Austria: Government
The World Factbook 1993: Austria Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Austria conventional short form: Austria local long form: Republik Oesterreich local short form: Oesterreich

Digraph: AU

Type: federal republic

Capital: Vienna

Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien

Independence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)

Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)

Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman; Austrian People's Party (OVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman; Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), Jorg HAIDER, chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL), Johannes VOGGENHUBER, chairman

Other political or pressure groups: Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action

Suffrage: 19 years of age, universal; compulsory for presidential elections

Elections:

President: last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1996); results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%

National Council: last held 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994); results - SPO 43%, OVP 32.1%, FPO 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPO 0.7%, other 0.32%; seats - (183 total) SPO 80, OVP 60, FPO 33, GAL 10

Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council (Nationalrat)

Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases

Leaders:

Chief of State: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)

Head of Government: Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard BUSEK (since 2 July 1991)

Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Friedrich HOESS chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035 telephone: (202) 895-6700 FAX: (202) 895-6750 consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON chancery: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Unit 27937, Vienna mailing address: APO AE 09222 telephone: [43] (1) 31-339 FAX: [43] (1) 310-0682 consulate general: Salzburg

Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red