From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Federal legislature of Austria
The
Austrian Parliament
(
German
:
Osterreichisches Parlament
) is the
bicameral
[1]
federal
legislature
of
Austria
. 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
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edit
]
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 the
Vienna Ring Road
. From 2017 to 2022 they convened in the
Redoute Wing of the Hofburg
due to a renovation of the parliament building.
See also
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References
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External links
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National legislatures in Europe
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Sovereign states
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States with limited
recognition
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Dependencies and
other entities
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Other entities
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