Editing Austrian People's Party

{{Short description|Conservative political party in Austria}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Austrian People's Party
| native_name      = Österreichische Volkspartei
| logo             = Volkspartei Logo 2022.svg
| logo_size        = 225px
| colorcode        = {{Political party data|color}}
| abbreviation     = ÖVP
| leader1_title    = [[List of chairpersons of the Austrian People's Party|Chairperson]]
| leader1_name     = [[Christian Stocker]]
| leader2_title    = Secretary General
| leader2_name     = [[Alexander Pröll]]
| leader3_title    = Parliamentary leader
| leader3_name     = [[August Wöginger]]
| foundation       = {{start date and age|1945|4|17|df=yes}}
| youth_wing       = Young People's Party
| wing1_title      = Party academy
| wing1            = [[Political Academy of the Austrian People's Party|ÖVP Political Academy]]
| headquarters     = Lichtenfelsgasse 7, 1010<br/>[[Innere Stadt|First District]], [[Vienna]]
| membership_year  = 2017
| membership       = {{c.}} 600,000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://orf.at/v2/stories/2399160/2399159/|website=orf.at|title=Zwischen Nutzen und Idealen|date=17 July 2017|language=de|access-date=2021-08-24}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=April 2024}}
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 |[[Christian democracy]]
 |[[Liberal conservatism]]
 |[[Pro-Europeanism]]
}}
| position         = [[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]] 
| european         = [[European People's Party]]
| international    = [[International Democracy Union]]
| europarl         = [[European People's Party Group]]
| colours          = {{ublist|class = nowrap
 | {{colour box|{{party colour|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}|border=darkgray}} [[Turquoise (color)|Turquoise]]{{efn|Since 2017}}
 | {{colour box|{{party colour|Austrian People's Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Black]]{{efn|Until 2017}}
}}
<!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186867 -->
| seats1_title     = [[National Council of Austria|National Council]]
| seats1           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats2_title     = [[Federal Council of Austria|Federal Council]]
| seats2           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-upper-house}}
| seats3_title     = [[Landeshauptmann#Austria|Governorships]]
| seats3           = {{composition bar|5|9|{{party colour|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| seats5_title     = [[Distribution of seats in the Austrian Landtage|Landtag Seats]]
| seats5           = {{composition bar|136|440|{{party colour|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| seats6_title     = [[List of members of the European Parliament for Austria, 2024-2029|European Parliament]]
| seats6           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| flag             = [[File:Flag of the Austrian People's Party.svg|200px|border|Flag of the Austrian People's Party]]
| website          = {{Political party data|website}}
| country          = Austria
| leader4_name     = [[Reinhold Lopatka]]
| leader4_title    = Leader in the [[European Parliament|EP]]
}}

The '''Austrian People's Party''' ({{langx|de|Österreichische Volkspartei}} {{IPA|de-AT|ˈøːstɐraɪçɪʃɛ ˌfɔlksparˈtaɪ|}}, '''ÖVP''' {{IPA|de-AT|ˌøːfaʊˈpeː|}}) is a [[Christian democracy|Christian-democratic]] and [[Liberal conservatism|liberal-conservative]] [[List of political parties in Austria|political party in Austria]].

Since January 2025, the party has been led by [[Christian Stocker]] (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest party in the [[National Council (Austria)|National Council]], with 51 of the 183 seats, and won 26.3% of votes cast in the [[2024 Austrian legislative election|2024 legislative election]]. It holds seats in all nine [[States of Austria|state]] legislatures, and is part of government in seven, of which it leads six. The ÖVP is a member of the [[International Democracy Union]] and the [[European People's Party]]. It sits with the [[European People's Party Group|EPP group]] in the [[European Parliament]]; of Austria's 19 [[Member of the European Parliament|MEPs]], 5 are members of the ÖVP. It is the second largest party in Europe by membership.

An unofficial successor to the [[Christian Social Party (Austria)|Christian Social Party]] of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the ÖVP was founded immediately following the re-establishment of the [[Allied-occupied Austria|Republic of Austria]] in 1945. Since then, it has been one of the two traditional major parties in Austria, alongside the [[Social Democratic Party of Austria]] (SPÖ). It was the most popular party until 1970, and has traditionally governed in a [[grand coalition]] with the SPÖ. It was the senior partner in grand coalitions from 1945 to 1966 and the junior partner from 1986 to 2000 and 2007–2017. The ÖVP also briefly governed alone from 1966 to 1970. After the [[1999 Austrian legislative election|1999 election]], the party formed a [[First Schüssel government|coalition]] with the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ) until 2003, when a [[Second Schüssel government|coalition]] with the FPÖ splinter [[Alliance for the Future of Austria]] was formed, which lasted until 2007.

