Alliance for the Future of Austria
Encyclopedia
The Alliance for the Future of Austria , abbreviated to BZÖ, is a conservative liberal
political party in Austria
. The party has sixteen seats in the National Council
.
The BZÖ was founded on 3 April 2005 by Jörg Haider
as a moderate splinter from the Freedom Party of Austria
(FPÖ) and immediately took the FPÖ's place in coalition with the Austrian People's Party
. The party won seven seats at the 2006 election
, ending its involvement in government. The September 2008 election
saw the BZÖ breakthrough with 21 seats, while the FPÖ's vote also increased. 13 days after the election, Haider died in a car crash; in April 2009, Josef Bucher
became leader. Under Bucher's leadership, the party moved towards economic liberalism
, leading to the secession of the party's Carinthia branch
in December 2009.
The party under Bucher is economically liberal and socially conservative
. The party aims to take ground from the ÖVP
by defending the middle class
and free market
s: supporting a flat tax
, privatisation
of utilities, and large reductions in both bureaucracy
and the government debt
. The party takes a more moderate position than the FPÖ on immigration
– proposing the introduction of a 'Green card' – and is soft eurosceptic. Unlike the FPÖ, the BZÖ is notably Atlanticist
: advocating abolishing conscription
, ending neutrality
, and joining NATO.
and the circle around Heinz-Christian Strache
, Andreas Mölzer
, and Ewald Stadler
. The party's charter was deposited at the Federal Ministry for the Interior
on April 3, 2005, as is required by Austrian law and the foundation of the party was announced by former members of the Freedom Party the following day.
On April 6, 2005, the party's charter was published in the official gazette of the Wiener Zeitung
, an act which is required upon the foundation of a new party, and the initial conference took place on April 17 in Salzburg
where the party's programme was agreed upon.
The BZÖ became the first party of the Second Republic to immediately join a government without taking part in an election. In the coalition with the Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP), the BZÖ held the vice-chancellorship and two ministries.
The first test for the BZÖ came in a series of Landtag elections in October 2005. In the elections to the Styrian state parliament on October 2, 2005, the BZÖ only obtained a 1.7% share of votes and clearly failed to enter the Landtag, while the FPÖ, with 4.6%, failed by a much smaller margin. The BZÖ's leading candidate was Michael Schmid
, a former Austrian minister of infrastructure.
The BZÖ did not stand in the October 2005 elections
in Burgenland
. In the October 23 elections
in Vienna
, it was led by former Lower Austria
n state government member Hans Jörg Schimanek. However, it captured only 1.2% of votes, while the FPÖ, led by national party chairman Heinz-Christian Strache
, surprised pollsters with a share of 14.9%.
. However, the party obtained 4.1% of the vote and 7 seats in the National Council
in 2006. The party was led by Peter Westenthaler
from June 2006 until his removal as Leader in August 2008 due to his conviction for perjury.
As the result of these developments, prominent party members who did not clearly take sides called upon leaders to mend the rift. However, since the BZÖ subsequently did not gain recognition in the electorate, it was assumed that FPÖ Chairman Heinz-Christian Strache would have been in a better position to reunite the group under his leadership. This changed with the general elections of September 28, 2008.
Haider formally re-assumed the party chairmanship on August 30, 2008, and was the party's candidate for Chancellor of Austria
in snap general elections
that took place on September 28, 2008. In those elections, the BZÖ scored a major victory taking 522,933 votes nationally translating into 10.70% of the total national vote. The party increased its representation from 7 to 21 seats in the National Council
. However, 13 days after the election, Haider died in a car crash.
On March 2009 elections where hold in Salzburg
(the party achieved 3.7% there, failed to enter Landtag but entered some municipal) and Carinthia
where the party reached 44.9% and kept the Landeshauptmann, which took place the same day.
On 26 April 2009, a party congress in Linz
elected Josef Bucher
as the new leader. In April 2009, Ewald Stadler
became party leader of Lower Austria, Gerhard Huber party leader of the Tyrol, and Christoph Hagen party leader of Vorarlberg in May 2009.
In their first European Parliament election, in June 2009
, the BZÖ received 4.58% of the votes. This was sufficient for Ewald Stadler to take his place as an Observer MEP.
But in autumn the party reached only 1.2% in the elections in Vorarlberg
and 2.83% at the Upper Austrian state elections (where the party had high hopes because of Ursula Hauber, the sister of Haider was leading candidate) held on September 27 but failed to enter the Landtage.
was designed and agreed upon by open ballot in unanimity
.
Mid 2010 there were first rumours the Young Liberals Austria
(JuLiS) (which were without a mother party for one year) could cooperate with the Alliance (after their politics became most liberal then the time before), as their party leader Scherak stated there had been talks, however he negated this possibility after the media asked him because "people like Grosz and Stadler would conflict with their elementary laws".
At the May 2010 election in Styria, the BZÖ achieved 2.98% with Gerald Grosz as leading candidate for the Landtag. At the October 2010 Vienna state elections
, the Alliance for the Future of Austria had nominated Walter Sonnleitner as leading candidate to check the new right-wing liberal course in action and achieved 1,33% of the Viennese voters. After that, Grosz criticised that the 2.98% achieved in Styria were a triumph in comparison to the 1.33% in Vienna and that he was concerned about the next general election. Grosz, along with Peter Westenthaler and Harald Fischl, criticised the party's centre-right liberal platform, as Grosz urged the party to return to a 'Haider course', emphasising foreign policy instead of economic liberalism.
