Austria: Freedom in the World 2017 Country Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Austria: Freedom in the World 2017 Country Report

FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2017 Austria 95 FREE /100 Political Rights 37 /40 Civil Liberties 58 /60 Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology. Overview Austria has a democratic system of government that guarantees both political rights and civil liberties. It is frequently governed by a grand coalition of the center-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖCP). In recent years, the political system has faced pressure from the Free Party of Austria (ÖVP), a rightwing populist party that openly entertains nationalist and xenophobic sentiments. Key Developments in 2016 • In December, Alexander Van der Bellen was elected president after a close and controversial election that featured a repeat of the run-off between Van der Bellen and FPÖ candidate Norbert Hofer. • The government further limited access to asylum seekers, introducing a ceiling for the number of people that can apply for asylum in Austria in one year. • Rightwing violence and race-based hate speech remained major concerns. Executive Summary Political debate in 2016 was dominated by the presidential election and refugee policies, the latter issue being at the forefront of conversation since the spike in the flow of asylum seekers to Europe in 2015. Following a number of previous moves to counter migration flows to the country, the government further restricted access to asylum seekers and introduced an annual cap of 35,000 for asylum applications—a limit that will be in effect as of 2017. A number of legislators announced intentions to try to reduce this cap even further. The Austrian presidential election was highly contested and divisive. Van der Bellen, the candidate of the Green Party, initially won the runoff against Hofer, the candidate of the FPÖ. The vote was later declared invalid, however, as the Constitutional Court established that there had been irregularities in the handling of postal ballots. A repeat of the runoff, held in December, confirmed the election of Van der Bellen. Civil Liberties D. Freedom of Expression and Belief E. Associational and Organizational Rights F. Rule of Law G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights This country report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2017. For background information on political rights and civil liberties in Austria, see Freedom in the World 2016. On Austria See all data, scores & information on this country or territory. See More Country Facts Global Freedom Score 93 /100 Free Other Years 2021 Be the first to know what's Email happening. Join the Freedom Subscribe House monthly newsletter ADDRESS GENERAL INQUIRIES [email protected] 1850 M St. NW Floor 11 Washington, DC 20036 PRESS & MEDIA (202) 296-5101 [email protected] @2021 FreedomHouse.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

CRITICAL THEORY and AUTHORITARIAN POPULISM Critical Theory and Authoritarian Populism
CDSMS EDITED BY JEREMIAH MORELOCK CRITICAL THEORY AND AUTHORITARIAN POPULISM Critical Theory and Authoritarian Populism edited by Jeremiah Morelock Critical, Digital and Social Media Studies Series Editor: Christian Fuchs The peer-reviewed book series edited by Christian Fuchs publishes books that critically study the role of the internet and digital and social media in society. Titles analyse how power structures, digital capitalism, ideology and social struggles shape and are shaped by digital and social media. They use and develop critical theory discussing the political relevance and implications of studied topics. The series is a theoretical forum for in- ternet and social media research for books using methods and theories that challenge digital positivism; it also seeks to explore digital media ethics grounded in critical social theories and philosophy. Editorial Board Thomas Allmer, Mark Andrejevic, Miriyam Aouragh, Charles Brown, Eran Fisher, Peter Goodwin, Jonathan Hardy, Kylie Jarrett, Anastasia Kavada, Maria Michalis, Stefania Milan, Vincent Mosco, Jack Qiu, Jernej Amon Prodnik, Marisol Sandoval, Se- bastian Sevignani, Pieter Verdegem Published Critical Theory of Communication: New Readings of Lukács, Adorno, Marcuse, Honneth and Habermas in the Age of the Internet Christian Fuchs https://doi.org/10.16997/book1 Knowledge in the Age of Digital Capitalism: An Introduction to Cognitive Materialism Mariano Zukerfeld https://doi.org/10.16997/book3 Politicizing Digital Space: Theory, the Internet, and Renewing Democracy Trevor Garrison Smith https://doi.org/10.16997/book5 Capital, State, Empire: The New American Way of Digital Warfare Scott Timcke https://doi.org/10.16997/book6 The Spectacle 2.0: Reading Debord in the Context of Digital Capitalism Edited by Marco Briziarelli and Emiliana Armano https://doi.org/10.16997/book11 The Big Data Agenda: Data Ethics and Critical Data Studies Annika Richterich https://doi.org/10.16997/book14 Social Capital Online: Alienation and Accumulation Kane X.
