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73-494: Since 1995, the left-wing SPÖ party has held an absolute majority in the local council. As of the 2015 local elections, the SPÖ holds 13 out of 25 seats on the council, the ÖVP has 6, the FPÖ has 3, a local party known as Die LIEB has 2, and Die Grünen has 1. A large mechanical engineering plant, Maschinenfabrik Liezen und Gießerei , is located in the east of the town; it was connected to

146-623: A 39.5% of the popular votes, going to the FPÖ (from 3 to 5) with a 13% of the votes. The ÖVP had 14 seats with a 36.5% of the votes and the Grüne 2 seat with a 7.3% . The BZÖ had no seat with a 3.7% of the votes, showing a growing of the right-wing parties. In the State elections 2013 the SPÖ lost its majority to the ÖVP. Since then, the ÖVP has providing the governor (Landeshauptmann) with Wilfried Haslauer jun. again. Styria

219-451: A Nazi doctor in the euthanasia ward Am Spiegelgrund in Vienna, where human experiments on children were performed. Those children with presumptive mental defects were eventually killed, often by lethal injection . Gross was probably himself involved in the experimentations and killings. The Austrian judicial system protected him for a very long time from any kind of prosecution, something that

292-451: A change from tax allowances to direct payments for children, family benefits increased significantly. Between 1973 and 1980, expenditure on health and education rose on average by 13.7% and by 12.9% per annum respectively. In education, pupil/teacher ratios fell sharply and a new university law was passed in 1975 in order to make higher education more democratic. The educational sector was significantly expanded under Kreisky, greatly increasing

365-502: A decade of prosperity and optimism about the future. Conservatives criticize Kreisky's policy of deficit spending , expressed in his famous comment during the 1979 election campaign that he preferred that the state run up high debts rather than see people become unemployed. They hold Kreisky responsible for Austria's subsequent economic difficulties. Despite this criticism, Kreisky did much to transform Austria during his time in office, with considerable improvements in working conditions,

438-690: A leading role in setting up the European Free Trade Association , helped solve the South Tyrol question with Italy , and proposed a " Marshall Plan " for the countries of the Third World . In 1966 , the ÖVP under Klaus won an absolute majority in the Nationalrat. Klaus had enough parliamentary support to govern alone; indeed, during the campaign he had called for an end to the grand coalition that had governed Austria since 1945. Memories of

511-440: A mandatory concentration government, where each party with a certain number of seats in the state parliament automatically participates in the state government. The term coalition refers to the co-operation between parties and not to the participation in the state cabinet. In Lower Austria , the SPÖ received 29.2% in 1998. It increased its shares by 3.2% in 2003 and ended up with 32.4%. In the 2008 Lower Austrian state election ,

584-435: A religious Jew nor a Zionist. Kreisky felt that he had never personally suffered as a Jew, but only as a socialist. Following his election in 1970, Kreisky wanted to demonstrate that he was indeed "Chancellor of all Austrians", and appointed four politicians with Nazi backgrounds to his cabinet. When Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal reported that four members of Kreisky's cabinet were former Nazis, Kreisky did not remove them from

657-586: A response to the disappointing results in the 1956 national elections , particularly among young voters, but also an effort to manage the increasingly strained relationship with the SJÖ. Over time, the JG has evolved into a parallel structure, closely aligned with the SPÖ and more in line with the party's objectives than the SJÖ. Many influential politicians have emerged from the ranks of the SJÖ, including figures like Bruno Kreisky and Andreas Babler , who have significantly shaped

730-480: A result of these events, tensions between all parties involved continue to this day. Burgenland is a state that is a traditional stronghold of the SPÖ. Since 1964, the governors of this easternmost state have come from the SPÖ. Burgenland is one of the few states that are ruled by a SPÖ majority in the state assembly ( Landtag ). In 2000, the SPÖ received 46.6%. In 2005, it received 5.2% more votes and ended up with an absolute majority of 51.8%. After losing it in 2010,

