Politics, constitution and administrative structure of Austria

Austria is a federal republic. The Constitution was signed in 1920. It reflects all the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, the principles of equality, the basic division of power, etc. Amendments to the constitution were made repeatedly. They were adapted due to the modern requirements of the people. The country works on the basis of democracy, therefore all power comes from the people; their decisions are reflected in elections. The capital of Austria is Vienna. The federation of the republic includes 9 regions or lands. Each federation is divided into certain communities, within which the own system of self-government operates. The state control is carried out on several levels: political, legal, economic, and penal.

The head of Austria is a president elected for a period of six years. At the same time, Austrians do not have an option to elect the same candidate. Direct equal elections are held by the secret ballot. The power of the president is in some way formal and is based, for the most part, only on the representative activity. Presidential duties include appointing or dismissing various officials and deputies, making a candidature for the Chancellor, and other members of the government. If, in the common opinion of the President and the Bundesrat Assembly, the activities of the National Council are found to be illegal or ineffective, the president may completely dissolve the council. The president of the country is also the commander-in-chief of internal troops.

The Federal Assembly is the supreme body of legislative power. It consists of two chambers. The first chamber is called the Bundesrat. It embraces 62 deputies. They are appointed by lands. For the implementation of full democracy, the number of deputies entering the council is proportional to the population of a particular land. Deputies are elected for 5-6 years. The second chamber is called the National Council. It includes three times as many deputies, or 183 seats. They are elected by means of a nationwide voting. Their terms of service are 5 years. Partial lists during the election are partially open. The government is headed by the Supreme Chancellor carrying a responsibility for the formation of the Cabinet of Ministers and overseeing its activities. The Chancellor can not take any decision without the consent of the Vice-Chancellor. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The main parties in Austria are the Social Democrats and the Freedom Party. As a result of the last elections, they took the majority of seats in the parliament. The political stability of Austria is based on the proportionality of the legislative system. If the elected president belongs to the same party, then the position of the chancellor may be occupied by a person from the opposite. The judicial structure of Austria is headed by the Supreme Court. It considers both criminal and civil cases. There is also the Constitutional Court that regulates the observance of all constitutional canons. It also resolves disputed and conflict situations that arise during an interaction of various government agencies. The Administrative Court reviews cases related to the legality of public administration.

Trade unions are strong in the country. Each individual union closely interacts with the government as a whole. The Federal Chamber of Labor is considering all trade-union organizational issues. Historically, Austria's political system has been oriented towards maintaining peace and prosperity within the country. Only in the early 2000s, during the adoption of a major retirement reform, mass protests and actions were observed. The foreign policy of the country is loyal and non-aggressive. As a rule, Austria occupies neutral military and political positions at the international arena. After the country joined the European Union, Austria became a member of NATO. The number of land and air forces is about 50 thousand.