The Underlying Principle
Under the Proporz system, the posts of Cabinet Ministers are filled by party members as closely as possible in proportion to the votes won by their respective parties in the general elections. The word 'Proporz' is derived from the meaning of proportionality. Furthermore, the particular portfolios are selected by each party on the basis of its constituency or any perceived ideological mandate to them.
Thus, for example, the portfolio of Minister for Labour and Social Relations was nearly always held by a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), while the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), with traditionally strong support from farmers, took the Ministry which controlled agriculture and forestry.
In this basic form, the principle would not be exclusive to Austria, but would be an element of many countries which have coalition governments.
Read more about this topic: Proporz
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