803-433: A share in government. While this coalition was still in power, the SPÖ's Heinz Fischer was elected president in the 2004 Austrian presidential election . Following the 2006 Austrian legislative election , another grand coalition was formed between the SPÖ and the ÖVP, lasting until 2017, when the SPÖ went back to the opposition . In the 2019 Austrian legislative election , the SPÖ lost 12 seats and shrunk to 21.2%. After

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876-448: A solution to the problems faced by the Jewish people, claiming that Jews were not an ethnic group or race, but rather a religious group. He even equated claims of the existence of the Jewish people as a distinctive nationality to Nazi claims of a Jewish race, and suggested that such ideas raised questions about Jewish dual loyalty . Kreisky referred to Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin as

949-565: A strong base of support. After the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1918), the Social Democratic Party supported for a time the idea of a union with Berlin in order to constitute a great democratic German republic, thus taking up a revolutionary project of 1848 . The victors of the war did not see it that way and set the borders of Austria. In the interwar period , Austromarxism , maintaining its particularities in

1022-543: A terrorist, and had a stormy relationship with Israeli prime minister Golda Meir especially during the 1973 hostage taking . He once said that he was "the only politician in Europe Golda Meir can't blackmail." He cultivated friendly relations with Arab leaders such as Anwar Sadat and Muammar Gaddafi , and in 1980 Austria established relations with the Palestine Liberation Organisation . Kreisky

1095-482: A violent disgust in conservative circles. The press readily described red Vienna as a "Jewish creation" in the hands of "Bolshevism". In 1934, the Christian Social Party , the dominant party on the right, overthrew the democratic system and established a regime inspired by fascism. The social democrats and communists put up armed resistance, but it was quickly crushed. When Anschluss took place in 1938 at

1168-454: A wide range of progressive reforms was carried out. Amongst other reforms, employee benefits were expanded, the workweek was cut to 40 hours, and legislation providing for equality for women was passed. Kreisky's government established language rights for the country's Slovene and Croatian minorities. Following the 1974 oil shock , Kreisky committed Austria to developing nuclear power to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, although this policy

1241-571: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . SP%C3%96 The Social Democratic Party of Austria ( German : Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs [soˈtsi̯aːldemoˌkraːtɪʃɛ parˌtaɪ ˈøːstɐraɪçs] , SPÖ ) is a social democratic political party in Austria . Founded in 1889 as the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (German: Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs , SDAPÖ ) and later known as

1314-515: Is currently the second largest of five parties in the National Council , with 40 of the 183 seats, and won 21.2% of votes cast in the 2019 legislative election . It holds seats in the legislatures of all nine states ; of these, it is the largest party in three ( Burgenland , Carinthia , and Vienna .) The SPÖ is supportive of Austria's membership in the European Union , and it is a member of

1387-521: Is the subject of both controversy and nostalgia . Many of his former supporters see in Kreisky the last socialist of the old school and look back admiringly at an era when the standard of living was noticeably rising, when the welfare state was in full swing and when, by means of a state-funded programme promoting equality of opportunity, working class children were encouraged to stay on at school and eventually receive higher education. All this resulted in

1460-512: The 2023 Social Democratic Party of Austria leadership election . At the 2024 Austrian legislative election the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) won just 21.1%, marking its worst result ever in the National Council. Concerning the role of the SDAPÖ during Nazi rule from 1938 to 1945, the party started opening its archives and set in a commission to investigate its past conduct. Despite the fact

1533-975: The Dollfuss dictatorship, he became active in underground political work. He was arrested in January 1935 and convicted of high treason , but was released in June 1936. In March 1938 the Austrian state was incorporated into Germany through the Anschluss , and in September Kreisky escaped the Nazi persecution of Austrian Jews and the coming Holocaust by emigrating to Sweden , where he remained until 1945. On 23 April 1942, he married Vera Fürth (30 December 1916 – 5 December 1988) and had one son and one daughter. He returned to Austria in May 1946, but he

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1606-745: The Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists . It sits with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament ; of Austria's 19 MEPs , five are members of the SPÖ. The party has close ties to the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK). The SDAPÖ was the second largest party in the Imperial Council of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from

