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Downloaded from Manchesterhive.Com at 09/23/2021 12:29:26PM Via Free Access Austria Belgium Section 5 Data relating to political systems THE COUNTRIES OF WESTERN EUROPE referendum. The constitutional court (Verfassungsgerichtshof ) determines the constitutionality of legislation and Austria executive acts. Population 8.1 million (2000) Current government The 1999 Capital Vienna election brought to an end the Territory 83,857 sq. km 13-year government coalition GDP per capita US$25,788 (2000) between the Social Democratic Party Unemployment 3.7 per cent of of Austria (SPÖ) and Austrian workforce (2000) People’s Party (ÖVP), which had State form Republic. The Austrian been under considerable strain. When constitution of 1920, as amended in the two parties failed to reach a 1929, was restored on 1 May 1945. On coalition agreement, Austria found 15 May 1955, the four Allied Powers itself short of viable alternatives. The signed the State Treaty with Austria, record gains of the radical right ending the occupation and Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) had recognising Austrian independence. changed the balance of power within Current head of state President the party system. The other two Thomas Klestil (took office 8 July numerically viable coalitions – 1992, re-elected 1998). SPÖ/FPÖ or ÖVP/FPÖ – had been State structure A federation with nine ruled out in advance by the two provinces (Länder), each with its own mainstream parties. An attempt by the constitution, legislature and SPÖ to form a minority government government. failed. Finally, a coalition was formed Government The president appoints the between the ÖVP and FPÖ under prime minister (chancellor), and, on Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP) and the chancellor’s recommendation, a reluctantly sworn in by President cabinet (Council of Ministers) of Klestil on 5 February 2000. The around fifteen members. The Council decision to form a government of Ministers is responsible to the including a party of the far right – lower chamber of Parliament, the six of the 12-member cabinet were 183-member National Council FPÖ members – provoked (Nationalrat). The second chamber, international outrage and a period of the 64-member Federal Council sanctions imposed by the European (Bundesrat), is elected by the Union. Parliaments of the Länder. The Electoral systems The president is government, or individual ministers, elected by direct universal suffrage for can be removed from office by a vote a term of six years and may not serve of no confidence in the National more than two terms. Council. The Federal Council has the Elections to the Nationalrat are based power to delay legislation, but not to on a system of proportional veto it. For certain important matters, representation, the ‘enforced’ the two chambers meet together as preference voting system, with a 4 per the Bundesversammlung. Certain cent threshold. Term of office: four matters may be subject to a years. Geoffrey K. Roberts and Patricia Hogwood - 9781526137852 Downloaded from manchesterhive.com at 09/23/2021 12:29:26PM via free access Austria Belgium Austrian presidential elections, 19 April 1998 Belgium as a ‘unitary decentralised state’. Between 1970 and 1993 a Votes (%) four-stage process of constitutional Thomas Klestil (independent, backed by ÖVP and 63.4 reform transformed the country into a FPÖ) federation and culminated in the new Gertraud Knoll (SPÖ) 13.6 Heide Schmidt (LF) 11.1 Belgian constitution of 1994. Richard Lugner (independent) 9.9 Current head of state King Albert II Nowak 1.9 (sworn in 9 August 1993). State structure A federation Election to the Austrian Nationalrat, 3 October 1999 characterised by three linguistic communities (French-, Flemish- and Votes (%) Seats German-speaking), three regions Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) 33.1 65 (Walloon, Flemish and Brussels) and People’s Party (ÖVP) 26.9 52 four linguistic regions Freedom Party (FPÖ) 26.9 52 (French-speaking, Flemish-speaking, Greens 7.4 14 Liberal Forum (LF) 3.6 0 German-speaking and the bilingual Others 2.1 0 region of Brussels-Capital). The Total 183 unusually complex federal arrangements are designed to contain DATARELATING TO POLITICAL SYSTEMS Party system Since the Second World the conflicts between the country’s War, the Austrian party system has linguistic communities. 