Cisleithanian legislative election, 1907

This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Austria-Hungary
Compromise of 1867
  • Politics portal

A legislative election to elect the members of the 11th Imperial Council were held in Cisleithania, the northern and western ("Austrian") crown lands of Austria-Hungary, on 14 and 23 May 1907.[1] They were the first elections held under universal male suffrage, after an electoral reform abolishing tax paying requirements for voters had been adopted by the Council and was endorsed by Emperor Franz Joseph earlier in the year.[2] However, seat allocations were based on tax revenues from the States.[2]

Electoral system

Opening session of the House of Deputies, 17 June 1907

Under the shadow of the Russian Revolution of 1905 and large-scale demonstrations organized by the Social Democrats, the emperor to placate the public had a reform of the former five-class franchise system drafted by Minister-President Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn. His successor Baron Max Wladimir von Beck pushed it through, against fierce resistance from the Austrian House of Lords and the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Elections in the constituencies of "the Kingdoms and Lands represented in the Imperial Council" were held according to a plurality voting system. If no candidate received the required absolute majority on May 14, only the two candidates receiving the most votes survived to the second round on May 23. In this way 516 representatives of the constituent crown lands were elected, among them 130 from Bohemia, 106 from Galicia, 64 from Lower Austria, and 49 from Moravia. The numerous political associations were again split according to ethnicity ("nations"), with a result that no government could ever rely on a stable majority.

Results

The right-wing Christian Social Party emerged as the largest bloc in Parliament, holding 96 of the 516 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria with 87 seats. The Christian Socials won most rural constituencies in Upper and Lower Austria, Styria, Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg). They also achieved the majority in the capital Vienna, benefitting from the popularity of Christian Social major Karl Lueger. In the German constituencies of Bohemia and Moravia, but also in Carinthia, the German national parties (German People's Party et al.) achieved strong results. The Social Democrats had their strongholds in the cities, beside Vienna also in Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Brno or Linz. Voter turnout was 84.6%.[3]

Voting

Nation Party Votes %
Croatian
Nation
Croatian Party35,4070.8
Croatian Nationals23,4820.5
Pure Justice Party16,0130.3
Independents6,3730.1
Czech
Nation
Social Democratic Party389,9608.4
Agrarian206,7844.5
Clerical182,5004.0
Young Czech Party78,6791.7
Czech National Social Party75,1011.6
Progressive People's Party37,8450.8
Old Czech Party32,2240.7
Radical Progressives9,8990.2
Radical Constitutionalists7,8790.2
Independents54,8231.2
Czech Realist Party
Zählkandidaten (paper candidate)
National Party
German
Nation
Christian Social Party542,50511.7
Social Democrats513,21911.1
Conservatives193,7534.2
Agrarians132,9782.9
German People's Party131,4742.8
German Progressive Party103,3152.2
German Radicals (Free All Germans)70,5641.5
All Germans20,6930.4
Upper Austria Farmers' Club15,2830.3
German Nationals Party10,4570.2
Civil Servants' Party5,7010.1
Free Socialists5,2890.1
German Conservatives4,9470.1
German Radicals4,5690.1
Independent All Germans3,6590.1
German Workers' Party3,4860.1
Christian Germans3,2860.1
Independents2,8060.1
Social Politicians2,3860.1
Tirol People's Association1,1130.0
Radical Party7850.0
Trade Party1500.0
Italian
Nation
People's Party59,5191.3
National-Liberals27,7230.6
Social Democratic Party19,9180.4
Independents14,7460.3
Italian Nationals
Progressive Agrarians
Polish
Nation
People's Party165,9803.6
Conservatives131,5402.8
Centre108,2472.3
National Democrats104,5442.3
Social Democratic Party65,0571.4
Democrats45,9421.0
Christian Social Party11,2100.2
Agrarian18,3520.4
Independent Socialists
National Party
Progressive Democrats
Ruthenian
(Ukrainian)
Nation
Young Ruthenians304,4106.6
Old Ruthenians162,6633.5
Radical Farmers' Party105,1182.3
Social Democratic Party27,9780.6
Serbian
Nation
Serb Party11,7830.3
Independent Serbs
Slovenian
Nation
Clerical48,4311.0
People's Party48,1751.0
Liberals23,2920.5
Agrarian49,1231.1
Independents
National Progressives
Pro-German Slovenians
Slovenian Nationals
Social Democratic Party
Romanian
Nation
Romanian National Party31,6740.7
Democrats20,6730.4
Independents
Social Democratic Party
NoneZionists31,9410.7
Social Democratic Party10,5180.2
Unknown39,4160.9
Invalid/blank votes58,990
Total4,676,350100
Registered voters/turnout5,526,20384.6
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Seats

Grouping Seats
Christian Social Union96
German National Association51
German Social Democrats50
Poland Club50
Bohemian Agrarian Club30
Bohemian Club25
Ukrainian Club25
Bohemian Social Democrats24
Union of South Slavs20
Catholic National Club17
Slovenian Club17
Polish People's Party16
German Progressive Union15
German Radical Union13
Italian Peoples' Party10
Union of Bohemian National Socialists and Radical Progressive Deputies11
Polish Social Democrats6
Italian Social Democrats5
Romanian Club5
Jewish Club4
Liberal Italian Club4
All German Group3
Ruthenian-Ukrainian Social Democrats2
Independents12
Total516
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reichsratsabgeordnete 1907.

List of political parties in Austria

References

  1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p196 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. 1 2 Nohlen & Stöver, p184
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p209
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, March 28, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.