1679-518: The Socialist Party of Austria (German: Sozialistische Partei Österreichs ) from 1945 until 1991, the party is the oldest extant political party in Austria. Along with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), it is one of the country's two traditional major parties . It is positioned on the centre-left on the political spectrum. Since June 2023, the party has been led by Andreas Babler . It

1752-537: The ÖVP governments of Sebastian Kurz , Alexander Schallenberg , and Karl Nehammer . Since its foundation in 1889 as the SDAPÖ, the party has been one of the main political forces in Austria. At the start of the World War I , it was the strongest party in parliament. At the ending of that war in 1918, the party leader Karl Renner became Chancellor of the First Republic . The SDAPÖ lost power in 1920, but it retained

1825-558: The " Noricum scandal " in the 1980s due to the illegal export of armaments. As of 2012, the company remained a large employer. In the adventure novel series by Gérard de Villiers , Schloss Liezen is the home of the principal character Prince Malko Linge . However, this fictional castle is situated on the Austria-Hungary border  [ fr ] , with most of its estates over the border in Hungary. This Styria location article

1898-694: The 1890s through 1910s. After the First World War , it briefly governed the First Austrian Republic , but thereafter returned to opposition. The party was banned in 1934 following the Austrian Civil War , and was suppressed throughout Austrofascism and the Nazi period . The party was refounded as the Socialist Party of Austria in 1945 and governed as a junior partner of the ÖVP until 1966. In 1970,

1971-654: The Area of Human Rights was founded to mark Kreisky's 65th birthday. Every two years, the Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Prize is awarded to an international figure who has advanced the cause of human rights. Later in his life Kreisky tried to help some Soviet dissidents . In particular, in 1983 he sent a letter to the Soviet premier Yuri Andropov demanding the release of dissident Yuri Orlov , but Andropov left Kreisky's letter unanswered. Today, Kreisky's chancellorship

2044-573: The Nationalrat and increased the proportionality of votes. Following the passage of these reforms, he called fresh elections in October 1971 . Although the reforms were intended to benefit smaller parties, the Socialists won a strong majority government with 93 seats. They also won half the popular vote, something no Austrian party had ever achieved in a free election. Kreisky was reelected in 1975 and 1979 elections , each time winning comfortable majorities in

2117-427: The Nationalrat. Kreisky turned 70 in 1981, and by this time the voters had become increasingly uncomfortable with what they saw as his complacency and preoccupation with international issues. At the 1983 election , the Socialists lost their absolute majority in the Nationalrat. Kreisky declined to form a minority government and resigned, nominating Fred Sinowatz , his Minister of Education, as his successor. His health

2190-452: The SDAPÖ had been outlawed and many party members imprisoned under Austrofascism , many SDAPÖ members initially welcomed the Anschluss of Austria into Germany back then and some became members of the Nazi Party . Alfred Gusenbauer issued a declaration promising and supporting a full and open investigation ("Klarheit in der Vergangenheit – Basis für die Zukunft"). In 2005, the report about

2263-463: The SJÖ remains democratic socialist rather than social-democratic like the SPÖ – and organizationally. This autonomy has often led to tensions between the SJÖ and the SPÖ, including instances where the party reduced the SJÖ's funding . To address these issues, the SPÖ established a youth organization called the Young Generation (JG) on 22 January 1958. The creation of the JG was not only

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2336-404: The SPÖ became the largest party for the first time in post-war history, and Bruno Kreisky became Chancellor , winning three consecutive majorities ( 1971 , 1975 , and 1979 ). From 1987 to 2000 the SPÖ led a grand coalition with the ÖVP before returning to opposition for the first time in 30 years. The party governed again from 2007 to 2017. Since 2017, the SPÖ have been the primary opposition to

