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Austria Government 1996
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Administrative divisions:
9 states (bundeslaender, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten,
Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg,
Wien
12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)
National Day, 26 October (1955)
1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts
by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme
courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential elections
President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992); election last held 24 May 1992
(next to be held 1996); results of second ballot - Thomas KLESTIL 57%,
Rudolf STREICHER 43%
Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard
BUSEK (since 2 July 1991)
Council of Ministers; chosen by the president on the advice of the
chancellor
bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung)
Federal Council (Bundesrat):
consists of 63 members representing each of the provinces on the basis of
population, but with each province having at least 3 representatives
National Council (Nationalrat):
elections last held 9 October 1994 (next to be held October 1998); results -
SPOE 34.9%, OEVP 27.7%, FPOE 22.5%, Greens 7.3%, LF 6.0% other 1.6%; seats -
(183 total) SPOE 65, OEVP 52, FPOE 42, Greens 13, LF 11
Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases,
Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases,
Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases
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Political parties and leaders:
Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPOE), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman;
Austrian People's Party (OEVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman; Freedom Movement (F)
(was the Freedom Party of Austria, FPOE), Joerg HAIDER, chairman; Communist
Party (KPOE), Walter SILBERMAYER, chairman; The Greens, Madeleine PETROVIC;
Liberal Forum (LF), Heide SCHMIDT
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Other political or pressure groups:
Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation
(primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's
Party (OEVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OEVP-oriented League
of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay
organization, Catholic Action
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EBRD,
ECE, EFTA, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD,
ONUSAL, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMIH, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
ZC
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Diplomatic representation in US:
3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
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US diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Swanee G. HUNT
Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna
use embassy street address
none (Salzburg closed September 1993)
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
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