Austrian presidential elections: What exactly does the president do?
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Loading... - Alexander Wagner
- 14 Sep 2022
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Austria’s presidential election will take place on October 9th, with seven candidates vying to take over at the Hofburg – the official workplace of the country’s president.
According to opinion polls, the favourite to win is the current president Alexander Van der Bellen, who is running for reelection. Austrian citizens aged 16 and over can vote in the elections, and the Federal President is eligible for two elected terms (each lasting for six years).
A presidential candidate must be an Austrian citizen, be eligible to vote in the National Assembly and be at least 35 years old on election day.
Members of ruling dynasties or families that reigned in the past are not eligible to run in the presidential election. This is to avoid a return to monarchy in Austria via the role of the Federal President.
What does the Austrian President do?
The Federal President is the chief diplomat in Austria – essentially the head of state of the Austrian Republic and the representation of democracy in the country.
The president is responsible for protecting democracy in Austria, providing moral support to the country, assisting in integrating minorities into the political process, and swearing in and dismissing parliament.
To become the president of Austria, candidates should have an extensive political background and a non-partisan (unbiased) approach to politics.
In some ways, Austria’s president is compared to the role of Queens and Kings in the UK and any political power is often viewed as symbolic. For example, the president is not expected to intervene in the daily running of government but can make an appeal in certain situations. Read More...