[Show full text]
Outcome Report
Outcome Report August, 2019 About the R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT The R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT is a long-term initiative to create a network platform that will help regions, states and cities implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals and meet the global climate protection targets outlined in the Paris Agreement. Our goal is to bring everyone together in order to increase partnerships and exchange experiences and ideas. It is critical that we stay inspired and motivated in our efforts to implement the SDGs and to find effective ways to learn from one another. Arnold Schwarzenegger launched the R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT in 2017, under the direction of R20 Austria&EU Director Monika Langthaler and under the patronage of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. On the basis of this initiative, a major international climate conference is held once a year in the Vienna Hofburg. What we want to achieve: • Raising awareness for climate change • Showcasing innovative projects for climate protection • Matchmaking for green solutions Imprint R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT Vienna, August 2019 www.austrianworldsummit.com Outcome Report | R20 AUSTRIAN WORLD SUMMIT 19 2 Table of Content Key Messages ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction: Goals and Guests ................................................................................................................................... 4 Opening Show ....................................................................................................................................................................
[Show full text]
Der Erfolg Der FPÖ: Österreichs Parteien- Und Regierungssystem Unter Druck
Matthias Belafi Der Erfolg der FPÖ: Österreichs Parteien- und Regierungssystem unter Druck Bei der letzten Nationalratswahl in Österreich am 29. September 2013 konnten SPÖ und ÖVP nur noch ganz knapp über 50 % der Stimmen auf sich vereinen, so dass die Neuauflage der »Großen Koalition« nur noch als »MiGroKo« (für: mittelgroße Koali- tion) bezeichnet wurde und als letzte Chance für die beiden Parteien galt.1 Seitdem war die Regierung beinahe schon gelähmt aus Angst vor Neuwahlen, weil davon auszuge- hen war, dass die FPÖ als stärkste Kraft daraus hervorgehen und den nächsten Kanzler stellen werde. Bestätigt wurde diese Sorge durch die Bundespräsidentenwahl im Jahr 2016, die unterstrich, in welcher schwierigen Situation sich die beiden Regierungspar- teien befanden. Im ersten Wahlgang am 24. April gab es ein Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen der Kandidaten von SPÖ und ÖVP, das erst nach der Auszählung der Briefwahlstimmen entschieden wurde. Dieses enge Rennen zwischen den Kandidaten der Parteien der Großen Koalition drehte sich allerdings nur um die Plätze vier und fünf. Rudolf Hundstorfer von der SPÖ erzielte 11,3, Andreas Khol von der ÖVP 11,1 %. Der FPÖ-Kandidat Norbert Hofer schnitt mit 35 % mit deutlichem Abstand als bester Kandidat ab und unterlag im zweiten Wahlgang am 22. Mai mit 49,65 % nur knapp dem Grünen Alexander Van der Bellen. Die Wahl wurde auf Antrag der FPÖ jedoch wegen Verstößen gegen das Wahlgesetz aufgehoben und – nach einer weiteren Ver- schiebung wegen nichtklebender Wahlumschläge – am 4. Dezember 2016 wiederholt. Hofer verlor diese Stichwahl mit 46,2 %. Aufmerksam und mit Sorge beobachtete qua- si ganz Europa knapp ein Jahr die mögliche Wahl eines freiheitlichen Bundespräsiden- ten in Österreich, die als Signal für den Aufstieg der Rechtspopulisten in Europa galt.