On 7 January 2011 Bucher said about Grosz that he may leave anytime and Grosz later assured that they had agreed to einen "bürgerlichen Kurs rechts der Mitte" (a "middle class
course right of the centre") and he carried it with fully. Bucher and Grosz later really were in unity and presented a replacement of the Zivildienst
(in case of an abolition of compulsory military which would also make the Zivildienst vain) they named it "Bürgerhilfe" and claimed that it would work with help of volunteers that should gain 1300 euro brutto income and tax privileges and easier entry in public service and other to make the Bürgerhilfe attractive for volunteers, on 12 January 2011.
To show its freshness the Alliance changed its branding which is now an orange rectangle with the name written in white inside (the former was the Austrian flag in Swoosh
-style) at a meeting on 30 January 2011 in Carinthia to celebrate the first anniversary the refounding of the host party, BZÖ Kärnten (the Carinthian BZÖ). The party also launched a new campaign "Genug gezahlt!" (paid enough!) meaning that taxpayers are fed up with paying new taxes (like the million for the financial safety net for Greece).
In September 2011, the party launched a campaign against EU fiscal union, quoting the Bible
– "They know not what they do" (Luke
23:34) – to criticise the SPÖ, ÖVP and EU 'bosses'. The party abolished the position of secretary-general on 13 September. One day later, this caused Member of Parliament Robert Lugar
to leave the Alliance's caucus, as he himself stated that he didn't like the course of the party (Gerald Grosz otherwise thinks he wanted to become secretary-general, which wasn't possible since the position was abolished and said he was surprised of Lugars "hurt vanity
").
It also was the first time in the partys history to make use of Online advertising by using of banners (to reach more people with their campagne) and videos.
They also parodied the Three Kings
in a cartoon released on Youtube
(whereas the kings were representing Greece
, Ireland
and the banks so that Austrian villagers had to give them all their money until they were naked (criticising the present situation caused by the European Stability Mechanism
and bank rescues).
The spot was also shown on privately owned tv channels VOX, RTL
, RTL II
and Austria9.
Furthermore the so-called "Bucher-Plan" was introduced which contains an immediate payment stop for bankrupt EU countries an exclusion of Greece from the EU and a whole new safe and independent Monetary Zone of strong countries consisting of Austria, Germany
, Luxembourg
and the Netherlands
.
, expressing their more moderate stance compared with the Freedom Party of Austria
(FPÖ). Under Joseph Bucher, the party has been economically liberal and socially conservative
. In October 2008, parliamentary chairman Bucher claimed that he wanted to move the party towards the centre-right ÖVP. In office, Bucher announced that he wanted the party to become the Austrian version of the German Free Democratic Party
, but qualified this statement, saying he didn't agree with the details of the FDP manifesto.
The BZÖ describes itself as "ideologiefrei, aber zukunftsorientiert und wertebewusst" (free from ideology, but forward-looking and conscious of traditional values
). From its beginning, the party's leader and programme changed very often, until Josef Bucher became the party leader. This brought the first installation of the "Bündnisprogramm" in Vienna which was accepted in open ballot vote by 600 attending members, and a political orientation described now as "rechtsliberal" (right-wing liberal).
Especially the Mittelstand
, Civil and political rights, stop of compulsory membership in the State and personal Freedom
are main topics the Alliance wants to focus on. The BZÖ is especially against new taxes and for more reform
s.
, which stands at 80% of gross domestic product
. The party supports the privatisation
of utilities and parts of the Austrian Federal Railways. Bucher has proposed abolishing a regulation for each new one passed. The party advocates 'radical clearing' of bureaucracy
, allowing the ending of 25,000 civil service
positions. Bucher has proposed a 44% flat tax
on earnings above €11,000, with a further allowance of €9,000 for each child, citing Slovakia
's 19% flat tax as a model.
The BZÖ wants lower fuel tax
. It announced the people's initiative "Preisstop jetzt!", calling for an immediate stop to rising prices. However, due to the necessary timeframe, the period during which people will be able to sign for the initiative will only start after the election, thus limiting its impact.
and the creation of a fully professional army
, unlike the ÖVP, SPÖ, and FPÖ. It also advocates Austrian accession to NATO, arguing that Austria's traditional neutrality
does not benefit Austria.
The BZÖ is soft eurosceptic. It demanded a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, but, unlike the FPÖ, does not advocate withdrawal from the European Union
. It opposes Turkish accession to the EU
.
. While the FPÖ would like to enhance it to a real "Länderkammer" and remove sliping in of its competences by the so called "Landeshauptleute-Konferenz" (conference of the Landeshauptleute
) the BZÖ would rather abolish the federal council and replace its competences through the Landeshauptleutekonferenz as a step of less red tape
.
. The party is particularly strong in Carinthia
, where the party won 45% at the 2009 election
and still polls over 10%, even after the secession of the Freedom Party in Carinthia
.
The party has stated that it aims to stand up for the middle class
as the 'stronghold of the taxpayer' .
has a branch of the BZÖ that exists and acts semi-independently of the federal party. The state branches of the Freedom Party reacted in different ways to the creation of the BZÖ. The Freedom Party in Carinthia
, which enjoyed a great deal of autonomy under that party's statutes, was the only state branch which became a part of the BZÖ en masse.
The Freedom Party in Upper Austria
originally planned to decouple itself from the federal party and go its own way without joining the BZÖ for the time being. There were differing legal interpretations of what such a decoupling might entail and what the exact relationship is between the state and federal Freedom Party. Consequently, on 18 April 2005, the locks on the offices of the Freedom Party in Upper Austria were changed twice in the space of one evening. The first change of locks was on the orders of interim federal leader Hilmar Kabas on the basis that the federal party was listed as owner in the land registry. Günther Steinkellner, the leader of the Freedom Party in Upper Austria (which considers itself independent from the federal party and does not accept Hilmar Kabas' expulsion of Steinkellner from the party) instituted legal action for criminal damage and had the locks changed again. In April 2006, the convention of the Freedom Party of Upper Austria decided to rejoin the federal FPÖ. Former party expulsions have been revoked.
