Austria's unofficial national anthem
More about the government of Austria
| Date of 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) |
| Legal system | civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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 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 reelected in first round; percent of vote - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent) 56.7%, Walter ROSENKRANZ (FPO) 17.7%, Dominik WLAZNY (Beer Party) 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% |
| 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 2024 (next to be held by 30 September 2029) |
| 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 - men 32, women 28, percentage women 46.7% National Council - seats by party - FPOe 57, OeVP 51, SPOe 41, NEOS 18, The Greens 26; composition - men 117, women 66, percentage women 36.1%; total Federal Assembly percentage women 38.7% |
| 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 |
| 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 | [email protected] https://www.austria.org/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Los Angeles, New York |
| Consulate(s) | Chicago |
| Diplomatic representation from the 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) 31339 2017 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://at.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 12 (11 cultural, 1 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Historic Salzburg (c); Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn (c); Halstadt–Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape (c); Semmering railway (c); Historic Graz and Schloss Eggenberg (c); Wachau Cultural Landscape (c); Historic Vienna (c); Fertő/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape (c); Baden bei Wien (c); Primeval Beech Forests - Dürrenstein, Kalkalpen (n) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Austria
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Austria
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