[Show full text]
University of Birmingham Chronology
University of Birmingham Chronology Galpin, Charlotte DOI: 10.1111/jcms.12588 License: None: All rights reserved Document Version Peer reviewed version Citation for published version (Harvard): Galpin, C 2017, 'Chronology: The European Union in 2016', Journal of Common Market Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12588 Link to publication on Research at Birmingham portal Publisher Rights Statement: Eligibility for repository: Checked on 28/7/2017 General rights Unless a licence is specified above, all rights (including copyright and moral rights) in this document are retained by the authors and/or the copyright holders. The express permission of the copyright holder must be obtained for any use of this material other than for purposes permitted by law. •Users may freely distribute the URL that is used to identify this publication. •Users may download and/or print one copy of the publication from the University of Birmingham research portal for the purpose of private study or non-commercial research. •User may use extracts from the document in line with the concept of ‘fair dealing’ under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (?) •Users may not further distribute the material nor use it for the purposes of commercial gain. Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policy While the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.
[Show full text]
Austria | Freedom House
Austria | Freedom House https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/austria A. ELECTORAL PROCESS: 12 / 12 A1. Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4 Executive elections in Austria are generally free and fair. The president is elected for a six-year term and has predominantly ceremonial duties. The president does, however, appoint the chancellor, who also needs the support of the legislature to govern. Austria’s current president is the former head of the Green Party, Alexander Van der Bellen, who was elected after a close and controversial poll that featured a repeat of the run-off between Van der Bellen and FPÖ candidate Norbert Hofer. The run-off was repeated after the Constitutional Court established that there had been problems with the handling of postal ballots. Following the 2017 elections to the National Council (Nationalrat), the lower house of parliament, ÖVP head Sebastian Kurz became chancellor with support of the right- wing, populist FPÖ. A2. Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? 4 / 4 Legislative elections in Austria are generally considered credible. The National Council has 183 members chosen through proportional representation at the district, state, and federal levels. Members serve five-year terms. The 62 members of the upper house, the Federal Council (Bundesrat), are chosen by state legislatures for five- or six-year terms. Snap elections to the National Council took place in 2017, one year early, following the collapse of the coalition between the SPÖ and the ÖVP. Animosities between the two former coalition partners were reflected in an antagonistic, heavily-fought election campaign.
[Show full text]
Alexander Van Der Bellen's Victory: a Vote for Stability in Austria
Alexander Van der Bellen’s victory: A vote for stability in Austria blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2016/12/06/van-der-bellen-stability-austria/ 06/12/2016 Given that polling companies predicted a tight race again in Austria’s presidential election on 4 December, Alexander Van der Bellen’s relatively comfortable victory came as a surprise to many observers. Marcelo Jenny provides an early analysis of why Van der Bellen proved successful and assesses what the wider implications are for the country. After the longest electoral campaign in the country’s history, Austria finally elected a new President on 4 December, Alexander Van der Bellen, the former Green party leader. The final result, including absentee votes, is 53.8 percent of valid votes for Van der Bellen and 46.2 percent for Norbert Hofer, the candidate of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). Hofer already conceded his defeat on Sunday evening. On this occasion, then, Van der Bellen was confirmed decisively as the next President: unlike in May, when he won a narrow majority of 50.35 to 49.65 percent of the votes against Hofer. Listing large-scale irregularities in postal votes counting, the Freedom Party appealed the result at the Constitutional Court. The Court overturned it and ordered a complete rerun, which was initially scheduled for October, but in September parliament had to take the embarrassing decision of postponing it to December because of faulty glue on postal vote envelopes. Turnout was at 74.2 per cent, which is higher than in the annulled second round election in May (72.7 per cent) and in the first round (68.5 per cent).
[Show full text]
The 2016 Austrian Presidential Election: a Tale of Three Divides
The 2016 Austrian Presidential Election: A Tale of Three Divides Mario Gavenda Resul Umit* July 18, 2016 A preprint of the article published in Regional & Federal Studies, 26(3), 419–432. Abstract The 2016 Austrian presidential election was remarkably different than the previous ones in the history of the country characterized by its stable political system. Not only did it open the role of president in Austria to debate, but it also sidelined the two political parties that had dominated Austrian politics since World War II. Alexander Van der Bellen won the election with one of the closest margins in recent history. This article argues that the election divided the country in more than one way. Besides the near 50–50 divide between the candidates, the results show that it generated important dynamics in territorial politics as well, notably in the states and cities of Austria. These results point towards a party system transformation in Austrian politics. Keywords Presidential election; Austria; urban-rural divide; right-wing populism; party system transformation * Corresponding author. 1 Introduction The election of the 12th Federal President of Austria was nothing like the previous ones. First, it put the country’s characteristically stable political system under an unprecedented challenge. From the very beginning, the campaign opened the traditionally ceremonial role of Austrian presidency to debate, with threats of using the constitutional right to dissolve the parliament. After the first round of the election, it became clear that the two parties that created this stability, who had shared the presidential post between themselves since 1945, were out of the race.
