Government of Austria

The Government of Austria (German: Bundesregierung der Republik Österreich) is the executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria. It consists of the chancellor, who is the head of government, the vice chancellor and the ministers.

Government of Austria
Bundesregierung der Republik Österreich
Overview
Established31 October 1918 (1918-10-31)
CountryAustria
LeaderChancellor
Appointed byPresident
Ministries15
HeadquartersChancellery
Websitearchiv.bka.gv.at/site/3327/Default.aspx
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of Austria
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Wöginger • Rendi-Wagner • Kickl • Maurer • Meinl-Reisinger •

  • Upper house of parliament

  • Joint session of both houses
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  • (judicial review)
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Elections
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Political parties
Federal states
For the current government, see Nehammer government.

Appointment

Since the 1929 reform of the Austrian Constitution, all members of the Federal Government are appointed by the Austrian Federal President.[1] As the Federal Government must maintain the confidence of parliament, the President must generally abide by the will of that body in his or her appointments. In practice, the leader of the strongest political party, who ran as a "chancellor candidate" in a parliamentary election, is usually asked to become Federal Chancellor, though there have been some exceptions. Ministers are proposed for nomination by the Chancellor, though the President is permitted to withhold his or her approval. Likewise, the President may dismiss the Chancellor and/or the whole government at any time. If this occurs, a new government must then be formed by the parties that control parliament.

Meetings
Cabinet room in the Austrian Chancellery

The government is convened for frequently scheduled meetings. When formally convened as such, the government is termed the Council of Ministers (German: Ministerrat), which is equivalent to the word "cabinet". The Chancellor presides over cabinet meetings as first among equals without decisional authority, regardless of his right of proposal concerning the appointment of the government's members by the President. The cabinet adopts resolutions in the presence of at least half of its members and, according to the ruling of the Austrian Constitutional Court, unanimously – in particular the introduction of bills to the National Council. Each federal minister is also responsible for his or her own ministry, and may be supported by one or more state secretaries, who also participate in the cabinet's meetings. State secretaries are not considered members of the government, and have no right to vote during cabinet meetings.

Federal Ministries

There are currently twelve Federal Ministries that all make up the Austrian cabinet. [2]

  • Federal Chancellery
  • Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport
  • Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management
  • Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology
  • Federal Ministry of Defence
  • Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
  • Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs
  • Federal Ministry of Finance
  • Federal Ministry of the Interior
  • Federal Ministry of Justice
  • Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy
  • Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection

History
See also: List of chancellors of Austria

First Republic

After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, on 30 October 1918 the provisional national assembly of German Austria elected a State Council (Staatsrat) executive, which itself appointed a state government with the Social Democratic politician Karl Renner as head of the State Chancellery. The Renner ministry was composed of representatives of the three main political parties—Social Democrats, the Christian Social Party (CS) and German Nationalists (Greater Germans)—according to the Proporz doctrine. As acting executive body it remained in office until the Constitutional Assembly of the Austrian First Republic on 15 March 1919 elected Renner's second cabinet, a coalition government of Social Democratic and Christian Social ministers.

State Chancellor Renner had signed the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, whereafter his cabinet retired en bloc. Re-elected by the Constitutional Assembly on 17 October 1919, his third cabinet was finally overturned with the break-up of the SPÖ-CS coalition on 7 July 1920. Renner was succeeded by the Christian Social politician Michael Mayr, who at the commencement of the Austria Constitution on 10 November 1920 became first Federal Chancellor of Austria. Mayr and his successors proceeded with the support of the Christian Social Party and the Greater German nationalists, while the Social Democrats remained in opposition.

From 5 March 1933 onwards, the Christian Social chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß continued to rule by suppressing the National Council parliament. In the course of the Austrian Civil War he brought down the opposition, and on 1 May 1934 implemented the authoritarian Federal State of Austria. All political parties were banned, except for the Fatherland's Front supporting Dollfuß' Austrofascist government. The Federal Government ceased at the Anschluss (the incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany) on 13 March 1938.

Second Republic

On 27 April 1945 a provisional Austrian national unity government, again under State Chancellor Karl Renner, declared the Anschluss null and void. It prepared the elections to the Austrian National Council held on 25 November. On 20 December 1945, the Austrian Constitution was officially re-enacted, with ÖVP founder Leopold Figl forming the first post-war Federal Government.

