Austria

Austria is central European country at the eastern end of the Alps. Their current electoral history starts in 1945 after the conclusion of World War 2. During the war, Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany as part of Anschluss. After the war, Austria was freed from German rule and the second Austrian republic commenced.

Electoral History

Like most Western countries, Austria’s politics are dominated by a center-left and center-right party. The center-left party is the Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, abbreviated as SPÖ, which is translated to Social Democratic Party of Austria. They are member of the Socialist and Democrats in the European Union and are traditionally colored with the bright red of socialism. The center-right party is the Österreichische Volkspartei, abbreviated as ÖVP, which is translated to Austrian People’s Party. They are a member of the European People’s Party in the European Union and use a pale blue color, similar to most conservative parties.

In recent years, these two parties have lost their dominance. Although ÖVP has been on the rise, as recently as 2013, the combined share of the two parties was just over 50%. While there have been a variety of third parties over the years, there are only two that play a significant role in government formation. The Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, abbreviated as FPÖ and translated as the Freedom Party of Austria, is a far-right nationalist, conservative, and populist party that has helped both major parties form a government without using a grand coalition. The other major third party is Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative, usually referred to as GRÜNE and translated as The Greens – The Green Alternative, is a green party that focuses on environmentalism and socio-economic justice and equality.

Relevant Blog Posts