Politics and Society - Austria Michal Pink GLCb1003 Central Europe: Politics and Society Habsburg Austria – Imperial Austria •Dualisation – confederation Austria – Hungary since 1866 •Step by step democratization – mainly through ownership structure •1907 and 1911 – first general elections in Austria FPTP • Austria 1920 – borders Modern Austria – 1918 •Karl Renner (Socialist) – prime minister 1918 – 1920 •Negotiation led by France – but without Austrian delegation •Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye – Republic of German Austria (1919) •Enlarging of voting rights and incorporation of proporz •No political or economic union with Germany •Important role of social democracy – symbol of modernity •The republican period was increasingly marked by violent strife •Left and right wing views include paramilitar units of political parties •Capital city - population of almost 2 million, was left as an imperial capital without an empire to feed it – no agrarian society (6.5 million people ) 1918 – 1932 I. Republic and authoritarianism •A new state, reduced by a number of key regions •Economic ties, border discussions - Burgenland, •Injustice - connection with Germany 99% YES •Economic problems, global crisis, minimun ties to the surrounding states •Austrofascism - Engelbert Dolfus 1932 •Austria wants to get rid of the crisis by introducing a corporative state •The barrier of Nazism, communism and social democracy •Succeeded by Kurt Alois Josef Johann von Schuschnigg The Rise of Nazism – spring 1938 •Arthur Seyss-Inquart – Pangermanism, from Stonařov •He spend many years in Olomouc and Jihlava •Proponent of the Anschluss, the union of Austria and Germany •March 11, 1938 - Prime Minister of Austria •he called the troops of the Third Reich to help and annexed Austria •Nürnberg – accusation of war crimes and against humanity •Court decision – quilty • Austria 1945 - 1955 Austria 1945 – 1955 •Divided into four occupation zones and looking for a common identity •Formation of the party system (People's Party, Social Democrats, Free People), marginal Communists, around 5% •Negotiating the future of the country - Restoring the parliamentarism •former NSDAP members were – no voting right in 1945 – 49 •public debate in Austria did not focus on Austria’s responsibility and its contribution to the Holocaust and the war - role of the Austrians as victims • Austria – „proporz and pillarization“ •Proporz functioned as a kind of buffer system for the aggressive “pillars” •“Proporz“ meant the continuation of a practice through which the coalition parties secured their share of power in the state for themselves •posts, subsidies, government and civil service delegations who were sent abroad had to be split between the parties strictly on a one-to-one basis.” •Pillarization – division into several separate groups that live their own lives: proffesional orientation, sports organisation, education, work, etc. •Not easy to change the pillar – or political „camp“ for example marriage, work, etc.? •Most visible among the political parties and every day life 1955 – Austrian State Treate •Austria is an independent and sovereign state - Parliamentary republic Federation •It is not and will not be a member of NATO or other Western organisations - 1995 EU •Despite the unfavorable circumstances, it will not fall under Soviet sphere Austrian People's Party - ÖVP •Josef Klaus, Alois Mock, Wolfgang Schussel, Sebastian Kurz, Karl Nehammer, •Catholic and anti-anarchist, anti-communist, anti-socialist and anti-liberal, subsidiarity and decentralisation - Quadragesimo anno •Rudolf Kirchschläger – independent, non - partisan •Kurt Waldheim – problematic person, own past in WWII •Until 1990 – social market economy, EU cooperation •The new People's Party – symbol of Sebastian Kurz •2017 promised crackdown on illegal immigration, fight against political Islam •No Turkey in EU, similar to the program of the FPÖ •Salzburger Nachrichten – newspaper • Social Democratic Party of Austria - SPÖ •the oldest political party in Austria, since 1889 •The party has close ties to the Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK). •Bruno Kreisky, Franz Vranitzky, Heinz Fischer •Vranitzky - the first Austrian prime minister who admitted • Austria's cooperation in war crimes during the WWII. •Der Standard – newspaper •Today social liberal center left political party • • Liberals – today FPÖ •VdU – Federation of Independet, Pangermanism •Actual leader Herbert Kickl •Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs – since 1956 •FPÖ was the smaller party and had modest support before (86) •Jörg Haider – change of the spirit of the party - right-wing populism •1999 – 26.9% and governmental role under ÖVP prime minister •supporting tax reduction, less state intervention and more privatization •anti-establishment positions were one of the top reasons for voters to vote for the FPÖ – not only before 1999 •Austria is not a country of immigration, eurosceptic and Austrian nationalism •Austrians belong to the German ethnic and cultural community. • The Greens •1986 – postmaterialistic „revolution“ in society (R. Inglehart ) •Ecological issues, environmental protection, •Rights of minorities and advocate a socio-ecological (ökosozial) tax reform, •Direct democracy, ecology, solidarity, feminism and self-determination, •Pacifism, nonviolence, nuclear power pant Zwentendorf 1978 and protest in Hainburg in 1984 – sit-in protest •Quality of life, reduce speed limit, today governmental party •University environment, young generation • NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum •2016 - classic party, program and electorate - between ÖVP and Greens •overlap ÖVP in economic and tax policy, Greens - social and education •the party can be seen as representing a modern, liberal urban voters •Pro-European, and supports the creation of a federal Europe •Sustainability (Nachhaltigkeit), development of the green economy, reform to pensions, •Relief (Entlastung), lowering the tax rate below 40%, introducing flat tax, reducing public expenditure, •Openness (Offenheit): reducing public funding for political parties, strengthening party auditing, protecting privacy, encouraging skilled immigration. •Education (Schule): improving standards and funding for kindergarten, giving schools greater authonomy • Hugo Portisch •was born in Bratislava, grew up also Prague, lived and worked mostly in Vienna •most famous journalist, spokesman for Austrian prime ministers 1955 •Since 1967, worked as ORF's main commentator •For several decades, he brought balanced view of international political events on Austrian television. •His programs also affected citizens in the territory Czechoslovakia, where they could be „received". •Conversely, in 1968, ORF was the world's main source of information on the situation in the Czechoslovakia. •he received an offer of candidacy for president from the representatives of the main political parties, but did not accept it in 1992 Conclusion •Key topic – „proporz and pilarisation“ •German speaking, but not Germany – more CEE countries (no communist) •Political parties – relatively stable system (ÖVP, SPÖ, FPÖ, Greens and NEOS) •No marketing and populism party (for example Czech or Slovac case) •Important names: Kurt Waldheim, Franz Vranitzky, Alexander Van der Bellen, Karl Nehammer, Herbert Kickl, •Neutrality – keep distance of NATO, political culture •Not far, very nice country, not only for sports activities