Austrian legislative election, 1949

Last updated
Austrian legislative election, 1949
Flag of Austria.svg
  1945 9 October 1949 1953  

165 seats in the National Council of Austria
83 seats needed for a majority

 First partySecond party
  Figl leopold 01b.jpg Adolf Scharf 1961.jpg
Leader Leopold Figl Adolf Schärf
Party ÖVP SPÖ
Leader since20 December 194515 December 1945
Last election85 seats, 49.80%76 seats, 44.60%
Seats won7767
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 8Decrease2.svg 9
Popular vote1,846,5811,623,524
Percentage44.03%38.71%
SwingDecrease2.svg 5.77%Decrease2.svg 5.91%

 Third partyFourth party
  No image.svg Johann Kopleniq 1963.jpg
LeaderHerbert Kraus Johann Koplenig
Party VdU KPÖ
Leader since25 March 19491924
Last electionNew Party4 seats, 5.42%
Seats won165
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 16Increase2.svg 1
Popular vote489,273213,066
Percentage11.67%5.08%
SwingIncrease2.svg 11.67%Decrease2.svg 0.34%

Chancellor before election

Leopold Figl
ÖVP

Elected Chancellor

Leopold Figl
ÖVP

This article is part of a series on the
Politics of Austria
Coat of arms of Austria.svg
Foreign relations

The elections to the Austrian National Council of 1949 were the second nationwide elections in Austria after World War II. About 500,000 registered Nazis, who were not allowed to vote in 1945, regained their voting rights. A newly created party, the Electoral Party of Independents (WdU) (a predecessor of the Freedom Party of Austria) specifically targeted this group of voters and immediately won a large share of votes. [1] The Austrian People's Party remained strongest party, although losing their absolute majority of seats. Leopold Figl stayed as Chancellor, leading a coalition with the Socialist Party of Austria as junior partner. [2]

Austria Federal republic in Central Europe

Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in Central Europe comprising 9 federated states. Its capital, largest city and one of nine states is Vienna. Austria has an area of 83,879 km2 (32,386 sq mi), a population of nearly 9 million people and a nominal GDP of $477 billion. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The terrain is highly mountainous, lying within the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 m (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 m (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other regional languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

National Socialism, more commonly known as Nazism, is the ideology and practices associated with the Nazi Party – officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party – in Nazi Germany, and of other far-right groups with similar aims.

Results

e    d  Summary of the 9 October 1949 National Council of Austria election results
PartiesVotes+/-%+/-Seats+/-
Austrian People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei)1,846,581+244,35444.03-5.7777-8
Socialist Party of Austria (Sozialistische Partei Österreichs)1,623,524+188,62638.71-5.8967-9
Electoral Party of Independents (Wahlpartei der Unabhängigen)489,273*11.67*16*
Communist Party of Austria and Left Socialists (Kommunistische Partei Österreichs und Linkssozialisten)213,066+48,8095.08-0.345+1
Democratic Union (Demokratische Union)12,059*0.28*0*
Vierte Partei (Fourth Party)7,134*0.17*0*
Democratic Front of the Working People (Demokraticna fronta delovnegna ljudstva )2,088*0.05*0*
Democratic Party of Austria5*0.0*0*
Economic Party of House and Property Owners3*0.0*0*
Austrian Patriotic Party0*0.0*0*
Invalid/blank votes56,883
Total (turnout 96.8%)4,250,616100.0165
Notes: * Did not stand in previous election
Source: Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. p. 213.
Popular vote
ÖVP
44.03%
SPÖ
38.71%
VdU
11.67%
KuL
5.08%
Other
0.51%
Parliamentary seats
ÖVP
46.67%
SPÖ
40.61%
VdU
9.70%
KuL
3.03%

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