Liberalism in Austria
Encyclopedia
This article gives an overview of liberalism in Austria
. It is limited to liberal
parties
with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.
for the Austrian Empire
were key demands of the revolutionary movement. For some times after, Liberals gained some influence on the policy of the government; for example, Anton von Schmerling became Minister for Justice. The panic of 1873
and the Long Depression
lead to heavily anti-capitalist and anti-liberal sentiments and the liberal movement in Austria began to decline, with pan-german
ideas and parties gaining strength at the same time. Later attempts to reorganize liberalism were unsuccessful, with its remnants mostly joining forces with pan-german nationalists.
This traditional association with Pan-Germanism
was inherited from Austria-Hungary
into the Austrian Republic; the Greater German People's Party
and the Landbund
represented liberal, anti-clerical and pan-german voters. Both parties lost ground with the rise of Nazism
in the 1930s and were later dissolved by the regime of Engelbert Dollfuss
.
in 1949, a predominantly liberal party once again existed in Austria, but it was soon overtaken by nationalist elements and later merged in to the Freedom Party of Austria
, which was founded in 1955 by former Nazis
. The attraction of the party to some of its voters lay in its opposition to both the catholic
clericalism of the Austrian People's Party
and to the Marxism
of the Social Democratic Party of Austria
. Liberal politicians gained control over the Freedom Party during the years from 1980 to 1986, when it was led by Norbert Steger
. However, its participation in a coalition under socialist Chancellor Fred Sinowatz
brought it to the verge of extinction, which allowed Jörg Haider
to take control of the party in 1986.
With the support of the remaining Pan-Germans (the appeal of whose own views has an equally small appeal to the Austrian electorate today), he transformed it into a right-wing populist
, frequently immigration-sceptic party. The Freedom Party was subsequently expelled from the Liberal International
, and the remaining liberals seceded to found the Liberal Forum
(Liberales Forum, member LI
, ELDR) in 1993. However, when the Liberal Forum lost its seats in parliament in 1999 and became a micro-party, liberalism effectively ceased to exist as a political force in Austria.
, which also labels itself the party of open society
in its manifesto. The Austrian Green Party
, however, holds the most liberal views on social issues. The Alliance for the Future of Austria
which was founded in 2005 as a split-off from the Freedom Party, sometimes consideres itself right-libertarian("rechtsliberal"); this claim is disputed by opponents and political scientists.
Other small parties on the liberal spectrum include the Democrats
and the Social Liberals
.
the following Austrian thinkers are included:
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...
. It is limited to liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.
History until 1945
In the Austrian Empire a national liberal current evolved in the nineteenth century. Liberalism in Austria reached its peak at the time of the 1848 revolution, when civil liberty and a written constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
for the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
were key demands of the revolutionary movement. For some times after, Liberals gained some influence on the policy of the government; for example, Anton von Schmerling became Minister for Justice. The panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
and the Long Depression
Long Depression
The Long Depression was a worldwide economic crisis, felt most heavily in Europe and the United States, which had been experiencing strong economic growth fueled by the Second Industrial Revolution in the decade following the American Civil War. At the time, the episode was labeled the Great...
lead to heavily anti-capitalist and anti-liberal sentiments and the liberal movement in Austria began to decline, with pan-german
German nationalism in Austria
German nationalism is a political ideology and a current in Austrian politics. It has its origins in the German National Movement of the 19th century, a nationalist movement of the German-speaking population in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and had striven for a closer connection of the...
ideas and parties gaining strength at the same time. Later attempts to reorganize liberalism were unsuccessful, with its remnants mostly joining forces with pan-german nationalists.
This traditional association with Pan-Germanism
Pan-Germanism
Pan-Germanism is a pan-nationalist political idea. Pan-Germanists originally sought to unify the German-speaking populations of Europe in a single nation-state known as Großdeutschland , where "German-speaking" was taken to include the Low German, Frisian and Dutch-speaking populations of the Low...
was inherited from Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
into the Austrian Republic; the Greater German People's Party
Greater German People's Party
The Greater German People's Party was a German nationalist and national liberal party during the First Republic of Austria.-Foundation:...
and the Landbund
Landbund
The Landbund was an Austrian political party during the period of the First Republic .-History:The Landbund was founded in 1919 as Deutsche Bauernpartei and represented liberal and protestant farmers in Styria, Carinthia and Upper Austria...
represented liberal, anti-clerical and pan-german voters. Both parties lost ground with the rise of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in the 1930s and were later dissolved by the regime of Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss
Engelbert Dollfuss was an Austrian Christian Social and Patriotic Front statesman. Serving previously as Minister for Forest and Agriculture, he ascended to Federal Chancellor in 1932 in the midst of a crisis for the conservative government...