2409-557: The SPÖ out of their leading position. In state elections in 1999, the SPÖ received 32.9%. However, this went up to 38.4% in 2004. Until 2005, the SPÖ was in a coalition with the right-wing FPÖ in Carinthia, where Haider was Governor. This constellation is in question after the chairperson of the Carinthian SPÖ Gabi Schauning decided to resign from her post as Vice-Governor of Carinthia after a fall-out with Haider. Carinthia has

2482-592: The SPÖ raised its vote-share to 41,6%. The party with the largest gains was the ÖVP which doubled its vote-share and won 20,4% of the votes. Vorarlberg is a traditional stronghold of the conservative ÖVP. Of all the Austrian states, the SPÖ receives the fewest votes in this westernmost state. In the 2019 the SPÖ ended up with 9,5% of the vote, a raise of 0,7%. The winner of the election was the conservative ÖVP under governor Markus Wallner which won around 45%. Bruno Kreisky Bruno Kreisky ( German: [ˈbʁuːno ˈkʁaɪ̯ski] ; 22 January 1911 – 29 July 1990)

2555-453: The SPÖ received 25.5% of the vote. In 2004, the SPÖ won a surprising victory in Salzburg . It was able to increase its share of votes from 32.2% (1999) to 45.3%. For the first time, the conservative ÖVP lost its traditional dominant position. Gabi Burgstaller became the first SPÖ governess ( Landeshauptfrau ) in the state's history. In March 2009, the party lost 2 seats (from 17 to 15) with

2628-558: The SPÖ was able to regain it in the latest election in January 2020. From 2015 to 2020, the SPÖ in Burgenland was in an unusual coalition with the FPÖ. The Governor ( Landeshauptmann ) of the Burgenland is Hans Peter Doskozil . The SPÖ used to be strong in Carinthia as it regularly won the most seats in state elections and the governors used to be Social Democrats until 1989. Since the rise of Jörg Haider and his FPÖ , he successfully pushed

2701-457: The SPÖ, and the right bar shows the corresponding make-up of the Austrian government at that time. The red (SPÖ) and black (ÖVP) colours correspond to which party led the federal government ( Bundesregierung , abbreviated as Govern. ). The last names of the respective chancellors are shown, with the Roman numeral standing for the cabinets . After the founding of the SDAPÖ in 1889, a youth organization

2774-519: The Young Socialist Workers against the wishes of his parents. In 1929, he began studying law at the University of Vienna at the advice of Otto Bauer , who urged him to study law rather than medicine, as he had originally planned. He remained politically active during this period. In 1931, he left the Jewish religious community, becoming agnostic. In 1934, when the Socialist Party was banned by

2847-481: The care of close relatives who were ill. Under the Bankruptcy Wage Continuation Act of 1979, claims against bankrupt firms were paid from a special fund. In 1982, a maternity allowance payable for 16 weeks was introduced for self-employed women. Although the 1955 State Treaty prevented Austria from joining the European Union , he supported European integration. Kreisky questioned Zionism as

2920-562: The face of German social democracy – which had bloodily suppressed the Spartacist uprising of 1919 – and Soviet communism, envisaged the creation of a new international aimed at bringing together the different currents of socialism. However, the attempt did not succeed. The more left-wing Social Democrats, such as Max Adler , relied on the Workers' councils that had developed throughout Central Europe in 1918–1919, particularly in Vienna. The SDAPÖ

2993-565: The first President of Austria . From 1971 to 1983, the SPÖ under Bruno Kreisky was the sole governing party. For the following three years, it ruled in coalition with the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), then up to 2000 it was again part of a grand coalition with the ÖVP, with Franz Vranitzky as Chancellor until 1997. In 1991, it reverted to including Democratic in its name, becoming the Social Democratic Party of Austria (German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs ). During this period,

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3066-554: The gap between the Catholic Church and the Austrian Socialist movement and found a willing collaborator in the then Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna , Franz König . Kreisky promised to reduce the mandatory military service from nine to six months. After his election, military service was reduced to eight months (if performed in one stretch, or six months plus eight weeks if broken into two segments). During Kreisky's premiership,

