Austria country profile
19 April 2018
Austria was a major power in Central Europe for centuries in
various state guises, until the fall of its Habsburg dynasty after
the First World War.
But its position at the geographical heart of Europe, and its neutral
status during the Cold War between NATO and the Soviet bloc,
maintained the much-reduced country's strategic significance.
Austria is now a member of the European Union, but an enduring
legacy of its decades of post-war neutrality can be seen in the large
number of international organisations that call its capital Vienna their
home.
These include the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Opec, the
Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The political consensus, which has seen the Social Democrats and the
conservative People's Party share power for much of the post-war
period, has come under strain in recent years with the rise of the
nationalist Freedom Party.
FACTS
Republic of Austria
Capital: Vienna
Population 8.7 million
Area 83,871 sq km (32,383 sq miles)
Major language German
Major religion Christianity
Life expectancy 80 years (men), 84 years (women)
Currency euro
UN, World Bank
Gett
LEADERS
President: Alexander van der Bellen
Alexander van der Bellen was elected in the December 2016 re-run of a
highly polarised election earlier that year, defeating Norbert Hofer of the
far-right Freedom Party. Mr Van der Bellen - a Green Party politician
running as an independent - had won a extremely narrow victory in the
initial run-off vote against Mr Hofer in May, but the result was annulled
because of vote-counting irregularities.
The possibility of Mr Hofer becoming the first far-right European head of
state in recent history attracted major international media interest in the
contest for the largely ceremonial post.
Chancellor: Sebastian Kurz
Sebastian Kurz became the world's youngest head of government when
he was sworn in as federal chancellor in December 2017 at the age of
31.
After his Austrian People's Party (OeVP) won 32% of the vote in the
October parliamentary election he formed a coalition government with
the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), making Austria the only country in
western Europe with a far-right presence in government.
He became OeVP chairman in May 2017 and immediately ended the
decade-long coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPOe)
and called for an early election.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein,
said he was worried about the inclusion of the Freedom Party in the new
cabinet. Some 6,000 people protested outside the December 2017
swearing-in ceremony in the Hofburg palace in Vienna, denouncing the
Freedom Party as Nazis.
MEDIA
Austria's public broadcaster, Oesterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), has
long-dominated the airwaves. It faces competition from private TV and
radio broadcasters.
Cable or satellite TV is available in most Austrian homes and is often
used to watch German stations, some of which tailor their output for local
viewers.
A daily newspaper is a must for many Austrians. National and regional
titles contest fiercely for readers.
forces.