Austrian Parliament

Parliament of Austria
Österreichisches Parlament
Logo of the Parliament of Austria
Type
Type
Houses National Council
Federal Council
Leadership
Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP)
Since 20 December 2017
Inge Posch-Gruska (SPÖ)
Since 1 January 2018
Structure
Seats

244

  • 183 (National Council)
  • 61 (Federal Council)
National Council political groups

Government (112)

Opposition (70)

Federal Council political groups

Government (38)

Opposition (23)

Elections
Proportional representation
Appointment by State Landtage
National Council last election
 15 October 2017
Meeting place
Parliament Building, Vienna
Parliament Building
Vienna, Austria
Website
parlament.gv.at
This article is part of a series on the
Politics of Austria
Foreign relations

The Parliament of Austria (German: Österreichisches Parlament) is the bicameral federal legislature of the Austrian Republic. It consists of two chambers the National Council and the Federal Council. In specific cases, both houses convene as the Federal Assembly. The legislature meets in the Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna.

Overview

National Council
  • 183 members
  • elected directly in general elections
  • term of office: 5 years
 Federal Council
  • variable membership, currently 61 members
  • elected indirectly through provincial diets
  • revolving membership, term of delegates varies by province
Federal Assembly

(joint session of both houses)

The National Council is composed of 183 members elected through proportional representation in a general election. The legislative period lasts five years, elections are held earlier if the National Council prematurely moves for its own dissolution. The National Council is the dominant (albeit 'lower') house in the Austrian Parliament, and consequently the terms Parliament and National Council are commonly used synonymously.

The Federal Council is elected indirectly, through the provincial assemblies (Landtage) of the nine States of the Federal Republic, and reflects the distribution of seats in the Austrian Landtage. The states are represented in the Federal Council roughly in accordance to the size of their populations. Seats are redistributed among the states following each general census, and the overall size of the chamber varies slightly as a result. The current Federal Council is composed of 61 delegates. With regard to most issues, the Federal Council only possesses a dilatory right of veto which can be overridden by the National Council. However, the Federal Council enjoys absolute veto powers over bills intended to alter the powers of either the states, or of the Federal Council itself.

The Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) is a body whose function is mostly ceremonial in nature, and consists of the members of both houses of Parliament. The Federal Assembly convenes only rarely, for instance to witness the inauguration of the Federal President. It might be noted, however, that under exceptional circumstances the Austrian constitution endows the Federal Assembly with significant responsibilities. An example of this would be its pivotal role in the hypothetical impeachment of a Federal President.

Both houses of Parliament, as well as the Federal Assembly, convene in the Parliament building located on Vienna's Ringstraße.

See also

Coordinates: 48°12′29″N 16°21′33″E / 48.20806°N 16.35917°E / 48.20806; 16.35917

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