|
The Austrian federal constitution that is valid nowadays is, despite all amendments, essentially the work of the founding fathers of the First Republic who passed this law in 1920. With the changes of 1929, the direct election of the Federal President and the strengthening of this office, the federal constitution formed the basis of the re-established Austrian state in 1945. It establishes the prevailing state form in Austria as a parliamentary democracy, taking its legitimacy from the people and headed by the Federal President who is elected directly by the population. Austria is a federal state consisting of the independent Länder (provinces) of Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna. The federal character of Austria results from the largely autonomous federal legislation, the participation of the Länder in federal legislation through the Federal Council, the relatively autonomous administration of the Länder as well as the division of finances between the state and the Länder established through the finance adjustment law. The division of state tasks between central government and the Länder forms the core and basic principle of the federal state. State functions are legislation and the implementation of laws whereby these are again subdivided into jurisdiction and administration. Whereas jurisdiction is exclusively within the domain of the federal government, legislation and administration are divided between the federal government, the Länder and municipalities. Since Austria joined the European Union on 1 January 1995, the federal government and the Länder (federal government, regional governments) and parliaments (National Assembly, Regional Assembly) participate to a certain extent in the formation of intent within the EU.
|
|
