Austrian Communists - Second Republic

Second Republic

After Austria regained its freedom from Germany, the party briefly reached national importance because it was in part able to count on the support of the occupying Soviet authorities. In the first provisional government under Karl Renner, the KPÖ was represented by seven members along with ten socialists and nine Christian socialists (see also the article about building of the Renner’s government in eLib the Austria project). Party chairman Johann Koplenig became vice-chancellor, Franz Honner responsible for home affairs, and Ernst Fischer was in charge of education. However, Renner outflanked the Communists by having two undersecretaries in each ministry. During the years of national reconstruction, the KPÖ vehemently criticised the "capitalistic reconstruction at the expense of the working class" and totally rejected the Marshall Plan.

The Communists assured the Soviets that they could win as much as 30% of the vote in the first National Council elections in 1945. However, the KPÖ won only 5.4% of the votes (approximately 175,000 votes) and was thus represented with only four members in the Austrian parliament. Nevertheless, chancellor Leopold Figl offered the party a ministerial position in the government and Karl Altmann was made Minister for Energy. With the beginning of the Cold War and the continuing arguments around the Marshall Plan, Altmann resigned in 1947 from his office and the KPÖ became an opposition party.