The state parties split in Vienna, the Tyrol, and Styria. The leaders in these three states decided to remain a part of the FPÖ, although some members of these state groups showed sympathy towards the BZÖ. In Vienna, nine of the 21 FPÖ members in the Landtag
want to form their own group Bündnis Zukunft Wien (Alliance for the Future of Vienna) with close links to the BZÖ. In Tyrol, both Freedom Party deputies in the Landtag crossed over to the BZÖ, whilst the state party leader Gerald Hauser continued on course with the Freedom Party and threatened to expel the two deputies from the Freedom Party. In Styria, three of the seven deputies joined the BZÖ.
These events have brought sharp criticism from Barbara Rosenkranz
, leader of the Lower Austria
n Freedom Party and a deputy of the National Council. Her state party remained within the Freedom Party, which is also the case with regard to Salzburg. The state party in Burgenland also unanimously declared they would remain within the Freedom Party. The Freedom Party in Vorarlberg
also initially announced its intention to go its own way, but then decided a few days later to remain a part of the Freedom Party so as not to lose its official funding.
, called the Generation of the Future of Austria
(Generation Zukunft Österreich), a pensioner's wing, called the Independent Seniors Platform (Unabhängige Seniorenplattform), a families wing, called the Family for the Future of Austria (Familie Zukunft Österreich).
a farmers wing called "BZÖ Bauern" and a labours wing called "BZÖ Arbeitnehmer" (at the moment in Carinthia only with Sigisbert Dolinschek as chairman)
industrialist Frank Stronach
might support the BZÖ, primarily because he enjoys good relations with Jörg Haider. This has been denied by Andreas Rudas, spokesman for Stronach's Magna International
, and Stronach himself has made no comment on the matter. There are no other big contributors in the picture currently and the party will therefore have to support itself exclusively from membership subscriptions.
The party aims to be debt-free by 2012.
, the Austrian Vice-Chancellor
and Minister for Infrastructure was the parliamentary leader, with Heike Trammer and Karin Gastinger
as his deputies. Uwe Scheuch, a member of the National Council
and former General Secretary of the Freedom Party, is the Alliance's spokesman. The BZÖ has chosen orange as its party colour. On September 24, 2006 Karin Gastinger
left the BZÖ, staying Minister of Justice.
Other prominent members are:
However, of the above-named politicians only Herbert Scheibner has resigned from the Freedom Party. The other intend to belong to both parties, the Freedom Party and the BZÖ. The Freedom Party, however, has announced that it will not accept members who belong to other parties. Following this announcement, on April 7, 2008, Hilmar Kabas
, the Freedom Party's interim leader, expelled Jörg Haider, who had been the Freedom Party's federal leader and main ideologue for years. Along with Haider, Martin Strutz, the Freedom Party's leader in Carinthia
, and the former parliamentary group leader Kurt Scheuch were expelled. Kabas stated that anyone who was a member of another party could no longer be a member of the Freedom Party.
Jörg Haider
remained leader or "Bündnisobmann" of the BZÖ until his death in October 2008.
Currently Ewald Stadler
is admitted as a member of the European Parliament.
Conservative liberalism
Conservative liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal values and policies with conservative stances, or, more simply, representing the right-wing of the liberal movement....
political party in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The party has sixteen seats in the National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
.
The BZÖ was founded on 3 April 2005 by Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
as a moderate splinter from the Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
(FPÖ) and immediately took the FPÖ's place in coalition with the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
. The party won seven seats at the 2006 election
Austrian legislative election, 2006
The 2006 general election for the National Council in Austria was held on 1 October 2006.Following the Austrian legislative election, 1999, the Austrian People's Party had formed a coalition government with the Austrian Freedom Party , and later the Alliance for the Future of Austria .As a result...
, ending its involvement in government. The September 2008 election
Austrian legislative election, 2008
A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria was held on 28 September 2008. The previous election was held on 1 October 2006. The election was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition on 7 July 2008...
saw the BZÖ breakthrough with 21 seats, while the FPÖ's vote also increased. 13 days after the election, Haider died in a car crash; in April 2009, Josef Bucher
Josef Bucher
Josef Bucher is an Austrian politician and is the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Austria . He is also a Member of Parliament for the party...
became leader. Under Bucher's leadership, the party moved towards economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
, leading to the secession of the party's Carinthia branch
Freedom Party in Carinthia
The Freedomites in Carinthia is a far right political party in Austria, operating in the federal state of Carinthia. Historically, it has been shaped by Jörg Haider...
in December 2009.
The party under Bucher is economically liberal and socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
. The party aims to take ground from the ÖVP
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
by defending the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
s: supporting a flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
, privatisation
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of utilities, and large reductions in both bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
and the government debt
Government debt
Government debt is money owed by a central government. In the US, "government debt" may also refer to the debt of a municipal or local government...
. The party takes a more moderate position than the FPÖ on immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
– proposing the introduction of a 'Green card' – and is soft eurosceptic. Unlike the FPÖ, the BZÖ is notably Atlanticist
Atlanticism
Atlanticism is a philosophy of cooperation among Western European and North American nations regarding political, economic, and defense issues, with the purpose to maintain the security of the participating countries, and to protect the values that unite them: "democracy, individual liberty and...
: advocating abolishing conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
, ending neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
, and joining NATO.
Foundation
The BZÖ was founded as the result of considerable disagreements within the Freedom Party between Jörg HaiderJörg Haider
Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
and the circle around Heinz-Christian Strache
Heinz-Christian Strache
Heinz-Christian Strache is an Austrian politician, member of parliament, former member of the Vienna city council and political leader of the Freedom Party of Austria . He is a right-wing politician and an efficient populist...
