Legal system:
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of
legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate
administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004)
head of government: Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (OeVP)(since 4
February 2000); Vice Chancellor Hubert GORBACH (since 21 October
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
of the chancellor
elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year
term; presidential election last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held
NA April 2010); chancellor traditionally chosen by the president
from the plurality party in the National Council; vice chancellor
chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
note: government coalition - OeVP and FPOe
election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote -
Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal
Council or Bundesrat (62 members; members represent each of the
states on the basis of population, but with each state having at
least three representatives; members serve a five- or six-year term)
and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected
by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP
42.3%, SPOe 36.5%, FPOe 10.0%, Greens 9.5%; seats by party - OeVP
79, SPOe 69, FPOe 18, Greens 17
elections: National Council - last held 24 November 2002 (next to be
held in the fall of 2006)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative
Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or
Verfassungsgerichtshof
Political parties and leaders:
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wolfgang SCHUESSEL]; Freedom Party
of Austria or FPOe [Ursula HAUBNER]; Social Democratic Party of
Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER
BELLEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but
primarily Socialist) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber;
OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman
Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic
Action; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or
OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and other
non-government organizations in the areas of environment and human
rights
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG,
OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eva NOWOTNY
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750
telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William Lee LYONS BROWN, Jr.
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1090, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0, 31375, 31335
FAX: [43] (1) 3100682