Parliament of Austria
- National
- Bundesrat
- Federal Assembly ( Nationalrat and Bundesrat )
In Austria, legislation is incumbent on the federal level, two separate legislative bodies, the National Council ( 183 deputies) and the Bundesrat (61 members), which are collectively referred to as a Parliament. In rare cases, National and Federal occur together collectively as the Federal Assembly.
If the legislative bodies of the Federation are also not constitutionally referred to as " Parliament ", as that term is still widely used and is used by both chambers also in public relations. Without further specification is thus generally Austrian parlance usually only the National Council meant.
Organization
The legislative term of the National Assembly is five years (up to the electoral reform in 2008, it amounted to four years). The National Council is determined by universal suffrage and is the dominant chamber in the Austrian legislation, he has practically almost the entire legislative power. The National Council has the ability to dissolve itself.
The Federal Council is of the individual diets fed ( the parliaments of the Länder) according to the strength of the political groups in these. The Federal Council has in most cases only a suspensive ( suspensive ) right of veto, which can be set by a veto by resolution of the National Council repealed.
National and Federal occur on certain occasions together as the Federal Assembly. The most important of constitutional competencies lie in the affirmation of the Federal President and the ability to impeach the Federal President before the Constitutional Court or to schedule a referendum on his impeachment. The Federal Assembly had to decide, including any declarations of war in Austria. Unlike Switzerland, National and Federal Council, however, are not as two chambers of a parent body constitution, the Federal Assembly, established, but together form if needed this as a third body.
History
The involvement of elected representative in the legislative process began in Austria in 1861 with the Imperial Council, the 1867 Parliament Cisleithania, represented in the Imperial Council Kingdoms and countries of Austria-Hungary, was; represented were 17 Crown Lands. Was chosen only the House of Representatives; the equal, formal first chamber, the manor house, consisted of members of law and appointed by the Emperor people, mostly nobles.
The male suffrage for the House was democratized after 1867 in several steps and consisted of 1907 full year for all, ie 24 - year-old men; parallel, was also the number of parliamentary seats increased to 516 last (see Reich Council Election 1907). Women until the end of the monarchy in 1918, not entitled to vote.
Since 1883 Imperial Council met MPs and House members in today's Parliament Building in Vienna, then kk Reichsratsgebäude called. The last meeting of the House of Representatives was held on 12 November 1918 on the same day the mansion was declared on October 21, 1918 for the first time came together Provisional National Assembly of the new State German Austria, which defined itself as a republic on the same day for dissolved.
In December 1918 the National Assembly enacted a universal suffrage for women; active right now was, who has crossed the age of twenty, that was at least 20 years old (this provision was adopted in 1920 in Article 26 B -VG). Women and men chose to this in February 1919, the Constituent National Assembly. This decided the 1920 Federal Constitution, the Constitution of the Republic of Austria, on the Austrian Parliament based ever since.
In all these operations, the citizens of Burgenland were not included, as German West Hungary de facto until the end of 1921 belonged to Hungary. The first national election, which was also Burgenland voters and politicians were involved, took place in 1923.
Ten years later, the federal government Dollfuss took advantage of an apparently in the National Council meeting of March 4, 1933 has become gap in the rules to speak of the self- dissolution of parliament and prevent further meetings of the National Council. The parliamentary activity was up in 1938 by the dictatorship of the " corporate state " and 1938-1945 interrupted by the Nazi regime.
Parliament building
The Parliament meets in built by Theophil von Hansen parliament building at the ring road. Furthermore, two buildings in the running behind the building Reichsratsstrasse and the adjacent Palais Epstein, also at the Dr. -Karl -Renner-Ring, used by Parliament. The parliamentary administration is subordinated to the National President.
The representative portico in the middle of the parliament building is used for publicly accessible exhibitions, etc.. Under the hall and the parliament a new access ramp and a visitor center were built.
Boardroom of the National Council
Boardroom of the Federal Council
Historical meeting room of the House of Representatives, today boardroom of the Federal Assembly
Website parlament.gv.at
As part of the e-government initiative of the 1990s, the Austrian parliament has designed a comprehensive website which is online since 1998.
In addition to general information on current events and political background and information in sign language here, see in particular an extensive database of personal details ( Who's Who) and the entire parliamentary materials, ie stenographic minutes of the meetings, the files to Gesetzwerdungen, requests and responses and More ( Parliament active PACT ).