Nationalrat#

Nationalrat (National Council), main legislative body of the Federal Republic (succeeded the Abgeordnetenhaus). The Nationalrat is elected for a legislative period of four years by the people through equal, direct, secret and personal vote according to the principles of the proportional voting system. Before the end of the legislative period the Nationalrat can dissolve itself through voting or can be dissolved by the Federal President on the proposal of Federal Government The Nationalrat resides permanently in Vienna, its sessions are open to the public unless the Nationalrat decides to proceed in closed session. Elections are regulated in the Federal Constitution and in the electoral regulations of the Nationalrat. Entitled to vote are all women and men who are Austrian citizens on the date set, who attained the age of 18 before January 1 of the election year or who have not been deprived of their voting privileges for certain court sentences. The persons entitled to vote have to be registered in the electoral register. Eligible for election are all men and women who are Austrian citizens on the day set and who attained the age of 19 before January 1 of the same year (they can also be deprived of their eligibility due to court rulings). The federal territory is divided into geographically determined electoral districts (9 provincial electoral districts that correspond to the territory of the 9 federal provinces), which are divided up into 43 regional electoral districts. The number of seats in each electoral district is determined by the number of citizens (the number of citizens whose principal domicile is in the respective electoral district according to the final results of the latest population census in addition to the number of citizens living abroad who are registered in the electoral district on the day of the census). The process of determining the distribution of seats among the eligible parties is divided into three parts ( Electoral Law).

The Nationalrat consists of the following organs: the plenary, the President of the Nationalrat, the minute-writers and the orderlies, the Main Committee of the Nationalrat and its standing sub-committee, the committees and the parliamentary groups.

Status of members: The Nationalrat has 183 members; their legal status commences on the first day of assembly of the newly elected Nationalrat and ends with its dissolution, with the declaration of loss of seat or the proof of invalidity of the elections by the Constitutional Court, death or renouncement. Distinguishing features of the special status of the members of the Nationalrat are the "free mandate" (i.e. they are not subject to any orders in the execution of their function, and "party discipline" is enforced customarily but is not legally enforceable), Immunity and Incompatibility.

Competences of the Nationalrat: Its main competence is the legislative competence within the range of federal legislation (generally together with the Bundesrat, assisted by the President and the Federal Chancellor). The passing of legislative acts requires a quorum (attendance and voting quorum). The democratic principle is put into practice through legislation by representatives elected by the people. Further competences of the Nationalrat are its participation in and supervision of the laws. Legal control includes the accusation of members of the Federal Government or their representatives or of the President and the Vice President of the Court of Audit or their representatives for culpable violation of the law at the Constitutional Court, and participation in bringing a charge against the Federal President. The Nationalrat is endowed with the following measures of political control: the Interpellation, Right of, the right of resolution, the right of inquiry and the vote of no confidence against the federal government. Financial control includes the budget law, the approval of the federal financial accounts, and the auditing work of the Court of Audit and the Ombudsman's office , which are also subsidiary organs of the Nationalrat according to their functions.