.
History from 1945
With the foundation of the Federation of IndependentsFederation of Independents
The Federation of Independents was a German national and national-liberal political party in Austria active from 1949 to 1955...
in 1949, a predominantly liberal party once again existed in Austria, but it was soon overtaken by nationalist elements and later merged in to 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...
, which was founded in 1955 by former Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. The attraction of the party to some of its voters lay in its opposition to both the catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
clericalism of 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...
and to the Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
of the Social Democratic Party of Austria
Social Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
. Liberal politicians gained control over the Freedom Party during the years from 1980 to 1986, when it was led by Norbert Steger
Norbert Steger
Norbert Steger is an Austrian lawyer and former politician for the Freedom Party of Austria . He was the FPÖ party leader from 1980 to 1986, and Vice Chancellor and Minister of Commerce of Austria from 1983 to 1987....
. However, its participation in a coalition under socialist Chancellor Fred Sinowatz
Fred Sinowatz
Alfred "Fred" Sinowatz was born in Neufeld an der Leitha, Burgenland, Austria. He was an Austrian politician of the Social Democratic Party of Austria , and was Chancellor of Austria from 1983 to 1986.- Career until 1983 :Sinowatz, educated as a historian, was Minister of Education and Art in the...
brought it to the verge of extinction, which allowed 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...
to take control of the party in 1986.
With the support of the remaining Pan-Germans (the appeal of whose own views has an equally small appeal to the Austrian electorate today), he transformed it into a right-wing populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
, frequently immigration-sceptic party. The Freedom Party was subsequently expelled from the Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
, and the remaining liberals seceded to found the Liberal Forum
Liberal Forum
The Liberal Forum is a small classical liberal party in Austria. The party is currently led by Angelika Mlinar, and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Founding:...
(Liberales Forum, member LI
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
, ELDR) in 1993. However, when the Liberal Forum lost its seats in parliament in 1999 and became a micro-party, liberalism effectively ceased to exist as a political force in Austria.
Today
Economic liberalism is now probably best represented by some factions of the conservative Austrian People's PartyAustrian 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...
, which also labels itself the party of open society
Open society
The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson and then by Austrian and British philosopher Karl Popper. In open societies, government is purported to be responsive and tolerant, and political mechanisms are said to be transparent and flexible...
in its manifesto. The Austrian Green Party
Austrian Green Party
The Greens – The Green Alternative is a political party in the Austrian parliament.The party was formed in 1986 with the name Grüne Alternative, following the merger of the more conservative Green party Vereinte Grüne Österreichs and the more progressive party Alternative Liste Österreichs The...
, however, holds the most liberal views on social issues. The Alliance for the Future of Austria
Alliance for the Future of Austria
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....
which was founded in 2005 as a split-off from the Freedom Party, sometimes consideres itself right-libertarian("rechtsliberal"); this claim is disputed by opponents and political scientists.
Other small parties on the liberal spectrum include the Democrats
Democrats (Austria)
The Democrats were a minor Austrian political party.The party was founded in 1991 as a split from the FPÖ by the former secretary of state Mario Ferrari-Brunnenfeld . It became publicly notable under the leadership of Rudolf Fussi, who protested against the government's intent to purchase new...
and the Social Liberals
Social Liberals (Austria)
The Social Liberals is a minor social liberal political party in Austria. It has never won a seat in a federal election.-Formation:The party was founded and its charter registered and deposited at the Federal Interior Ministry, as required by Austrian law, on March 11, 2002...
.