3139-514: The government, though one did resign. Kreisky responded that everybody had the right to make political mistakes in their youth. This incident marked the beginning of a bitter conflict , which did not end until Kreisky died. In 1986, Wiesenthal sued Kreisky for libel. Three years later the court found Kreisky guilty of defamation and forced him to pay a substantial fine. In 1976, the Bruno Kreisky Foundation for Outstanding Achievements in

3212-459: The grand coalition combined with the Proporz system, whereby important posts throughout the government were shared out between members of the two main parties, evoked rising discontent. This was a factor in the growing popularity of the FPÖ which came second to the SPÖ in the 1999 Austrian legislative election . The following year, the FPÖ and ÖVP formed a right-wing coalition, displacing the SPÖ from

3285-629: The hands of Adolf Hitler 's Nazi Germany , he brought Austria into the Second World War . In 1945, the party was reconstituted as the Socialist Party of Austria ( German : Sozialistische Partei Österreichs , SPÖ) and was led by Adolf Schärf . The SPÖ entered the government of the Second Republic as part of a grand coalition with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) until 1966 and with the Communist Party of Austria until 1949. Renner became

3358-564: The hyperpartisanship that characterized the First Republic were still strong, so he approached Kreisky with new coalition terms. While Kreisky and the other Socialist leadership supported retaining the coalition, the rank and file balked at the proposed terms, and talks broke down. Kreisky resigned from cabinet, and the ÖVP formed the first one-party government of the Second Republic. The Socialists retained some power and were informally consulted on all major decisions. In February 1967, Kreisky

3431-502: The independence of Austria from Nazi Germany was a problem since it stated that the war was neither started nor wanted by any Austrian ("Und das ist nicht richtig"), that Austrian Jewish victims were not mentioned in the declaration ("kein Wort für die jüdischen Opfer"), that it took decades for them to receive any kind of compensation and justice from the government and that it was regrettable and inexcusable. His statements were direct criticism of

3504-500: The labor movement and with it the SDAPÖ. In 1930, its membership was down to 650,000 militants. From 1919 to February 1934, the Social Democrats were in continuous control of the Vienna municipality, which acquired the nickname " Red Vienna ". The municipality developed an ambitious policy, including a vast program of construction of workers' housing, which included 60,000 communal social housing units. In addition, free medical care

3577-463: The lost state elections in Lower Austria and Carinthia at the beginning of 2023, there was a power struggle between the moderate social democratic party wing around party leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner and the right-wing, FPÖ -friendly party wing around Burgenland governor Hans Peter Doskozil . The Social Democratic wing has support from socialists and communists . The right wing has support from

3650-545: The middle wing of the party. Disputes and disagreements have existed for years. In March 2023, the situation came to a head after the SPÖ Burgenland stopped paying money to the federal party. On 15 March 2023, a heated party executive meeting led to the call for a new party leadership election. The candidacy for the new leadership was heated and a surprise candidacy from Andreas Babler , mayor of Traiskirchen , which has led to some other candidates to withdraw their candidacy for

3723-509: The numbers of Austrians receiving a university education. The 1972 Crime Victims Act established the principles of compensation for health damages caused (directly or indirectly) by crimes punishable by more than 6 months' imprisonment. The 1974 Town Renovation Act dealt with the renovation of residential town areas, while the 1975 Housing Property Act established the property rights of house- and flat-owners. In 1975, housing supplements were extended to cover costs of housing improvements. In 1974,

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3796-425: The office of ombudsman was established, the law of parentage was reordered, consumer protection legislation was passed, and social security coverage of the self-employed was introduced. In 1979, restrictions on redundancy and the dismissal of employees were made. Widows' pensions were indexed in 1970, and in 1972, free medical checks for healthy people were made available, while optional health insurance for students

3869-546: The party's direction. However, the SJÖ is not the only youth organization that has produced notable leaders; the JG has also been a breeding ground for politicians who have gone on to make their mark on the SPÖ. The SJÖ also has factions within its organization, such as the Trotskyist "Der Funke" (IMT) faction, which was active in the now-dissolved SJ9 ( Alsergrund district) and continues to be present in SJ Vorarlberg . As

