Chancellor of Austria
The Chancellor is the chairman of the Austrian Federal Government. He coordinates and represents as Head of Government of Austria, the government work towards Parliament and the public. Located in a secluded governments a party he is realpolitik of the most powerful politician in the country in coalition governments its influence depends on the strength of its parliamentary group. The Office of the Federal Chancellor is the Federal Chancellery. The present incumbent is Werner Faymann ( SPÖ).
Appointment
The appointment of the Chancellor done since the constitutional amendment dated December 7, 1929 (Federal Law Gazette 392/1929 ) by the Federal President (until then, the federal government was elected by the National Council ), the de jure in the choice of the person is completely free, de facto, however, on the majority in the National Assembly must take into consideration. The Chancellor shall propose to the President before the other members of the Federal Government for the appointment. With the swearing in of the federal government (and with it, the Chancellor ) able to act immediately, an acknowledgment by the National Council is not required. However, the National Council, the Federal Government or individual Federal Ministers at any time the power to dismiss, which requires the President to dismiss the government or the government member. Individual minister dismisses the President on the proposal of the Federal Chancellor. However, the head of state can also dismissed the entire government without bond proposal.
Tenure
The term of office of the Chancellor is not limited in time such as the Federal President or the National Council, the appointment shall be for an unlimited period. The appointment of the Chancellor and the other Federal Ministers by the President has constitutionally nothing to do with the elections to the National Council, not even with the term of office and the popular election of the President. In fact, they usually correlates with the National Council elections.
The federal government extends namely normally after a parliamentary election closed her resignation ( " resignation " ) of the Federal President a. The outgoing government is " responsible for the continuation of business " by the Federal President until a new government is appointed and remains until the swearing in of the new government still in office. The resignation is not legally mandatory, but useful, as the President otherwise dismiss the government 's initiative or her might to dismiss the new National Council (which would force the Federal President to dismiss ).
The Federal Government may at any time decide to resign, if it thinks expedient for political reasons. The President then has to appoint a new government. Elections in this connection are only concluded when the Federal President on the proposal of the government to dissolve the National Assembly or the National Council, which is often the case, even adopt its resolution.
Formal framework
Unlike in Germany, the Austrian Chancellor has no policy-making power over the Federal Ministers. He is legally equal under the Constitution the other members of the Federal Government in the official leadership, he is so primus inter pares. However, since the ministers are appointed by the Federal President on his proposal and he can also propose their dismissal, his position in the Austrian political system is outstanding. However, the Chancellor in a typically existing coalition government but suggest no minister of his coalition partner on his own dismissal, as the other party would probably terminate the coalition and thus the majority in parliament (and thus the Chancellor himself) would be jeopardized.
The Chancellor is derived by him (usually weekly) meetings convened by the Federal Government ( Council of Ministers), in which the Government is coordinated formal. Decided by the Council of Ministers, government bills - these are bills of the ministries ( to be obtained in the opinions of all ministries, all German states and many interest groups ) after the review process as mentioned have been endorsed by all ministers and then possibly following design corrections - managed by the Chancellor for consideration in Parliament to the National Bureau on. Adopted by the Parliament and signed by the Federal President ( " authenticated " ) laws, the Federal countersigned by the Constitution. Only with the signatures of these two government bodies become law legal force. They are to announce the Chancellor immediately in the Federal Law Gazette.
The Chancellor may direct (as a result of the negotiations for the formation of his government ) in the Federal Chancellery also responsible matters that would otherwise fall to a departmental minister. Prior to the establishment of a separate Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chancellor also in charge of foreign affairs; later there was an art Chancellor, who acted Art agendas.
By protocol, the Chancellor is in third place behind the President and the President of the National Council.
Real Political position
The real political position of the Chancellor - which is simply referred to as " Registrar " in the vernacular - depends on his personal authority, of the strength of the party he represents, and his strength in this party. In public, he is considered to be mainly responsible for the current policy of the country.
The Chancellor has more political weight and can pursue a coherent policy if the Finance Minister is his confidant and act with him. Because government decisions shall be taken unanimously and the other ministers lack the overview of the overall budget, the Minister of Finance has a key position.
The fact that a real political supremacy of the Chancellor but also can result without the typical real political environment, showed the first term of office of Chancellor, who presided only the third strongest party in 2000, which also did not provide the Minister of Finance.
In December 2008 reigning Austrian federal government of the Social Democratic Chancellor Werner Faymann stood against the conservative Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Josef Pröll, so that the possibilities of the Chancellor were limited. Such an arrangement makes possible a stalemate in the government. Almost equally strong coalition parties often share the two offices on ( in 2000 conservative Chancellor and Finance Minister in liberal mandate equality in the National Council, since 2007 the Social Democratic Chancellor and Conservative Minister of Finance).
At times the superiority of the larger coalition partner and high influence of the incumbent in his own party or in a one-party government as they previously existed in the Second Republic only under the chancellors Klaus and Kreisky, the Chancellor has a much more powerful position in domestic politics.
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According to the compensation law is the Federal Chancellor, as well as to the President, an official residence to. If not taken such a claim, the rental and operating costs will be refunded. Chancellor Faymann still inhabited his private apartment.