, Andreas Mölzer
Andreas Mölzer
Andreas Mölzer is an Austrian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Freedom Party of Austria.- Biography :...
, and Ewald Stadler
Ewald Stadler
Ewald Johann Stadler , is an Austrian politician. Previously a member of the Freedom Party of Austria , he left the FPÖ in 2007, switched to the Alliance for the Future of Austria and ran for the European Parliament in 2009 as its leading candidate...
. The party's charter was deposited at the Federal Ministry for the Interior
Federal Ministry for the Interior (Austria)
The Federal Ministry for the Interior is a ministry of the Austrian federal government.It has offices in the Palais Modena. The current head of the ministry is minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner....
on April 3, 2005, as is required by Austrian law and the foundation of the party was announced by former members of the Freedom Party the following day.
On April 6, 2005, the party's charter was published in the official gazette of the Wiener Zeitung
Wiener Zeitung
Wiener Zeitung is an Austrian newspaper. It is one of the most famous newspapers in Europe and one of the oldest, still published newspapers in the world. It is the official publication used by the Government of the Republic of Austria for its formal announcements. It was founded in 1703 under the...
, an act which is required upon the foundation of a new party, and the initial conference took place on April 17 in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
where the party's programme was agreed upon.
The BZÖ became the first party of the Second Republic to immediately join a government without taking part in an election. In the coalition with the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(ÖVP), the BZÖ held the vice-chancellorship and two ministries.
The first test for the BZÖ came in a series of Landtag elections in October 2005. In the elections to the Styrian state parliament on October 2, 2005, the BZÖ only obtained a 1.7% share of votes and clearly failed to enter the Landtag, while the FPÖ, with 4.6%, failed by a much smaller margin. The BZÖ's leading candidate was Michael Schmid
Michael Schmid
Michael Schmid is a Swiss freestyle skier who specializes in the skicross discipline. He is the inaugural Olympic champion in the event....
, a former Austrian minister of infrastructure.
The BZÖ did not stand in the October 2005 elections
Burgenland state election, 2005
State elections were held in the Austrian state of Burgenland in 2005 to determine the State parliament for the next 5 years.The SPÖ won the election in a landslide victory. State governor since 2000, Hans Niessl, Burgenland SPÖ chairman, won another term as state governor....
in Burgenland
Burgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
. In the October 23 elections
Viennese state election, 2005
In the 2005 Viennese Lantag elections, the SPÖ won government and Michael Häupl was chosen for a third term as the mayor of the city-state....
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, it was led by former Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
n state government member Hans Jörg Schimanek. However, it captured only 1.2% of votes, while the FPÖ, led by national party chairman Heinz-Christian Strache
Heinz-Christian Strache
Heinz-Christian Strache is an Austrian politician, member of parliament, former member of the Vienna city council and political leader of the Freedom Party of Austria . He is a right-wing politician and an efficient populist...
, surprised pollsters with a share of 14.9%.
Consolidation
Since the BZÖ performed poorly in state elections it participated in shortly after its formation, many commentators believed that it would disappear after the 2006 general electionAustrian legislative election, 2006
The 2006 general election for the National Council in Austria was held on 1 October 2006.Following the Austrian legislative election, 1999, the Austrian People's Party had formed a coalition government with the Austrian Freedom Party , and later the Alliance for the Future of Austria .As a result...
. However, the party obtained 4.1% of the vote and 7 seats in the National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
in 2006. The party was led by Peter Westenthaler
Peter Westenthaler
Peter Westenthaler is an Austrian politician. He assumed his mother's maiden name Westenthaler instead of his former surname Hojač...
from June 2006 until his removal as Leader in August 2008 due to his conviction for perjury.
As the result of these developments, prominent party members who did not clearly take sides called upon leaders to mend the rift. However, since the BZÖ subsequently did not gain recognition in the electorate, it was assumed that FPÖ Chairman Heinz-Christian Strache would have been in a better position to reunite the group under his leadership. This changed with the general elections of September 28, 2008.
Haider formally re-assumed the party chairmanship on August 30, 2008, and was the party's candidate for Chancellor of Austria
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
in snap general elections
Austrian legislative election, 2008
A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria was held on 28 September 2008. The previous election was held on 1 October 2006. The election was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition on 7 July 2008...
that took place on September 28, 2008. In those elections, the BZÖ scored a major victory taking 522,933 votes nationally translating into 10.70% of the total national vote. The party increased its representation from 7 to 21 seats in the National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
. However, 13 days after the election, Haider died in a car crash.
After Haider
After Haider's death, the party was led by a temporary leadership team.On March 2009 elections where hold in Salzburg
Salzburg state and municipal elections, 2009
Joint state and municipal elections were held in Salzburg on 1 March 2009. The election is likely to see a strong contest between the SPÖ and the ÖVP over the post of governor, after the SPÖ won the 2004 election for the first time in history....
(the party achieved 3.7% there, failed to enter Landtag but entered some municipal) and Carinthia
Carinthian state and municipal elections, 2009
Joint state and municipal elections were held in Carinthia on 1 March 2009. Carinthia is the stronghold of the national conservative Alliance for the Future of Austria, whose founder Jörg Haider died in a car accident on 11 October 2008...
where the party reached 44.9% and kept the Landeshauptmann, which took place the same day.