3942-464: The right-wing government of the coalition ÖVP–FPÖ which rejected compensation to victims and the admission of the co-guilt Austrians carried for crimes committed by them during the Second World War . The chart below shows a timeline of the social-democratic chairpersons and the Chancellors of Austria since 1945. The left bar shows all the chairpersons ( Bundesparteivorsitzende , abbreviated as CP ) of

4015-517: The so-called "brown spots" ( German : braune Flecken ) was completed and published. The report talks about SDAPÖ members and leaders who became members of the Nazi Party during German rule after the Anschluss . One example given in the report is the case of Heinrich Gross , who received many honours from the party and even the government in the post-war period. This was despite the fact that he worked as

4088-439: The work prohibiting periods before and after work birth were extended up to 8 weeks, and in 1976 the regulations were extended to adoptive mothers. A 1981 law adapted pension schemes to changes in the families' loads equalization scheme, and introduced a widowers' pension equivalent to the widows' pension. In 1976, accident insurance for pupils and students was introduced, while an act passed that same year enabled people to undertake

4161-454: The ÖVP. Since then, the ÖVP has providing the governor (Landeshauptmann) with Hermann Schützenhöfer again. In Tyrol , the SPÖ receive few votes since the state is a traditional conservative stronghold. In 2018, the Tyrolean SPÖ received 17.3% of all votes. The winner of the election was the ÖVP under long-term governor Günther Platter, which received 44,3% of the total vote. In 2003, the SPÖ

4234-465: Was able to raise its voters share in Upper Austria by 11.3% from 27% (1997) to 38.3%. It was in a grand coalition with the ÖVP in the state government as the junior partner, with four out of nine of the state government ministers coming from the SPÖ. Vienna was always traditionally the stronghold of the SPÖ. The current Governor-Mayor of Vienna is Michael Ludwig . In the 2020 Viennese state election

4307-629: Was an Austrian social democratic politician who served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1966 and as chancellor from 1970 to 1983. Aged 72, he was the oldest chancellor after World War II . Kreisky's 13-year tenure was the longest of any chancellor in republican Austria and, as an influential political figure in Western European social democracy, he worked closely with likeminded leaders Willy Brandt of West Germany and Olof Palme of Sweden in Socialist International . Kreisky

4380-480: Was born in Margareten , a district of Vienna , to a non-observant Jewish family. His parents were Max (Markus) Kreisky (1876, Klattau – 1944) and Irene Kreisky née Felix (1884, Třebíč – 1969). His father worked as a textile manufacturer. Shocked by the level of poverty and violence in Austria during the 1920s, he joined the youth wing of the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ) in 1925 at age 15. In 1927, he joined

4453-592: Was declining, and in 1984 he had an emergency kidney transplant . During his final years he occasionally made bitter remarks directed at his party, who had made him their honorary chairman. He died in Vienna in July 1990. In office, Kreisky and his close ally, Justice Minister Christian Broda , pursued a policy of liberal reform, in a country which had a tradition of conservative Roman Catholicism . He reformed Austria's family law and its prisons, and he decriminalized abortion and homosexuality. Nevertheless, he sought to bridge

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4526-481: Was elected chairman of the Socialist Party. At the March 1970 elections , the Socialists won 81 seats, two short of a majority. Kreisky became the first Socialist Chancellor since 1920, heading the first purely left-wing government in modern Austrian history. He was also Austria's first Jewish chancellor. Kreisky's government was tolerated by the then national-liberal Freedom Party in return for electoral reforms that expanded

4599-623: Was elected to the Austrian parliament, the Nationalrat , as a Socialist during the 1956 election . He was elected to the Party Executive along with Bruno Pittermann , Felix Slavik, and Franz Olah , and thus became a member of the central leadership body of the party. After the 1959 election , he became foreign minister in the coalition cabinet of Chancellor Julius Raab ( ÖVP ), a post he continued to hold under Raab's successors Alfons Gorbach (1961–1964) and Josef Klaus (1964–1966). He played

