; separate
administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal; note - reduced from 18 years of age in
2007

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) (since 8 July 2004)
head of government: Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2
December 2008); Vice Chancellor Josef PROELL (OeVP) (since 2
December 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
of the chancellor
elections: president elected by direct popular vote for a six-year
term (eligible for a second term); presidential election last held
25 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2010); chancellor formally
chosen by the president but determined by the coalition parties
forming a parliamentary majority; vice chancellor chosen by the
president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Heinz FISCHER elected president; percent of vote -
Heinz FISCHER 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER 47.6%
note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP

Legislative branch:

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal
Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members chosen by state parliaments
with each state receiving 3 to 12 members according to its
population; members serve a five- or six-year term) and the National
Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by direct popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 28 September 2008 (next to
be held by September 2013)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
29.3%, OeVP 26%, FPOe 17.5%, BZOe 10.7%, Greens 10.4%, other 6.1%;
seats by party - SPOe 57, OeVP 51, FPOe 34, BZOe 21, Greens 20

Judicial branch:

Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof; Administrative Court
or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court or
Verfassungsgerichtshof

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Stefan PETZNER];
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wilhelm MOLTERER]; Freedom Party of
Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party
of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN]; The Greens [Alexander VAN DER
BELLEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but
primarily Social Democratic); Federal Economic Chamber;
OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman
Catholic Church, including its