On 26 April 2009, a party congress in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
elected Josef Bucher
Josef Bucher
Josef Bucher is an Austrian politician and is the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Austria . He is also a Member of Parliament for the party...
as the new leader. In April 2009, Ewald Stadler
Ewald Stadler
Ewald Johann Stadler , is an Austrian politician. Previously a member of the Freedom Party of Austria , he left the FPÖ in 2007, switched to the Alliance for the Future of Austria and ran for the European Parliament in 2009 as its leading candidate...
became party leader of Lower Austria, Gerhard Huber party leader of the Tyrol, and Christoph Hagen party leader of Vorarlberg in May 2009.
In their first European Parliament election, in June 2009
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
, the BZÖ received 4.58% of the votes. This was sufficient for Ewald Stadler to take his place as an Observer MEP.
But in autumn the party reached only 1.2% in the elections in Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg state election, 2009
State elections were held in the state of Vorarlberg on 20 September 2009. Apart from the Austrian People's Party, the Social Democratic Party of Austria, The Greens – The Green Alternative and the Freedom Party of Austria, a list based on the Vorarlberg Chamber of Labour faction "Neue Bewegung für...
and 2.83% at the Upper Austrian state elections (where the party had high hopes because of Ursula Hauber, the sister of Haider was leading candidate) held on September 27 but failed to enter the Landtage.
The BZÖ's liberal turn
A milestone of change in direction of a new party ideology happened following events of the Carinthian party members split-off from the BZÖ on the 16 December 2009. One part of the Carinthian branch left the party (as being upset about the planned new course of Bucher they had stated) and called themselves Freedomites in Carinthia now, the Carinthian BZÖ was refounded on 30 January 2010. On 2 May 2010 the Alliance for the Future of Austria held a convention in Vienna, where their first BündnisprogrammParty platform
A party platform, or platform sometimes also referred to as a manifesto, is a list of the actions which a political party, individual candidate, or other organization supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said peoples' candidates voted into political office or...
was designed and agreed upon by open ballot in unanimity
Unanimity
Unanimity is agreement by all people in a given situation. When unanimous, everybody is of the same mind and acting together as one. Though unlike uniformity, it does not constitute absolute agreement. Many groups consider unanimous decisions a sign of agreement, solidarity, and unity...
.
Mid 2010 there were first rumours the Young Liberals Austria
Young Liberals Austria
The Young Liberals Austria or simply JuLis formerly known as Liberal Students Forum or LSF is a liberal political party in Austria.From 1993 to 2009 it was the youth and student wing of the Liberal Forum....
(JuLiS) (which were without a mother party for one year) could cooperate with the Alliance (after their politics became most liberal then the time before), as their party leader Scherak stated there had been talks, however he negated this possibility after the media asked him because "people like Grosz and Stadler would conflict with their elementary laws".
At the May 2010 election in Styria, the BZÖ achieved 2.98% with Gerald Grosz as leading candidate for the Landtag. At the October 2010 Vienna state elections
Viennese state election, 2010
In the 2010 Viennese Landtag elections, the SPÖ lost its absolut majority.The big winner was the Freedom Party which reached 25,77% and doubled it seats from 13 to 27 gaining these from all other parties of the Landtag....
, the Alliance for the Future of Austria had nominated Walter Sonnleitner as leading candidate to check the new right-wing liberal course in action and achieved 1,33% of the Viennese voters. After that, Grosz criticised that the 2.98% achieved in Styria were a triumph in comparison to the 1.33% in Vienna and that he was concerned about the next general election. Grosz, along with Peter Westenthaler and Harald Fischl, criticised the party's centre-right liberal platform, as Grosz urged the party to return to a 'Haider course', emphasising foreign policy instead of economic liberalism.
On 7 January 2011 Bucher said about Grosz that he may leave anytime and Grosz later assured that they had agreed to einen "bürgerlichen Kurs rechts der Mitte" (a "middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
course right of the centre") and he carried it with fully. Bucher and Grosz later really were in unity and presented a replacement of the Zivildienst
Zivildienst
Zivildienst is the civilian branch of the national service systems in Austria and Switzerland. In Germany as well Zivildienst was the alternative service to military service until suspension of conscription in 2011...
(in case of an abolition of compulsory military which would also make the Zivildienst vain) they named it "Bürgerhilfe" and claimed that it would work with help of volunteers that should gain 1300 euro brutto income and tax privileges and easier entry in public service and other to make the Bürgerhilfe attractive for volunteers, on 12 January 2011.
To show its freshness the Alliance changed its branding which is now an orange rectangle with the name written in white inside (the former was the Austrian flag in Swoosh
Swoosh
Swoosh is the symbol of the athletic shoe and clothing manufacturer Nike. It is among the most easily recognized brand logos in the world.-History:...
-style) at a meeting on 30 January 2011 in Carinthia to celebrate the first anniversary the refounding of the host party, BZÖ Kärnten (the Carinthian BZÖ). The party also launched a new campaign "Genug gezahlt!" (paid enough!) meaning that taxpayers are fed up with paying new taxes (like the million for the financial safety net for Greece).
In September 2011, the party launched a campaign against EU fiscal union, quoting the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
– "They know not what they do" (Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
23:34) – to criticise the SPÖ, ÖVP and EU 'bosses'. The party abolished the position of secretary-general on 13 September. One day later, this caused Member of Parliament Robert Lugar
Robert Lugar
Robert Lugar , was an English architect and engineer in the Industrial Revolution.Although born in Colchester, England, Lugar carried out much of his most important work in Scotland and Wales, where he was employed by several leading industrialists to design grand houses such as Balloch Castle and...
to leave the Alliance's caucus, as he himself stated that he didn't like the course of the party (Gerald Grosz otherwise thinks he wanted to become secretary-general, which wasn't possible since the position was abolished and said he was surprised of Lugars "hurt vanity
Vanity
In conventional parlance, vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant futility. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic synonym for vanity, but...
