Governors' Conference

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The provincial governors' conference is an informal meeting of the nine provincial governors that is not provided for by the Austrian constitution . Alongside the Bundesrat , the second Austrian parliamentary chamber, it is the politically most important body of state cooperation and federalism in the Austrian political system ( called cooperative federal state in modern Austrian constitutional law / federal state theory). The Governors' Conference is seen as "the most powerful means of the federal states" and "engine for strengthening the federal state", the Federal Council itself is not considered to be very influential in Austria. Its importance is also shown in the fact that, although it does not formally exist, numerous legal texts refer to it.

At provincial governors' conferences, attempts are made to establish a common line to represent the interests of the individual federal states in order to be able to face the federal government in negotiations with this common position . They developed in the 1960s and from 1970 met regularly twice a year.

They are prepared by the state office directors , who then take part in the conferences together with the state governors and usually also with a representative of the federal government - who may be the federal chancellor or a federal minister . Talks with the Federal President also take place repeatedly. The chairmanship between the states changes every six months according to established practice and according to the alphabetical order of the states parallel to the change of the President of the Federal Council . In addition to these six-monthly meetings, the Governors' Conference is also called to extraordinary meetings in the event of urgent matters. The liaison office of the federal states acts as the conference office . There are no written rules of procedure .

The Governors' Conference takes decisions only unanimously . Due to the informal nature of the meetings, they will not be published, but will only be made available to the participants and the Federal Government, insofar as it is affected by them. These resolutions are not legally binding, but have a considerable political impact. Due to the unanimity, they represent a reliable - albeit possibly the smallest - common position at the state level.

The conference is of particular importance, for example, in the financial equalization of the federal, state and municipalities and the "eternal construction site" reform of the federal state .

Web links

literature

  • Florian Wanke: Federalism in Discussion: The federal system of Austria and the attempt at federal reform in the Austria Convention . GRIN Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-638-65534-7 , section Significance of the State Governors Conference , p. 12 f . ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  • Christian Peter Hölzel: The possibilities of the countries to influence the European Union . GRIN Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-640-44277-5 , Chapter 5.1.2 The Governors Conference , p. 65 f . ( limited preview in Google Book search).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Such institutions, which are not regulated by state law, have a long tradition and an important position in Austria. This also includes the state-wide social partnership or the regional planning  conference (ÖROK).
    Compare Theo Öhlinger : Constitutional Law . 8th edition. facultas.wuv / maudrich, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7089-0405-4 , chapter 7.1. The cooperative federal state margin number 316, last paragraph, p. 149 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  2. ^ Öhlinger: Constitutional Law . S. 149 .
  3. ^ Friedrich Michael Steger: Federal State Construction Site: Perspectives on the Further Development of the Austrian Political System . tape 21 of studies on political reality . Braumüller, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7003-1640-4 , 5th governor and cooperative federal state , p. 135 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  4. ↑ Quote from Hölzel: The possibilities of the countries ... p. 65 .
  5. ^ Quote from Wanke: Federalism under discussion . S. 12 .
  6. ↑ compare Gisela Riescher: Second chambers . Series of textbooks and handbooks in political science . 2nd Edition. Oldenbourg Verlag, 2010, ISBN 978-3-486-58312-0 , 8. The Federal Council in Austria 8.6 Criticism and reform approaches , p. 183 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  7. ↑ a b Hölzel: The possibilities of the countries ... p. 65 .
  8. ↑ Those who hold the State Office Directors' Conference one level down, together with the high federal civil servants . There are also attached expert conferences . Walter Berka : Basics of Austrian constitutional law for legal studies . Textbook Constitutional Law, Series Springer's Short Textbooks of Law . 2nd Edition. Springer DE, 2008, ISBN 978-3-211-09434-1 , February 18. Joint organs , margin no.465, p. 117 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  9. ↑ See exchange of views with the chairman of the Austrian Governors' Conference, bundespraesident.at
  10. ↑ There is also the consultation committee and the integration conference of the federal states  (ICL) for the European level. But both are of little importance. Berka: Fundamentals of Austrian constitutional law . 464, p. 117 .
  11. ^ Anton Pelinka, Sieglinde Rosenberger: Austrian Politics: Basics - Structures - Trends . 3. Edition. facultas.wuv / maudrich, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7089-0103-9 , chapter federal states municipalities administration , p. 243 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
  12. ^ Quote from Steger: Construction site federal state . S. esp. 135 .