The people
Directly elect the National Council and the Federal President.
← Back to Austria
🇦🇹 Formal national power · source bounded
Who selects whom in Austria?
Voters elect the National Council and President, the President appoints Government, and Parliament can force Government to step down.
Dots are institutions · arrows are sourced powers
Federal parliamentary republic
Official Austrian Parliament sources connect direct national elections, Provincial Diet selection of the Federal Council, presidential appointment of Government, National Council no-confidence power, government-proposed presidential dissolution, shared Constitutional Court nominations, and Constitutional Court review of legislative and executive acts.
Explore the whole systemHow offices are filled
Appointments5 paths
The dots
Institutions represented on this map.
Each institution below has an attached source. Being listed does not imply an unshown formal relationship.
National Council
The directly elected lower chamber passes laws and can force Government or an individual minister to step down through no confidence.
Provincial Diets
Provincial legislatures elect and delegate members of the Federal Council.
Federal Council
Represents the Provinces in federal legislation and proposes specified Constitutional Court members.
Federal President
Is directly elected, appoints and dismisses Government, may dissolve the National Council on Government proposal, and appoints the Constitutional Court.
Federal Government
The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and ministers depend on National Council confidence and propose many laws and specified presidential acts.
Constitutional Court
Reviews legislative and executive acts, election challenges, and specified impeachments; it can set unconstitutional laws aside.
Evidence and limits
Every line has a source. Every missing layer stays visible.
The map describes formal national relationships only. It does not measure democratic quality, legitimacy, actual compliance, or informal influence.
Official or constitutional source
The National Council
Austrian Parliament
- direct election
- federal legislative role
- government control
- no confidence
Federal Council members and responsibilities
Austrian Parliament
- Provincial Diet election of Federal Council members
- provincial representation
- term linkage
The Federal President
Austrian Parliament
- direct presidential election
- Government appointment and dismissal
- Government-proposed dissolution
- constitutional authentication
The Government
Austrian Parliament
- presidential appointment
- National Council confidence
- government legislation proposals
- parliamentary accountability
The Constitutional Court
Austrian Parliament
- multi-institution candidate proposals
- presidential appointment
- review of laws and executive acts
- election challenges
- impeachments