").
It also was the first time in the partys history to make use of Online advertising by using of banners (to reach more people with their campagne) and videos.
They also parodied the Three Kings
Biblical Magi
The Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
in a cartoon released on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
(whereas the kings were representing Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the banks so that Austrian villagers had to give them all their money until they were naked (criticising the present situation caused by the European Stability Mechanism
European Stability Mechanism
The European Stability Mechanism is a permanent rescue funding programme to succeed the temporary European Financial Stability Facility and European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism...
and bank rescues).
The spot was also shown on privately owned tv channels VOX, RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
, RTL II
RTL II
RTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993. It quickly became infamous for its perceived "trash programming", comprising lots of soft porn as well as shows such as Peep and many...
and Austria9.
Furthermore the so-called "Bucher-Plan" was introduced which contains an immediate payment stop for bankrupt EU countries an exclusion of Greece from the EU and a whole new safe and independent Monetary Zone of strong countries consisting of Austria, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Ideology
On 15 October 2009, the party described its political position as centre-rightCentre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
, expressing their more moderate stance compared with the Freedom Party of Austria
Freedom Party of Austria
The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...
(FPÖ). Under Joseph Bucher, the party has been economically liberal and socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
. In October 2008, parliamentary chairman Bucher claimed that he wanted to move the party towards the centre-right ÖVP. In office, Bucher announced that he wanted the party to become the Austrian version of the German Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
, but qualified this statement, saying he didn't agree with the details of the FDP manifesto.
The BZÖ describes itself as "ideologiefrei, aber zukunftsorientiert und wertebewusst" (free from ideology, but forward-looking and conscious of traditional values
Traditional values
Traditional values refer to those beliefs, moral codes, and mores that are passed down from generation to generation within a culture, subculture or community.-Summary:Since the late 1970s in the U.S., the term "traditional values" has become synonymous...
). From its beginning, the party's leader and programme changed very often, until Josef Bucher became the party leader. This brought the first installation of the "Bündnisprogramm" in Vienna which was accepted in open ballot vote by 600 attending members, and a political orientation described now as "rechtsliberal" (right-wing liberal).
Especially the Mittelstand
Mittelstand
Mittelstand refers to small and medium-sized enterprises in German-speaking countries, especially in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Economic and business historians have been increasingly giving Mittelstand companies more and more credit for Germany's economic growth in the beginning of the 20th...
, Civil and political rights, stop of compulsory membership in the State and personal Freedom
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
are main topics the Alliance wants to focus on. The BZÖ is especially against new taxes and for more reform
Reform
Reform means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change, more specifically, reversion to a pure original state, to repair, restore or to correct....
s.
Economics
The BZÖ supports reducing the reduction of government debtGovernment debt
Government debt is money owed by a central government. In the US, "government debt" may also refer to the debt of a municipal or local government...
, which stands at 80% of gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
. The party supports the privatisation
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of utilities and parts of the Austrian Federal Railways. Bucher has proposed abolishing a regulation for each new one passed. The party advocates 'radical clearing' of bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
, allowing the ending of 25,000 civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
positions. Bucher has proposed a 44% flat tax
Flat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
on earnings above €11,000, with a further allowance of €9,000 for each child, citing Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
's 19% flat tax as a model.
The BZÖ wants lower fuel tax
Fuel tax
A fuel tax is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation...
. It announced the people's initiative "Preisstop jetzt!", calling for an immediate stop to rising prices. However, due to the necessary timeframe, the period during which people will be able to sign for the initiative will only start after the election, thus limiting its impact.
Social issues
The party supports the introduction of the Green card model like in the United States. This policy was introduced by Bucher in 2009 in recognition of Austria's reliance on immigration: separating it from the FPÖ.Foreign policy
The BZÖ supports an immediate end to conscriptionConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
and the creation of a fully professional army
Standing army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...
, unlike the ÖVP, SPÖ, and FPÖ. It also advocates Austrian accession to NATO, arguing that Austria's traditional neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
does not benefit Austria.
The BZÖ is soft eurosceptic. It demanded a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, but, unlike the FPÖ, does not advocate withdrawal from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. It opposes Turkish accession to the EU
Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Turkey's application to accede to the European Union was made on 14 April 1987. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union and its predecessors since 1963...
.
Constitution
Also there is a major differences between FPÖ and BZÖ about the future of the Austrian federal councilFederal Council of Austria
The Federal Council of Austria or Bundesrat is the second chamber of the Austrian parliament, representing the nine States of Austria on federal level. As part of a bicameral legislature alongside of the National Council of Austria , it can be compared with an upper house or a senate...
. While the FPÖ would like to enhance it to a real "Länderkammer" and remove sliping in of its competences by the so called "Landeshauptleute-Konferenz" (conference of the Landeshauptleute
Landeshauptmann
Landeshauptmann is a former German gubernatorial title equivalent to that of a governor of a province or a state....
) the BZÖ would rather abolish the federal council and replace its competences through the Landeshauptleutekonferenz as a step of less red tape
Red tape
Red tape is excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making...
.
Political support
The party has polled around 5–6% since early 2011, having won 10% at the 2008 electionAustrian legislative election, 2008
A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria was held on 28 September 2008. The previous election was held on 1 October 2006. The election was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition on 7 July 2008...
. The party is particularly strong in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, where the party won 45% at the 2009 election
Carinthian state and municipal elections, 2009
Joint state and municipal elections were held in Carinthia on 1 March 2009. Carinthia is the stronghold of the national conservative Alliance for the Future of Austria, whose founder Jörg Haider died in a car accident on 11 October 2008...
and still polls over 10%, even after the secession of the Freedom Party in Carinthia
Freedom Party in Carinthia
The Freedomites in Carinthia is a far right political party in Austria, operating in the federal state of Carinthia. Historically, it has been shaped by Jörg Haider...