[Show full text]
Struggle and Hope of Europe's Progressive Parties
Struggle and Hope of Europe’s Progressive Parties 28/04/2020 16:41 POLITICS ! Struggle and Hope of Europe’s Progressive Parties By Hendrik Vos , Jordy Dehaene 3 July 2018 EN NL Tags Elections, Green Parties, Populism, Progressives Progressive parties in the EU have been experiencing an up-hill struggle as voters are increasingly won over by the pessimistic narratives of right-wing populists. Hendrik Vos and Jordy Dehaene examine the difﬁculties experienced by the Left in Europe in recent years, the transformed voter in globalised times, and how progressives can move forward with a message of hope. In January 2017, Alexander Van der Bellen was sworn in as president of Austria. Although he officially stood as an independent candidate, he was supported by the Green party within which he had been militantly active for more than 20 years. He won the presidential election against Norbert Hofer, the far-right candidate. In fact, he won twice: the elections were repeated after irregularities came to light. A sigh of relief swept through large parts of the European Union following this election result. After all, 2016 was the year of the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump as US president. People feared for the future of the European Union: would populist parties with strong nationalist positions get their say in various Member States? Although Green candidates like Van der Bellen criticised the course of the EU, they did not question the added value of cooperation. In 2017, the dreaded breakthrough of right-wing populist parties did not take on the proportions that had been feared a few months earlier.
[Show full text]
CHALLENGES from WITHIN: the RISE of NEO-NATIONAL POLITICAL MOVEMENTS in WESTERN EUROPE by KEVIN T. RODGERS Integrated Studies F
CHALLENGES FROM WITHIN: THE RISE OF NEO-NATIONAL POLITICAL MOVEMENTS IN WESTERN EUROPE By KEVIN T. RODGERS Integrated Studies Final Project Essay (MAIS 700) submitted to Dr. Mike Gismondi in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts – Integrated Studies Athabasca, Alberta August 2016 THE RISE OF NEO-NATIONAL POLITICAL MOVEMENTS IN EUROPE 2 ABSTRACT Neo-nationalism is a political ideology that seeks to limit the effects of globalization on the historically defined nation-states of Europe. Neo- nationalism is growing rapidly and is not beholden to class based norms, nor is it defined by a traditional ideological construct. This paper seeks to define the factors that have led to the rise in the popularity of neo-nationalist parties in Western Europe. To do this effectively, an interdisciplinary approach is used that seeks to combine insights from across the disciplines of anthropology, economics, gender studies, geography, sociology and political science in order to better understand neo-nationalism’s popularity. I argue that the rising popularity of neo-nationalist groups lies in their ability to use an adaptive mythology that plays on pre-existing regional, religious, gender, and economic sensitivities in order to stoke fears of either a real or a perceived loss of political, cultural, and economic power. THE RISE OF NEO-NATIONAL POLITICAL MOVEMENTS IN EUROPE 3 Over the last thirty years globalization and space-time compression have fundamentally altered our social, economic, and political worlds. Neo-liberalism and globalization have since become interlinked as neo-liberal economic policies have come to dominate globalization initiatives.
