How do Austrian parliamentary elections work?
Austria is a parliamentary republic with nine federal states (Länder): Vienna, Burgenland, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Carinthia, and Vorarlberg.
Some 6.4 million Austrian citizens are eligible to vote in the country’s parliamentary elections on 29 September, choosing 183 members of the National Council (Nationalrat), the lower chamber of parliament, which makes most of the laws.
The upper chamber, the Federal Council (Bundesrat), consists of 61 members who are delegates from the provincial parliaments (Landtage) of each of the nine federal states and will not be elected on SeptemberSeptember 29ctions will determine the composition of Austria’s next government.
Austrian governments are formed based on the principle of parliamentary majority: the party with the largest number of seats in the National Council nominates a chancellor, or head of government, who then nominates other members of government (ministers).
If the winning party secures more than half of all seats in the National Council, it can form a single-party government, where one party controls the entire government. Austria last had single-party governments, led either by the ÖVP or SPÖ (see below), between 1966 and 1983.
For most of Austria’s post-World War II history, however, governments have been two-party coalitions, with the largest party in the coalition holding the position of chancellor and most ministries.
The cabinet (chancellor and ministers) must be approved, or inaugurated, by the federal president, who is elected separately for a six-year term. The current federal president of Austria is Alexander Van der Bellen, who was re-elected for a second term in 2022.
The last parliamentary elections took place in September 2019 and resulted in a coalition government between the ÖVP and Green Party (see below).
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The Social Democratic Party of Austria (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ, red) is one of Austria’s two major parties (the other being the ÖVP, see below).
Founded in 1888, it has been part of most Austrian governments in recent decades but went into opposition in 2017 when the ÖVP formed a coalition with the FPÖ (see below).
It stands for the ideas of the welfare state, social justice, equal opportunities for all, as well as workers’ rights and trade unions.
It is pro-European and calls for a “Europe of the people” that is fairer and more socially oriented.
The party leader is Andreas Babler.
The party achieved 21.2% of the vote in the last parliamentary elections in 2019, resulting in 40 seats, and 23.2% in the European Parliament elections in June 2024.
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The People’s Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP, turquoise) is the other major Austrian party. Founded in 1945, the ÖVP has been part of most Austrian governments since then.
It is currently the senior partner in a coalition government with the Green Party (see below).
The ÖVP represents the country’s middle-class conservative spectrum, valuing family, entrepreneurship, market economy, and private property, and is closely aligned with the Catholic Church.
It is pro-European but opposed the recent expansion of Europe’s border-free Schengen travel area to include Bulgaria and Romania.
The party leader is Austria’s current chancellor, Karl Nehammer.
In the last parliamentary elections in 2019, it polled 37.4%, making it the biggest party in parliament with 71 seats. In the European Parliament elections in June 2024, it scored 24.5%.
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The Freedom Party of Austria (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ, blue) is the country’s third-largest party, founded in 1956. Its first two chairmen were former officers of the Schutzstaffel, or SS, the elite corps of the Nazi party.
The FPÖ represents conservative and nationalist values, advocating for national identity and sovereignty. It has been part of two Austrian governments: in the early 2000s, when its inclusion in an ÖVP-led coalition prompted unprecedented EU sanctions, and more recently in 2017-2019, again with the ÖVP.
It is Eurosceptic and has previously supported Austria leaving the EU.
The party leader is Herbert Kickl.
It received 16.2% of the vote in the last parliamentary elections in 2019, giving it 31 seats. It came first in the European Parliament elections in June 2024, with 25.3%.
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The Green Party (Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative, green) is the junior partner in Austria’s current coalition government, led by the ÖVP.
Founded in 1986, it has roots in the environmental movement and focuses on climate protection, sustainability, and social justice.
Once opposed to Austrian membership in the EU, the party is now wholly pro-European, advocating for a more socially and environmentally oriented Europe.
The party leader is Werner Kogler, currently Austria’s vice-chancellor.
The Greens achieved 13.9% of the vote in the last parliamentary elections in 2019, resulting in 26 seats. In the European Parliament elections in June 2024, the party received 11.8%.
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NEOS (NEOS – Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum, pink) was established in 2012. Although it has never been part of the national Austrian government, it is currently the junior partner in Vienna’s SPÖ-led city government coalition.
NEOS represents fundamental liberal values, favouring individual freedom, equal opportunities, and open societies. It emphasises the importance of innovation, education, and digitalisation.
It is Austria’s most pro-European party, calling for a ‘United States of Europe’ with a common foreign, security, and defence policy.
The party leader is Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
In the last parliamentary elections in 2019, NEOS garnered 8.1% of the vote, resulting in 15 seats. In the European Parliament elections in June 2024, it received 10.1%.
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The Beer Party (Bierpartei, yellow) began in 2015 as a satirical political project. However, it has achieved real political success in recent years, with party leader Dominik Wlazny coming third in Austria’s presidential elections in 2022.
The party describes itself as ideology-free and advocates for social housing, rent control, equal opportunities for all genders, and more support for small and medium businesses.
It is pro-European, advocating for a strong Austria within a united Europe.
The party leader is Dominik Wlazny.
In the last parliamentary elections in 2019, the party received only 0.1% of the vote and zero seats but is predicted to receive seats in the upcoming parliament.
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The Communist Party of Austria (Kommunistische Partei Österreichs, KPÖ, red) was founded in 1918 and is the third oldest communist party in the world, after those in Russia and Finland.
It represents basic communist ideas, campaigning for social justice and workers’ rights, and emphasises the importance of collective action.
It is pro-European but has criticised the bloc for “increasing militarisation” and neoliberal economic policies that favour big corporations.
The party leader is Günther Hopfgartner, but its most well-recognised personality is Elke Kahr, the current mayor of Austria’s second city, Graz.
In the last parliamentary elections in 2019, the Communists achieved 0.7% of the vote and zero seats, but like the Beer Party, they are expected to receive seats in the upcoming parliament. In the European Parliament elections in June 2024, they garnered 2.7%.