.
The party has stated that it aims to stand up for the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
as the 'stronghold of the taxpayer' .
State branches
Each stateStates of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
has a branch of the BZÖ that exists and acts semi-independently of the federal party. The state branches of the Freedom Party reacted in different ways to the creation of the BZÖ. The Freedom Party in Carinthia
Freedom Party in Carinthia
The Freedomites in Carinthia is a far right political party in Austria, operating in the federal state of Carinthia. Historically, it has been shaped by Jörg Haider...
, which enjoyed a great deal of autonomy under that party's statutes, was the only state branch which became a part of the BZÖ en masse.
The Freedom Party in Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
originally planned to decouple itself from the federal party and go its own way without joining the BZÖ for the time being. There were differing legal interpretations of what such a decoupling might entail and what the exact relationship is between the state and federal Freedom Party. Consequently, on 18 April 2005, the locks on the offices of the Freedom Party in Upper Austria were changed twice in the space of one evening. The first change of locks was on the orders of interim federal leader Hilmar Kabas on the basis that the federal party was listed as owner in the land registry. Günther Steinkellner, the leader of the Freedom Party in Upper Austria (which considers itself independent from the federal party and does not accept Hilmar Kabas' expulsion of Steinkellner from the party) instituted legal action for criminal damage and had the locks changed again. In April 2006, the convention of the Freedom Party of Upper Austria decided to rejoin the federal FPÖ. Former party expulsions have been revoked.
The state parties split in Vienna, the Tyrol, and Styria. The leaders in these three states decided to remain a part of the FPÖ, although some members of these state groups showed sympathy towards the BZÖ. In Vienna, nine of the 21 FPÖ members in the Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
want to form their own group Bündnis Zukunft Wien (Alliance for the Future of Vienna) with close links to the BZÖ. In Tyrol, both Freedom Party deputies in the Landtag crossed over to the BZÖ, whilst the state party leader Gerald Hauser continued on course with the Freedom Party and threatened to expel the two deputies from the Freedom Party. In Styria, three of the seven deputies joined the BZÖ.
These events have brought sharp criticism from Barbara Rosenkranz
Barbara Rosenkranz
Barbara Rosenkranz is an Austrian politician for the Freedom Party of Austria , currently serving as the Minister of Building Law and Animal Protection of the State of Lower Austria...
, leader of the Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
n Freedom Party and a deputy of the National Council. Her state party remained within the Freedom Party, which is also the case with regard to Salzburg. The state party in Burgenland also unanimously declared they would remain within the Freedom Party. The Freedom Party in Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
also initially announced its intention to go its own way, but then decided a few days later to remain a part of the Freedom Party so as not to lose its official funding.
Sections
The BZÖ has a youth wingYouth wing
A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous or independently-allied front of a larger organization that is formed in order to rally support and allegiance for that organization's campaigns from members and potential members of a younger age...
, called the Generation of the Future of Austria
Generation of the Future of Austria
The Generation of the Future of Austria , abbreviated to GZÖ, is the youth wing of the Alliance for the Future of Austria, a conservative liberal political party in Austria....
(Generation Zukunft Österreich), a pensioner's wing, called the Independent Seniors Platform (Unabhängige Seniorenplattform), a families wing, called the Family for the Future of Austria (Familie Zukunft Österreich).
a farmers wing called "BZÖ Bauern" and a labours wing called "BZÖ Arbeitnehmer" (at the moment in Carinthia only with Sigisbert Dolinschek as chairman)
Finances
The BZÖ's financial situation remains unclear. The group will not take over any of the Freedom Party's debts, but on the other hand, it has no access to the Freedom Party's means of support. The parliamentary group of the Freedom Party, to which the BZÖ nominally still belongs, is entitled to an annual grant of €1,976,000. However, the state party funding still belongs to the Freedom Party as this was the party that fought the last election. The relatively wealthy Freedom Party state organisation in Vienna will not be transferred to the BZÖ. There has been repeated speculation that the Austrian-CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
industrialist Frank Stronach
Frank Stronach
Frank Stronach, CM is an Austrian-Canadian businessman. He is the founder of Magna International, an international automotive parts company based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, and Magna Entertainment Corp., which specializes in horse-racing entertainment...
might support the BZÖ, primarily because he enjoys good relations with Jörg Haider. This has been denied by Andreas Rudas, spokesman for Stronach's Magna International
Magna International
Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....
, and Stronach himself has made no comment on the matter. There are no other big contributors in the picture currently and the party will therefore have to support itself exclusively from membership subscriptions.
The party aims to be debt-free by 2012.
Membership
At the initial party conference on April 17, 2005, Jörg Haider was elected leader of the Alliance. Hubert GorbachHubert Gorbach
Hubert Gorbach is an Austrian politician and a member of the Alliance for the Future of Austria . Until April 2005, he was a leading member in the Freedom Party. Born in Vorarlberg, he was vice-governor of Vorarlberg until 2003.In 2003, he succeeded Herbert Haupt as Vice-Chancellor of Austria...
