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EXPLAINED: How does Austria’s presidential election work?

This year Austrians will vote in the Federal Presidential election, but how does the process work, and who could be the next President?

Published: 18 January 2022 14:20 CET
Updated: 23 May 2022 09:16 CEST
Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen
The election of the Federal President will take place in Austria in October. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The federal presidential election will take place in autumn 2022 as Alexander Van der Bellen (who represents the Green Party) reaches the end of his six-year term as president. 

In May, Van der Bellen announced he will stand for a second term and he is tipped as a strong contender.

In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming election and what could happen later this year.

What does the Austrian President actually do?

The Federal President is the chief diplomat in Austria – essentially the head of state of the Austrian Republic.

The president is responsible for protecting democracy in Austria, providing moral support to the country and assisting in the integration of minorities into the political process, as well as swearing in and dismissing parliament. 

To become the president of Austria, candidates should have an extensive political background and have a non-partisan (unbiased) approach to politics. 

In some ways, Austria’s president is compared to the role of the Queen in the UK and any political power is often viewed as symbolic. For example, the president is not expected to intervene in the daily running of government, but can make an appeal in certain situations.

Austria’s current president, Van der Bellen, was inaugurated into the role on January 26th 2017 after winning the election in autumn 2016. Van der Bellen is a member of the Green Party and a former member of the Vienna State Parliament and Vienna City Council.

He has had more to do than the average president due to the frequent changes of government, having signed 152 swearing-in documents including appointing new chancellors, vice chancellors, ministers and state secretaries

What is the presidential electoral process in Austria?

Austrian citizens (aged 16 and over) vote in presidential elections every six years and Austria’s Federal President is eligible for two elected terms.

A presidential candidate must be an Austrian citizen, be eligible to vote in the National Assembly and be at least 35 years old on election day. 

Members of ruling dynasties or from families that have reigned in the past are not eligible to run in the presidential election. This is to avoid a return to monarchy in Austria via the role of Federal President.

FOR MEMBERS: What’s in Austria’s vaccine mandate bill?

To become a candidate for the role of President, names must be submitted to the federal electoral authority at least 30 days before the election date, along with a fee of €3,600. Each nomination has to be signed by 6,000 eligible voters.

Following the vote, the elected Federal President is sworn in with an oath in front of the Federal Assembly. The oath states that the president will “faithfully observe the Constitution and all the laws of the Republic”.

Who could be the next President in Austria?

Some political figures have already spoken out in favour of Van der Bellen running for a second term, such as President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka (of the governing conservative People’s Party, ÖVP) and centre-left SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner.

READ MORE: Who is Karl Nehammer, Austria’s new Chancellor?

There is some support within the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) that van der Bellen should be cleared for re-election without an opposing candidate, to offer the country some stability

However, Governor of Burgenland Hans-Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) has said the announcement of an opposition candidate would send a strong message to the Austrian population that the country is a “self-confident social democracy”.

And Van der Bellen himself hasn’t said whether he even wants to put himself forward for another term.

Additionally, there are rumours that Norbert Hofer, former leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), could run for Federal President again (he was defeated by Van der Bellen in 2016). Hofer recently told Die Presse that if he does decide to become a candidate he will make the announcement nearer the time of the autumn election.

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POLITICS

Why does Austria rank so badly for press freedom?

Between political scandals and a decreasing media market, Austria has consistently ranked low in analyses of worldwide press freedom, but it has reached its lowest point this year.

Published: 3 May 2024 12:41 CEST
Why does Austria rank so badly for press freedom?

When we think about countries where there are issues with press freedom, it’s usually the places that are war zones or dictatorships that come to mind. So the fact that Austria ranks only 32nd in the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index may seem surprising to many people.

This is the country’s worst result to date, as it slipped from the 29th position it held last year. In 2024, Austria ranks in the middle of the countries classified as “satisfactory,” behind Moldova and ahead of Mauritania. Only eight countries are rated as having a “good” situation. The 22nd edition of the Press Freedom Index covers 180 countries worldwide.

According to Fritz Hausjell, President of RSF Austria, there are many reasons why Austria has fallen behind. The judiciary is investigating “highly problematic close relationships and suspected corrupt practices between the governing party ÖVP and several major media outlets”, he said, according to an ORF report. In addition, the judiciary is investigating the far-right FPÖ’s role in possible advertising corruption.

“In Austria, press freedom has been undermined by various political pressures or restrictions on access to information. Violence at public events prevented journalists from reporting freely”, RSF said.

READ ALSO: How Austria has tightened laws to prevent political corruption

Small market and political influences

“With just a dozen major outlets, the media market is small and very concentrated”, according to the RSF report. Additionally, tabloids have the largest readership, and there have been many attempts to influence both state and privately-owned media, with RSF calling the practice “constant”.

“Some politicians are suspected of having used public funds to buy favourable coverage in the tabloid media, while others have tried to intervene by directly going to editorial offices, such as former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. He was forced to resign in 2021 due to suspicions of buying positive coverage in a privately owned newspaper. Journalists are sometimes the targets of political attacks coming from the extremes”, the report stated.

There have been significant scandals after corruption allegations between politicians and the media.

Most recently, prosecutors said an investigation into several former government members for alleged bribery, corruption, and breach of trust was opened in mid-April. Herbert Kickl, the hardline leader of Austria’s right-wing Freedom Party (FPOe)—currently leading polls ahead of elections expected in September—is suspected of commissioning adverts and paying for them with public money.

READ ALSO: The Kurz corruption scandal exposes Austria’s press freedom problems

In late 2021, a major media graft scandal erupted in the Alpine country. Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his inner circle were accused of using public funds to pay for polls skewed to boost his image on Austrian tabloid media. It eventually led to Kurz’s resignation and exit from politics.

Of course, one of the country’s most infamous political scandals, the so-called Ibizagate that blew up in 2019, also shows Austrian leaders’ and major media’s murky underground connections. At the time, a leaked video showed then FPÖ leader and vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache in a 2017 meeting on the Spanish resort island of Ibiza with a woman posing as the niece of a Russian oligarch.

Among the many controversial statements, Strache was filmed discussing the possibility of the woman buying Austria’s most-read tabloid, Kronen Zeitung, and making its editorial line more pro-FPOe.

READ MORE: ‘Ibizagate’ – What you need to know about the Austrian political corruption scandal

But it’s not just the tabloid media that has shrouded connections to those in power. In 2022, two prominent Austrian journalists, editors of reputed media such as Die Presse and ORF, had to resign over leaked chats between them and politicians. The chats showed discussions over appointments with the public broadcaster ORF and friendly notes with “inappropriate closeness” between them and political leaders.

Outdated legal framework and harassment

Although various bills are being discussed, Austria is the last EU member state without a freedom of information law. Journalists are, moreover, concerned about certain political parties’ attempts to restrict their access to judicial information. 

Journalists are also harassed by various interest groups and societal movements. They are liable to censor themselves as a result of online attacks based on their gender, social class, ethnicity or religion. 

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine has become an issue that is polarising Austrian society and encouraging people to question journalism, the report highlighted.

READ ALSO: ‘Reforms needed urgently’ – Is Austria becoming more corrupt?

Additionally, reporters’ coverage of protests is facing significant obstruction by police, who use frequent identity checks to harass them and threaten legal action. Women journalists are particularly at risk. Newsrooms often receive threatening letters and messages, according to the report.

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