Liberal Political Parties in Austria
- 1861: Liberals from various parliamentary factions united in the Constitutional Party (Verfassungspartei)
- 1873: A radical faction formed the ⇒ Progressive Club, a right-wing faction formed the conservative Constitutionalist Landlordism (Verfassungstreue Grossgrundbesitz)
- 1873: A radical faction of the ⇒ Constitutional Party formed the Progressive ClubProgressive ClubThe Progressive Club is a non-governmental organization in the Republic of Serbia founded in 2007 by dr Čedomir Antić. According to its Statute the organization promose the modernisation and reformation of the Serbian state, his politics, economy and the culture...
(Fortschrittsklub*1881: The Constitutional Party merged with the ⇒ Progressive Club into the United LeftUnited LeftUnited Left is the name of a political party or coalition in various countries* Argentina - United Left* Austria - United Left * Bolivia - United Left * Chile - United Left* Costa Rica - United Left...
(Vereinigte Linke) - 1881: The party merged into the ⇒ United Left
- 1885: The United Left fell apart in the liberal German Austrian Club (Deutsch-Österreichischer Klub) and the nationalist German Club (Deutscher Klub)
- 1888: The party merged with the moderate parts of the German Club into the United German Left (Verenigte Deutsche Linke)
- 1891: The Constitutionalist Landlordism merged into the party
- 1897: The party fell apart into the Constitutionalist Landlordism and the German Progressive Party (Deutsche Fortschrittspartei)
- 1911: The party merged into the nationalist German National League (Deutscher Nationalverband), liberal forces ceased to exits
- From 1918 to 1934 LandbundLandbundThe Landbund was an Austrian political party during the period of the First Republic .-History:The Landbund was founded in 1919 as Deutsche Bauernpartei and represented liberal and protestant farmers in Styria, Carinthia and Upper Austria...
and Greater German People's PartyGreater German People's PartyThe Greater German People's Party was a German nationalist and national liberal party during the First Republic of Austria.-Foundation:...
each comprised liberal factions and ideas - 1949: With the formation of the Federation of IndependentsFederation of IndependentsThe Federation of Independents was a German national and national-liberal political party in Austria active from 1949 to 1955...
, many liberals became active in this party, but were soon marginalized by the nationalist factions. After the merger into the Freedom Party of AustriaFreedom Party of AustriaThe 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...
this situation continued. - 1993: Liberal dissidents inside the nationalist Freedom Party of AustriaFreedom Party of AustriaThe 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...
(Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs), which was between 1980 and 1986 more or less a liberal controlled party, formed the Liberal ForumLiberal ForumThe Liberal Forum is a small classical liberal party in Austria. The party is currently led by Angelika Mlinar, and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Founding:...
(Liberales Forum)
Liberal thinkers
In the Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theory
Individual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
the following Austrian thinkers are included:
- Carl MengerCarl MengerCarl Menger was the founder of the Austrian School of economics, famous for contributing to the development of the theory of marginal utility, which contested the cost-of-production theories of value, developed by the classical economists such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo.- Biography :Menger...
(1840 – 1921) - Ludwig Edler von Mises (1881-1973)
- Joseph SchumpeterJoseph SchumpeterJoseph Alois Schumpeter was an Austrian-Hungarian-American economist and political scientist. He popularized the term "creative destruction" in economics.-Life:...
(1883 – 1950) - Friedrich von Hayek (1899-1992)
- Karl Raimund PopperKarl PopperSir Karl Raimund Popper, CH FRS FBA was an Austro-British philosopher and a professor at the London School of Economics...
(1902-1994)
See also
- History of AustriaHistory of AustriaThe history of Austria covers the history of the current country of Austria and predecessor states, from the Iron Age, through to a sovereign state, annexation by the German Third Reich, partition after the Second World War and later developments until the present day...
- Politics of AustriaPolitics of AustriaThe Politics of Austria take place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, with a Federal Chancellor as the head of government, and a Federal President as head of state. Executive power is exercised by the governments, both local and federal...
- List of political parties in Austria
- Austrian SchoolAustrian SchoolThe Austrian School of economics is a heterodox school of economic thought. It advocates methodological individualism in interpreting economic developments , the theory that money is non-neutral, the theory that the capital structure of economies consists of heterogeneous goods that have...
- Liberalism in GermanyLiberalism in GermanyThis article aims to give an historical overview of liberalism in Germany. The liberal parties dealt with in the timeline below are, largely, those which received sufficient support at one time or another to have been represented in parliament. Not all parties so included, however, necessarily...