f 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 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 (SPOe) 52.4%, Benita FERRERO-WALDNER (OeVP) 47.6%
note: government coalition - SPOe and OeVP

Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of Federal
Council or Bundesrat (62 members; 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 four-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held 1 October 2006 (next
scheduled for the fall of 2010)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe
35.3%, OeVP 34.3%, Greens 11.1%, FPOe 11.0%, BZOe 4.1%; seats by
party - SPOe 68, OeVP 66, Greens 21, FPOe 21, BZOe 7

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 [Peter WESENTHALER];
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Wilhelm MOLTERE]; Freedom Party of
Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]; Social Democratic Party
of Austria or SPOe [Alfred GUSENBAUER]; The Greens [Alexander VAN
DER BELLEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Austrian Trade Union Federation (nominally independent but
primarily Social Democratic) or OeGB; Federal Economic Chamber;
OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV; Roman
Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic
Action; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or
OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers and other
non-government organizations in the areas of environment and human
rights

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer),
CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EB