| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Parlament / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Nationalrat / National Council |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Bundesrat / Federal Council
|
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
28 September 2008 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the seats in the National Council following premature dissolution of this body on 9 July 2008. Elections to the National Council had previously taken place on 1 October 2006. |
The collapse of the coalition government in July 2008 triggered early elections to the 183-member National Council in September, nearly 25 months before they were due.
Following the previous elections in October 2006, three months of negotiations resulted in a grand coalition between the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ, 68 seats) and the People's Party (ÖVP, 66 seats). SPÖ leader, Mr. Alfred Gusenbauer, was sworn in as Prime Minister in January 2007. However, the coalition government remained fragile due to its different political views, in particular regarding health, taxes, pensions and education.
The country of 8.2 million inhabitants had enjoyed high economic growth (3.4 per cent in 2007) and a low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. Inflation and high fuel prices reportedly disrupted the country's economy prior to the 2008 elections. In June, Prime Minister Gusenbauer announced that he would step down as SPÖ leader. On 7 July, ÖVP leader, Mr. Wilhelm Molterer, announced that his party would withdraw from the coalition government. The two parties had been in disagreement over tax reform as well as a SPÖ proposal to offset inflation. Mr. Molterer criticized the SPÖ for being "without orientation or leadership". On 9 July, the National Council voted unanimously to dissolve itself with a view to holding elections. The Government, in consultation with the Main Committee of the National Council, set the election date for 28 September.
Following a reform of the electoral law in 2007, the voting age was lowered from 18 to 16 years, and people over 18 years of age (instead of 19) became eligible to run for elections to the National Council. In the same vein, the term of the National Council was extended from four to five years starting from the new legislature.
As many as 15 parties fielded candidates in the 2008 elections. Transport Minister, Mr. Werner Faymann, led the SPÖ which repeated its long-standing policy of making the last year of kindergarten compulsory and free of charge. The ÖVP, which had opposed that policy in the outgoing legislature, announced that it would support the SPÖ's plan. The pre-election polls suggested that neither the SPÖ nor the ÖVP would obtain a majority in the new National Council.
Two far-right parties featured prominently during the election campaign. The Freedom Party (FPÖ, which took 21 seats in the 2006 elections) of Mr. Heinz-Christian Strache and the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ), formed in April 2005 by former FPÖ leader Mr. Jörg Haider, both campaigned to end immigration and called for the expulsion of foreigners and asylum-seekers who committed crimes. During the 2008 campaign, Mr. Strache criticized the outgoing coalition government, calling its members "traitors of the people". Mr. Haider promised to fight off the "catastrophe of inflation" and provide rent subsidies and free kindergarten.
The ÖVP promised to fight abuses of asylum rules. The Greens of Mr. Alexander Van der Bellen proposed that all children born to parents who were legal residents in Austria should be granted Austrian citizenship.
The media focused on discussion about a post-election coalition. SPÖ leader Faymann firmly rejected the possibility of forming a coalition government with either of the far-right parties. He said he preferred another coalition with the ÖVP, arguing that a broad consensus would be needed to tackle the economic downturn, health care and educational reform. ÖVP leader Molterer did not explicitly rule out the possibility of a coalition with the far-right parties. The Greens were open to coalition with the SPÖ or the ÖVP but dismissed any possibility of a coalition with the FPÖ and the BZÖ.
A total of 78.81 per cent of the 6.3 million registered voters turned out at the polls.
Both the SPÖ and the ÖVP recorded their worst results since World War II. They won 57 and 51 seats respectively. On the contrary, the FPÖ and the BZÖ increased their strength to 34 and 21 seats respectively. The Greens took the remaining 20 seats. In all 50 women were elected.
On 8 October, President Heinz Fischer (SPÖ) asked Mr. Faymann (SPÖ) to form a new government.
The newly elected National Council held its first session on 28 October and re-elected Ms. Barbara Prammer (SPÖ) as its Speaker.
On 2 December, Mr. Faymann's government comprising the SPÖ and the ÖVP was sworn in by President Fischer. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 28 September 2008 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
6'332'921
4'990'947 (78.81%)
103'643
4'887'304 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) |
|
1'430'202 |
|
|
29.26 |
|
|
| People's Party (ÖVP) |
|
1'269'655 |
|
|
25.98 |
|
|
| Freedom Party (FPÖ) |
|
857'028 |
|
|
17.54 |
|
|
| Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) |
|
522'933 |
|
|
10.70 |
|
|
| Greens |
|
509'937 |
|
|
10.43 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
Gain/Loss |
|
|
|
| Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) |
57
|
-11 |
|
|
|
| People's Party (ÖVP) |
51
|
-15 |
|
|
|
| Freedom Party (FPÖ) |
34
|
13 |
|
|
|
| Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) |
21
|
7 |
|
|
|
| Greens |
20
|
-1 |
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
133
50
27.32%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
21 to 30 years
31 to 40 years
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
|
4
27
62
74
16
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Entrepreneur |
21 |
| Legal profession |
21 |
| Education profession |
20 |
| Political party official |
20 |
| Agriculture/farming |
17 |
| Civil service and local authority administration |
13 |
| Clerical, secretarial, administration |
12 |
| Armed services/Police |
11 |
| Nursing |
7 |
| Economist |
7 |
| Journalism, broadcasting, media |
7 |
| Architect, surveyor, engineer |
7 |
| Finance, management or business |
6 |
| International civil servant |
5 |
| Other |
3 |
| Trade union official |
2 |
| Homemaker |
1 |
| Physician, dentist |
1 |
| Social worker |
1 |
| Writer, literary, artist |
1 |
|
| Comments |
Fifty women were elected in September 2008. However, after the formation of the new government in December, the total number of women parliamentarians increased to 52 (28.42 per cent).
Sources:
- National Council (28.10.2008, 23.02.2009, 24.03.2009)
- http://wahl08.bmi.gv.at/ |
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