170 been dominated by the SPÖ and Government The monarch appoints a ÖVP, which, until the general election formateur to negotiate the formation of 1990, together took 90 per cent of of a new government. The monarch the vote. The Greens emerged in the appoints the prime minister, and, on early 1980s, and, in 1986, the FPÖ the prime minister’s advice, a cabinet became a serious electoral force of up to fifteen members comprising under the charismatic leadership of an equal number of Flemish and Jörg Haider. A controversial figure, French speakers. Executive power is Haider has in the past expressed nominally held by the monarch, but approval of the National Socialist in practice is exercised by the (Nazi) regime in Germany. On 28 cabinet. The cabinet is responsible to February 2000, Haider unexpectedly the lower chamber of Parliament, the resigned as party leader of the FPÖ, Chamber of Representatives. Since ostensibly as a conciliatory gesture to the constitutional reform of 1993, the its coalition partner the ÖVP, but he upper chamber of Parliament, the remains acknowledged as the de Senate, has had only limited facto leader of his party. legislative powers. Austria Belgium Current government The outgoing Belgium christian–social four-party coalition of CVP/PSC/PS/SP under Jean-Luc Population 10.3 million (2000) Dehaene (CVP) had been in Capital Brussels government since 1988 but had made Territory 30,519 sq. km losses at each subsequent election. Its GDP per capita US$26,570 (2000) heavy defeat in June 1999 was seen Unemployment 7.0 per cent of as a public response to a range of workforce (2000) scandals including an ongoing State form Constitutional monarchy. health-related scandal concerning Belgium seceded from the contaminated feed for livestock and Netherlands in 1830, and the the earlier paedophile scandal of constitution of 1831 established 1996. The series of scandals had Geoffrey K. Roberts and Patricia Hogwood - 9781526137852 Downloaded from manchesterhive.com at 09/23/2021 12:29:26PM via free access Belgium Belgium rocked the establishment and had Elections to the Belgian Senate, 13 June 1999 provoked calls for a democratic Votes (%) Seats renewal in Belgium. A new ‘purple-green’ (ie, red, blue and Flemish Liberals and Democrats 15.4 6 green) coalition comprising six parties (VLD) Christian People’s Party (CVP) 14.8 6 (VLD/PRL–FDF–MCC/SP/PS/AGALEV/ Liberal Reform Party (PRL–FDF–MCC) 10.6 5 ECOLO) was formed on 12 July 1999 Walloon Socialist Party (PS) 9.7 4 led by Guy Verhofstadt (VLD). It was Flemish Bloc 9.4 4 the first government to exclude the Flemish Socialist Party (SP) 8.9 4 christian democratic parties since ECOLO (Walloon Greens) 7.4 3 AGALEV (Flemish Greens) 7.1 3 1958. Social Christian Party (PSC) 6.1 3 Electoral systems A constitutional People’s Union 5.1 2 amendment of 1993 altered the National Front (FN) 1.5 0 membership of the two chambers of Others 4.0 0 Parliament. The Chamber of Total 40 Representatives formerly had 212 members and now has 150; the Party system Reflecting Belgium’s Senate formerly had 182 members linguistic divide, each of the main and now has 71. ideological families in Belgium is Elections to both chambers are by a represented by two separate parties: DATARELATING TO POLITICAL SYSTEMS system of proportional representation the christian democrats by the for a four-year term. However, only Flemish CVP and Walloon PSC; the 171 forty of the Senate’s seventy-one socialists by the Flemish SP and members are directly elected; the Walloon PS; the liberals by two remaining thirty-one are co-opted recently ‘renovated’ groupings, the from the councils of the linguistic Flemish VLD (formerly PVV) and communities. In May 1995 elections Walloon PRL–FDF; and the Greens by were held for the first time to the the Flemish AGALEV and Walloon new assemblies for the ECOLO. In addition, there are many regional/linguistic communities and to protest and fringe groups, of which the Brussels assembly. These the most significant are the extreme assemblies each have a term of office right-wing Flemish Bloc, the more of five years. moderate Flemish Nationalist People’s Belgium Belgium Union, and the extreme right Walloon Elections to the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, National Front. With the electorate’s 13 June 1999 rejection of the christian–social coalition in June 1999, the liberal Votes (%) Seats parties emerged as the largest Flemish Liberals and Democrats 14.3 23 ‘political family’ for the first time since (VLD) 1883. For the first time since the Christian People’s Party (CVP) 14.1 22 1920s, the christian and socialist Walloon Socialist Party (PS) 10.1 19 families no longer held a combined Liberal Reform Party (PRL–FDF–MCC) 10.1 18 Flemish Bloc 9.9 15 majority in Parliament. The Green Flemish Socialist Party (SP) 9.6 14 family gained ground while the far ECOLO (Walloon Greens) 7.3 11 right family’s standing was eroded AGALEV (Flemish Greens) 7.0 9 overall. New parties demanding a Social Christian Party (PSC) 5.9 10 complete overhaul of the political People’s Union 5.6 8 National Front (FN) 1.5 1 system failed to gain a seat in the Others 4.6 0 federal Parliament. Total 150 Geoffrey K. Roberts and Patricia Hogwood - 9781526137852 Downloaded from manchesterhive.com at 09/23/2021 12:29:26PM via free access Denmark Denmark maximum of 179 members, two of Denmark whom are elected in the Faroe Population 5.3 million (2000) Islands and two in Greenland.
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