4672-544: Was established on 4 November 1894, with the purpose of protecting apprentices and addressing the concerns of young people within the party. Despite initial resistance from some SDAPÖ members, an independent socialist youth movement emerged. Today, this organization is known as the Socialist Youth Austria (SJÖ). The SJÖ notably chose not to change its name to "social-democratic" when the SPÖ rebranded itself in 1991, highlighting its independence both programmatically – as

4745-448: Was eventually abandoned after a referendum held in 1978. A moderate reform of the penal code was carried out, discrimination against illegitimate children was eliminated, marriage grants were introduced, mother-child pass (a pre-natal/post-natal care and infant health program) was established, a major reform of the penal code was carried out, and sex equality legislation was passed. In addition, four weeks of annual vacation were introduced,

4818-424: Was extended to work-related activities. The Night-shift/Heavy Manual Work Act of 1981 introduced preventive healthcare and a special early retirement pension for heavy manual workers. Full sick pay was extended to blue-collar unions in 1974, and family benefits were expanded to include full school transport (1971), a marriage payment (1972), payment for school books (1974), and a birth payment (1976). In 1978, due to

4891-489: Was introduced, and income and luxury taxes were introduced. Culture was clearly emphasized: "Arbeiterbildung" (working-class education and culture) reigned supreme, and the city was home to many internationally renowned intellectuals and artists. Numerous cinemas and theaters subsidized by the municipality opened their doors, and sports became more democratic. This socialist experiment, supported by some renowned intellectuals such as Otto Neurath and Sigmund Freud , also inspired

4964-405: Was introduced. Periods of study, illness, and unemployment were allowed pensionable status, and in 1974 family and birth benefits were indexed. The 1973 Special Subsidies Act introduced subsidies for those made redundant as a result of structural changes. The Wage Continuation Act of 1974 introduced wage continuation for workers in private enterprises in cases of sickness. In 1976, accident insurance

5037-413: Was notable for his allegedly apologetic approach to former Nazi party members and contemporary far-right Austrian politicians. For example, Kreisky described far-right populist Jörg Haider as "a political talent worth watching". In 1967, neo-Nazi Austrian leader Norbert Burger declared that he had no objections to Kreisky despite his Jewish background, claiming that he was simply a "German" and neither

5110-679: Was soon back in Stockholm , assigned to the Austrian legation. In 1951, he returned to Vienna, where Federal President Theodor Körner appointed him Assistant Chief of Staff and political adviser. In 1953, he was appointed Undersecretary in the Foreign Affairs Department of the Austrian Chancellery and in this position he took part in negotiating the 1955 Austrian State Treaty , which ended the four-power occupation of Austria and restored Austria's independence and neutrality. Kreisky

5183-487: Was the most established of the European social democratic parties. In the 1920s, about 15 percent of Austrians were members of an association linked to the party. In 1929, it had 720,000 members. The SDAPÖ was almost hegemonic among the working class, but could not compete with the conservatives in the countryside and small towns. The economic crisis of the 1930s, which caused factory closures and increased unemployment, weakened

5256-513: Was traditionally ruled by the ÖVP. In 2000, the Styrian SPÖ ended up with 32.3%. In 2005, the voters shifted towards the left, something that also benefited the KPÖ , the local communist party. The SPÖ won 9.4% more and ended up with 40.7%, defeating the ÖVP which got 38.7% of the votes. Styrian SPÖ Chairman Franz Voves became the state Governor. After the State elections 2015 the SPÖ lost the governorship to

5329-505: Was very typical in the post-war period. He enjoyed wide support from the SPÖ and party leaders for a very long time. Reflecting the change in attitude towards the past, President Heinz Fischer in a 10 April 2006 interview with the liberal newspaper Der Standard strongly criticised Austria's view on its historical role during Nazi rule. He called the traditional view that Austria was the first victim of Nazi aggression as false. The Moscow Declaration of 1943 by émigrés which called for

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