Austria has a democratic system of government that guarantees political rights and civil liberties. The country has historically been governed by grand coalitions of the center-left Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). In recent years, the political system has faced pressure from the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), a right-wing, populist party that openly entertains nationalist and xenophobic sentiments.

• Former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was found guilty in February of making false statements to a parliamentary committee investigating allegations of corruption in his government. He received a suspended eight-month prison sentence, but an appeal was pending at year’s end.
• Also in February, the parliament adopted the Freedom of Information Act, which would come into force in September 2025. The law established a general obligation for government entities and state-owned companies to make information public, and it granted individuals a right to access official records.
• Elections for the National Council, the lower house of parliament, were held in September. The FPÖ led the balloting for the first time, taking 57 of 183 seats. It was followed by the ÖVP with 51, the SPÖ with 41, New Austria and Liberal Forum with 18, and the Greens with 16. Negotiations on a new governing coalition, to replace the outgoing coalition of the ÖVP and the Greens, had not yet concluded at the end of the year.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.