Pillarisation - Austria

Austria

The Austrian version of Verzuilling is the doctrine Proporz (diminutive of Proportionalität, German Proportionality) long standing doctrine, first, only within the politics second Austrian republic but later, degenerated into a neo-corporavist system of patronage and nepotism pervading too many aspects of Austrian life. The Proporz was created, developed and promoted by the two mainstream parties, the catholic Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the social-democratic Socialist Party of Austria, since 1991 Social Democratic Party of Austria (both names as SPÖ).

This de facto two-parties system collapsed by the elections of 1999, which resulted in the joining of the national-conservative Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), whose political margination and that of its predecessor, the Federation of Independents (VdU), was the main reason for the establishment of the Proporz policy, because of their pro-German and individualist views.

The Proporz system arose out of the need for balanced, consensual governance in the early years of Austria's second republic. At that time, the country was consumed in an effort to rebuild the country after the devastation of World War II. Thus, the doctrine of Proporz is intimately linked to the idea of the grand coalition, in which the major political parties, in the case of post-war Austria the SPÖ and the ÖVP, share in the government.

At first it was decided that the occupation of federal political positions by either members of the two big parties be according to the proportionally of the number of seats of each party in the Nationalrat, but soon this policy was repeated at a Länder policy; then it was decided that civil service, military, trade unions and even economy and state businesses positions had to be occupied by members of the two big parties, proportionally of the results of their in the Nationalrat (if it was a Federal position) or in the Ladtag (if it was a Land one). Afterward, this policy reach the policy of membership in every type of association: sport clubs, culture groups, motoring organizations, folk music brotherhoods... converting them in bichephal ones, divided in two parts (a Catholic and a Social-democratic), if not two ones. Even the public broadcasting ORF was divided between ideological fences (radio station Ö2 and TV channel FS1 were Catholic-oriented, whereas Ö1 and FS2 were the Social-democratic ones).

This system was popular in the post-war period, however from the 1980s, people’s perceptions and opinions changed strongly. The old Proporz system, where basically the SPÖ and the ÖVP would divide everything up between them, was increasingly seen as outdated and even undemocratic. Because both parties always had an absolute majority in parliament, no effective opposition could ever exist. Almost second Austrian republic governments have been ÖVP-SPÖ Coalition, which resulted in a situation that some political position were almost property of each party and occupied by a member of this one, according on the basis of its constituency or any perceived ideological mandate to them. For example, Minister for Labour and Social Relations was nearly always held by a member of the (SPÖ), while the ÖVP, with traditionally strong support from farmers, took the Ministry which controlled agriculture and forestry.

As voters’ frustration with the old system grew, the FPÖ under the young and dynamic party chairman Jörg Haider (who as Governor of Carinthia, revoke Proporz policies in the Land) was able to ride the wave of discontent and win votes in every parliamentary election. The FPÖ had its core support with the right wing, but was increasingly able to attract voters from the conservative ÖVP and even made inroads with traditional SPÖ voters who grew fed up with the grand coalitions and the old Proporz system.

A diversified media and the possibilities of modern information technology also hold the government to higher standards of transparency and accountability. Above all, there has been a sea change in the public's attitude to the practice and its willingness to confront it, getting the opportunity to cancel. Today, there is almost no trace of Proporz in Austria.