Local and Regional Governments in Europe

Austria
Austria is a federal state
composed of municipalities (Gemeinden)
and regions (Länder).
State structure
federal
Number of
Sub-national governments
2012 2016
LOCAL 2,357 2,100
REGIONAL 9 9
Capital city
Vienna
Population
8,507,786 (1.7% EU)
Geographical size
83,879 km²
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Vote
non-compulsory
EU Member State since
1995
18
Seats in the
12
Seats in the
European Parliament
European Committee
of the Regions
Local level 2,100 municipalities (Gemeinden)
The municipal council (Gemeinderat)
is the deliberative body of the
municipality. Its members are elected
by direct universal suffrage based
on the proportional representation
system for a five or six-year term
depending on the region. The
municipal council appoints the
members of the local administrative
board.
The local administrative board
(Gemeindevorstand) is the municipality’s
executive body. It is composed of the
mayor, his deputies and members
from the different political parties,
proportionally to the electoral results
of each party.
The mayor (Bürgermeister) is elected
either by the municipal council or by
direct universal suffrage, depending
on the region, although the latter
method is the most common. The
mayor chairs the local administrative
board and the municipal council.
Competences
• Social services
• Public order
• Urban planning and land
development
• Water
• Sewage
• Roads and household refuse
• Urban transport
• Safety
• Culture
• Health
8