List of cabinets since 1945:

Governments of Austria
Name of GovernmentDuration of GovernmentChancellorVice-ChancellorParties InvolvedElection
RennerApril 27, 1945 – December 20, 1945Karl Renner1N/AÖVP, SPÖ, KPÖnone
Figl IDecember 20, 1945 – November 8, 1949Leopold Figl (ÖVP)Adolf Schärf (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ, KPÖ1945
Figl IINovember 8, 1949 – October 28, 1952Leopold Figl (ÖVP)Adolf Schärf (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ1949
Figl IIIOctober 28, 1952 – April 2, 1953Leopold Figl (ÖVP)Adolf Schärf (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ
Raab IApril 2, 1953 – June 29, 1956Julius Raab (ÖVP)Adolf Schärf (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ1953
Raab IIJune 29, 1956 – July 16, 1959Julius Raab (ÖVP)Adolf Schärf (SPÖ), Bruno Pittermann (SPÖ)²ÖVP, SPÖ1956
Raab IIIJuly 16, 1959 – November 3, 1960Julius Raab (ÖVP)Bruno Pittermann (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ1959
Raab IVNovember 3, 1960 – April 11, 1961Julius Raab (ÖVP)Bruno Pittermann (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ
Gorbach IApril 11, 1961 – March 27, 1963Alfons Gorbach (ÖVP)Bruno Pittermann (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ
Gorbach IIMarch 27, 1963 – April 2, 1964Alfons Gorbach (ÖVP)Bruno Pittermann (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ1962
Klaus IApril 2, 1964 – April 19, 1966Josef Klaus (ÖVP)Bruno Pittermann (SPÖ)ÖVP, SPÖ
Klaus IIApril 19, 1966 – April 21, 1970Josef Klaus (ÖVP)Fritz Bock (ÖVP), Hermann Withalm (ÖVP)³ÖVP1966
Kreisky IApril 21, 1970 – November 4, 1971Bruno Kreisky (SPÖ)Rudolf Häuser (SPÖ)SPÖ1970
Kreisky IINovember 4, 1971 – October 28, 1975Bruno Kreisky (SPÖ)Rudolf Häuser (SPÖ)SPÖ1971
Kreisky IIIOctober 28, 1975 – June 5, 1979Bruno Kreisky (SPÖ)Rudolf Häuser (SPÖ), Hannes Androsch (SPÖ)4SPÖ1975
Kreisky IVJune 5, 1979 – May 24, 1983Bruno Kreisky (SPÖ)Hannes Androsch (SPÖ), Fred Sinowatz (SPÖ)5SPÖ1979
SinowatzMay 24, 1983 – June 16, 1986Fred Sinowatz (SPÖ)Norbert Steger (FPÖ)SPÖ, FPÖ1983
Vranitzky IJune 16, 1986 – January 21, 1987Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ)Norbert Steger (FPÖ)SPÖ, FPÖ
Vranitzky IIJanuary 21, 1987 – December 17, 1990Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ)Alois Mock (ÖVP), Josef Riegler (ÖVP)6SPÖ, ÖVP1986
Vranitzky IIIDecember 17, 1990 – November 29, 1994Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ)Josef Riegler (ÖVP), Erhard Busek (ÖVP)7SPÖ, ÖVP1990
Vranitzky IVNovember 29, 1994 – March 12, 1996Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ)Erhard Busek (ÖVP), Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP)8SPÖ, ÖVP1994
Vranitzky VMarch 12, 1996 – January 28, 1997Franz Vranitzky (SPÖ)Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP)SPÖ, ÖVP1995
KlimaJanuary 28, 1997 – February 4, 2000Viktor Klima (SPÖ)Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP)SPÖ, ÖVP
Schüssel IFebruary 4, 2000 – February 28, 2003Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP)Susanne Riess-Passer (FPÖ)ÖVP, FPÖ1999
Schüssel IIFebruary 28, 2003 – January 11, 2007Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP)Herbert Haupt (FPÖ), Hubert Gorbach (FPÖ/BZÖ)9ÖVP, FPÖ, BZÖ2002
GusenbauerJanuary 11, 2007 – December 2, 2008Alfred Gusenbauer (SPÖ)Wilhelm Molterer (ÖVP)SPÖ, ÖVP2006
Faymann IDecember 2, 2008 – December 16, 2013Werner Faymann (SPÖ)Josef Pröll (ÖVP), Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP)10SPÖ, ÖVP2008
Faymann IIDecember 16, 2013 – May 9, 2016Werner Faymann (SPÖ)Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP), Reinhold Mitterlehner (ÖVP)11SPÖ, ÖVP2013
KernMay 17, 2016 – December 18, 2017Christian Kern (SPÖ)Reinhold Mitterlehner (ÖVP), Wolfgang Brandstetter (ÖVP)12SPÖ, ÖVP
Kurz IDecember 18, 2017 – May 28, 2019Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP)Heinz-Christian Strache (FPÖ), Hartwig Löger (ÖVP)13ÖVP, FPÖ2017
BierleinJune 3, 2019 – January 7, 2020Brigitte Bierlein (Ind.)Clemens Jabloner (Ind.)none
Kurz IIJanuary 7, 2020 – October 11, 202114Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP)Werner Kogler (Grüne)ÖVP, Grüne2019
SchallenbergOctober 11, 202114 – December 6, 2021Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP)Werner Kogler (Grüne)ÖVP, Grüne
NehammerDecember 6, 2021 – presentKarl Nehammer (ÖVP)Werner Kogler (Grüne)ÖVP, Grüne