[Show full text]
Curriculum Vitae/Lebenslauf (Deutsch)
Curriculum Vitae/Lebenslauf (Deutsch) Geburtsdaten: Geb. 1946, Innsbruck, Österreich Familienstand: Verheiratet mit Isabella, geb. Lienhart, Sohn: Andreas (DI Mag. Dr. sub ausp.) Wohnort: A-6100 Seefeld/Tirol, Schulweg 744 Militärdienst: 1969 Schulbildung: 1952 - 1956: Volksschule Seefeld/Tirol 1956 - 1960: Hauptschule Innsbruck/Hötting 1960 - 1964: Bundeshandelsakademie Innsbruck (19.6.1964: Matura) Hochschulbildung: 1964 - 1968: Studium der ‘Volkswirtschaftslehre’, UniVersität Innsbruck; 1968: Graduierung ‘Diplom-Volkswirt’ 1971 - 1973: Studium der ‘Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften’, UniVersität Innsbruck; 1971: Sponsion „Mag.rer.soc.oec.“; 1973: Promotion „Dr.rer.soc.oec.“ (Diss: Transfers zwischen Gebietskörperschaften (Auszeichnung)) 1973 - 1974: Studien- und Forschungsaufenthalt London (London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE, GB) 1976 u. 1978: (Kurz-)Forschungsaufenthalte UniVersity of York (GB) 1982: Habilitation für das Fachgebiet Volkswirtschaftslehre unter bes. Berücksichtigung der Finanzwissenschaft (Schrift: Politökonomische Theorie des Föderalismus, Veröff. im Nomos-Verlag, Baden-Baden (D)) Berufungen/Ernennungen: 1987 - 2012: Universitätsprofessor (Extraordinarius/Ordinarius) für Volkswirtschaftslehre Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Finanzwissenschaft und Sportökonomik, Universität Innsbruck 1992 – 2004: Leiter der Abteilung „Regionale und kommunale Finanzpolitik, FinanZaus- gleich“ des Instituts für Finanzwissenschaft, UniVersität Innsbruck (Abänderung nach Strukturverschiebung) 1985: Vis. Fulbright
[Show full text]
Europe: Fact Sheet on Parliamentary and Presidential Elections
Europe: Fact Sheet on Parliamentary and Presidential Elections July 30, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46858 Europe: Fact Sheet on Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 European Elections in 2021 ............................................................................................................. 2 European Parliamentary and Presidential Elections ........................................................................ 3 Figures Figure 1. European Elections Scheduled for 2021 .......................................................................... 3 Tables Table 1. European Parliamentary and Presidential Elections .......................................................... 3 Contacts Author Information .......................................................................................................................... 6 Europe: Fact Sheet on Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Introduction This report provides a map of parliamentary and presidential elections that have been held or are scheduled to hold at the national level in Europe in 2021, and a table of recent and upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections at the national level in Europe. It includes dates for direct elections only, and excludes indirect elections.1 Europe is defined in this product as the fifty countries under the portfolio of the U.S. Department
[Show full text]
Election in Austria
Election in Austria : The end of one of Europe’s « populist »? CONTENTS “POPULISM’ 5 POPULISM IN AUSTRIA 8 AUSTRIA’S HISTORIC LEGACY 10 LESSONS FOR AUSTRIA (AND FOR EUROPE) 12 By Emma Aubert 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Last Sunday, Austrians were voting for the second time to elect their presi- dent. The past elections, in May, had been annulled by the constitutional court following irregularities in the counting procedure in several constituencies. Alexander Van der Bellen, a Green politician who ran as an independent, had then won the elections with a ve- ry small margin of 31000 votes ahead of the extreme right wing candidate, Norbert Hofer, from the Freedom party (FPÖ). Sunday’s vote resulted in Van der Bellen winning 53.3 per cent of the vote to Hofer’s 46.7 per cent. The atmosphere was tense in Austria and everywhere else in Europe as Hofer’s victory would have been the first election of an extreme right wing president in Western Europe since the second World war. The FPÖ is indeed a very controversial party in Austria; on the one hand, it carries a very strong neo-Nazi image and holds xenophobic ideals, while, on the other hand, around 35 % of the population supports it – making it the most popular party of the country. It has notably participated in various governments with the social democrats between 1983 and 1986, and with the conservatives between 2000 and 2007, illustrating the double standards of some mainstream parties and the growing “dediabolisation” of the party within the country. Dediabolisation has indeed been one of main characteristic of the extreme right wing parties’ recent rise in Europe.
[Show full text]