, the Austrian Vice-Chancellor
Vice Chancellor of Austria
In Austrian politics, the Vice-Chancellor is a member of the federal government acting as a deputy to the Federal Chancellor.Art. 69 of the Constitution of Austria states:...
and Minister for Infrastructure was the parliamentary leader, with Heike Trammer and Karin Gastinger
Karin Gastinger
Karin Gastinger is an Austrian politician. She was Federal Minister of Justice in the coalition government led by Wolfgang Schüssel which served from June 2004 to January 2007....
as his deputies. Uwe Scheuch, a member of the National Council
National Council of Austria
The National Council is one of the two houses of the Austrian parliament. According to the constitution, the National Council and the complementary Federal Council are peers...
and former General Secretary of the Freedom Party, is the Alliance's spokesman. The BZÖ has chosen orange as its party colour. On September 24, 2006 Karin Gastinger
Karin Gastinger
Karin Gastinger is an Austrian politician. She was Federal Minister of Justice in the coalition government led by Wolfgang Schüssel which served from June 2004 to January 2007....
left the BZÖ, staying Minister of Justice.
Other prominent members are:
- Social Security Minister and former Freedom Party leader Ursula HaubnerUrsula HaubnerUrsula Haubner is an Austrian politician of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , formerly of the Austrian Freedom Party . Haubner is married with two daughters and five grandchildren...
(Jörg Haider's sister) - Thomas PrinzhornThomas PrinzhornThomas Prinzhorn is an Austrian industrialist and politician of the national liberal party Alliance for the Future of Austria . A former member of parliament, he served as one of the three presidents of the Austrian Parliament from 1999 to 2006, first as 2nd president until 2002 and then as 3rd...
, the Deputy President of the National Council - Herbert Scheibner, the leader of the Freedom Party group in the National Council
However, of the above-named politicians only Herbert Scheibner has resigned from the Freedom Party. The other intend to belong to both parties, the Freedom Party and the BZÖ. The Freedom Party, however, has announced that it will not accept members who belong to other parties. Following this announcement, on April 7, 2008, Hilmar Kabas
Hilmar Kabas
Hilmar Kabas is an Austrian politician of the Freedom Party of Austria .Kabas studied law at the University of Vienna...
, the Freedom Party's interim leader, expelled Jörg Haider, who had been the Freedom Party's federal leader and main ideologue for years. Along with Haider, Martin Strutz, the Freedom Party's leader in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, and the former parliamentary group leader Kurt Scheuch were expelled. Kabas stated that anyone who was a member of another party could no longer be a member of the Freedom Party.
Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
remained leader or "Bündnisobmann" of the BZÖ until his death in October 2008.
General elections
| Election | Votes | % of vote | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Austrian legislative election, 2006 The 2006 general election for the National Council in Austria was held on 1 October 2006.Following the Austrian legislative election, 1999, the Austrian People's Party had formed a coalition government with the Austrian Freedom Party , and later the Alliance for the Future of Austria .As a result... |
193,539 | 4.1% | 7 |
| 2008 Austrian legislative election, 2008 A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria was held on 28 September 2008. The previous election was held on 1 October 2006. The election was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition on 7 July 2008... |
522,933 | 10.7% | 21 |
European Parliament elections
| Election | Votes | % of vote | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 European Parliament election, 2009 (Austria) The European Parliament election of 2009 in Austria was the election of the delegation from Austria to the European Parliament in 2009. Austria will have 17 seats in the European Parliament, instead of 18 that the country had before the re-allocation of seats.... |
131,261 | 4.6% | 1 |
Currently Ewald Stadler
Ewald Stadler
Ewald Johann Stadler , is an Austrian politician. Previously a member of the Freedom Party of Austria , he left the FPÖ in 2007, switched to the Alliance for the Future of Austria and ran for the European Parliament in 2009 as its leading candidate...
is admitted as a member of the European Parliament.
Party chairmen
- Jörg HaiderJörg HaiderJörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
(2005–2006) - Peter WestenthalerPeter WestenthalerPeter Westenthaler is an Austrian politician. He assumed his mother's maiden name Westenthaler instead of his former surname Hojač...
(2006–2008) - Jörg HaiderJörg HaiderJörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
(August 2008 – 11 October 2008) - Stefan PetznerStefan PetznerStefan Petzner is an Austrian politician. He is a member of the economical right Alliance for the Future of Austria ...
(acting only; 12 October 2008 – 19 November 2008) - Herbert Scheibner (acting only; 19 November 2008 – 26 April 2009)
- Josef BucherJosef BucherJosef Bucher is an Austrian politician and is the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Austria . He is also a Member of Parliament for the party...
(since 26 April 2009)
List of chairmen in the States of Austria
Carinthia
- Jörg HaiderJörg HaiderJörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
(25 November 2005 – 11 October 2008) - Uwe Scheuch (15 November 2008 – 16 December 2009)
- Josef BucherJosef BucherJosef Bucher is an Austrian politician and is the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Austria . He is also a Member of Parliament for the party...
and Stefan PetznerStefan PetznerStefan Petzner is an Austrian politician. He is a member of the economical right Alliance for the Future of Austria ...
(Acting); since 30 January 2010
Lower Austria
- Anton Wattaul (29 January 2006 – 18 July 2006)
- Peter Staudigl (24 November 2007 – 11 March 2008)
- Christine Döttelmayer (acting only; – 25 February 2009)
- Ewald StadlerEwald StadlerEwald Johann Stadler , is an Austrian politician. Previously a member of the Freedom Party of Austria , he left the FPÖ in 2007, switched to the Alliance for the Future of Austria and ran for the European Parliament in 2009 as its leading candidate...
(since 3 April 2009)
Salzburg
- Eduard Mainoni (18 March 2006 – 30 June 2007)
- Robert Stark (since 22 November 2008)
Tyrol
- Hans Jörg Stock (31 March 2006 – April 2008)
- Marina Steixner (acting only)
- Gerhard Huber (since 19 April 2009)
Vienna
- Günther Barnet (2005 – 8 May 2007)
- Michael Tscharnutter (since 2 June 2007)
Vorarlberg
- Arno Eccher (March 2006 – December 2007)
- Christoph Hagen (since 8 May 2009)