Notes

1) Karl Renner acted only as a supervisor of the provisional government
2) As Adolf Schärf was elected as the President of Austria, Bruno Pittermann acted as the vice-chancellor from May 22, 1957.
3) From January 19, 1968, afterwards, Hermann Withalm acted as the vice-chancellor.
4) Rudolf Häuser acted as the vice-chancellor until September 30, 1976. From October 1, 1976, Hannes Androsch acted as the vice-chancellor.
5) Fred Sinowatz acted as the vice-chancellor from January 20, 1981.
6) Until April 24, 1989, Alois Mock acted as the vice-chancellor. From April 24, 1989, Josef Riegler acted as the vice-chancellor.
7) From July 2, 1991, Erhard Busek acted as the vice-chancellor.
8) From May 4, 1995, Wolfgang Schüssel acted as the vice-chancellor.
9) Until October 20, 2003, Herbert Haupt acted as the vice-chancellor. From October 21, 2003, Hubert Gorbach acted as the vice-chancellor. Until April 17, 2005, Gorbach's party affiliation was FPÖ, then BZÖ.
10) Until April 20, 2011, Josef Pröll acted as the vice-chancellor. From April 21, 2011, Michael Spindelegger acted as the vice-chancellor.
11) Until September 1, 2014, Michael Spindelegger acted as the vice-chancellor. From September 1, 2014, Reinhold Mitterlehner acted as the vice-chancellor. Mitterlehner was also acting chancellor from May 9, 2016, until May 17, 2016.
12) Until May 17, 2017, Reinhold Mitterlehner acted as the vice-chancellor. From May 17, 2017, Wolfgang Brandstetter acted as the vice-chancellor.
13) Until May 22, 2019, Heinz-Christian Strache acted as the vice-chancellor. From May 22, 2019, Hartwig Löger acted as the vice-chancellor. Löger was also acting chancellor from May 28, 2019, until June 3, 2019.
14) Alexander Schallenberg will be sworn in on October 11, 2021.
Traditional colours
Austrian People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP)
Social Democratic Party of Austria (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ), until 1991: Socialist Party of Austria
Communist Party of Austria (Kommunistische Partei Österreichs, KPÖ)
Freedom Party of Austria (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ)
Alliance for the Future of Austria (Bündnis Zukunft Österreich, BZÖ)
The Greens – The Green Alternative (Die Grünen, Grüne)
Independent
Source: Kanzler und Regierungen seit 1945. Federal Chancellery of Austria Web Site. Vienna, Federal Chancellery of Austria 2006. German English

References
  1. See Article 70 of the Federal Constitutional Law
  2. "Federal Ministries - Federal Chancellery of Austria". www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
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