== History ==
The ÖVP is the successor of the [[Christian Social Party (Austria)|Christian Social Party]], a staunchly conservative movement founded in 1893 by [[Karl Lueger]], mayor of [[Vienna]] and highly controversial [[Right-wing populism|right-wing populist]]. Most of the members of the party during its founding belonged to the former [[Fatherland Front (Austria)|Fatherland Front]], which was led by chancellor [[Engelbert Dollfuss]], also a member of the Christian Social Party before the [[Anschluss]]. While still sometimes honored by ÖVP members for resisting [[Adolf Hitler]], the regime built by Dollfuss was authoritarian in nature and has been dubbed as [[Fatherland Front (Austria)|Austrofascism]]. In its present form, the ÖVP was established immediately after the restoration of Austria's independence in 1945 and it has been represented in both the [[Federal Assembly (Austria)|Federal Assembly]] ever since. In terms of Federal Assembly seats, the ÖVP has consistently been the strongest or second-strongest party and as such it has led or at least been a partner in most Austria's federal cabinets.
[[File:Mitgliederzahl parteien Österreichs - Party membership of parties in Austria.png|left|thumb|Party membership of ÖVP (in turquoise), since 1945.]]
In the [[1945 Austrian legislative election]], the ÖVP won a [[landslide victory]] in Austria's first postwar election, winning almost half the popular vote and an absolute majority in the legislature. However, memories of the hyper-partisanship that had plagued the First Republic prompted the ÖVP to maintain the [[grand coalition]] with the [[Communist Party of Austria]] (KPÖ) and the [[Social Democratic Party of Austria]] (SPÖ) that had governed the country since the restoration of independence in early 1945. The ÖVP remained the senior partner in a coalition with the SPÖ until 1966 and governed alone from 1966 to 1970. It reentered the government in 1986, but has never been completely out of power since the restoration of Austrian independence in 1945 due to a longstanding tradition that all major interest groups were to be consulted on policy.

After the [[1999 Austrian legislative election]], several months of negotiations ended in early 2000 when the ÖVP formed a [[coalition government]] with the right-wing populist [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ) led by [[Jörg Haider]]. The FPÖ had won just a few hundred more votes than the ÖVP, but was considered far too controversial to lead a government. The ÖVP's [[Wolfgang Schüssel]] became [[Chancellor of Austria|Chancellor]]—the first ÖVP Chancellor of Austria since 1970. This caused widespread outrage in Europe and the [[European Union]] imposed informal diplomatic sanctions on Austria, the first time that it imposed sanctions on a member state. Bilateral relations were frozen (including contacts and meetings at an inter-governmental level) and Austrian candidates would not be supported for posts in European Union international offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/feb2000/haid-f22.shtml|title=The European Union's sanctions against Austria|publisher=WSWS|date=22 February 2000|access-date=4 September 2012}}</ref> Austria threatened to veto all applications by countries for European Union membership until the sanctions were lifted.<ref>{{cite news|first=Donald G.|last=McNeill|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/04/world/a-threat-by-austria-on-sanctions.html|title=A Threat By Austria on Sanctions|work=The New York Times|date=4 July 2000|access-date=4 September 2012}}</ref> A few months later, these sanctions were dropped as a result of a fact-finding mission by three former European prime ministers, the so-called "three wise men". The [[2002 Austrian legislative election|2002 legislative election]] resulted in a landslide victory (42.27% of the vote) for the ÖVP under Schüssel. Haider's FPÖ was reduced to 10.16% of the vote. At the [[Federal states of Austria|state level]], the ÖVP has long dominated the rural states of [[Lower Austria]], [[Upper Austria]], [[Salzburg (federal state)|Salzburg]], [[Styria]], [[Tyrol (federal state)|Tyrol]] and [[Vorarlberg]]. It is less popular in the [[city-state]] of [[Vienna]] and in the rural, but less strongly Catholic states of [[Burgenland]] and [[Carinthia]]. In 2004, it lost its [[Plurality (parliamentary procedure)|plurality]] in the [[Salzburg (federal state)|State of Salzburg]], where they kept its result in seats (14) in 2009. In 2005, it lost its plurality in [[Styria]] for the first time.

After the [[Alliance for the Future of Austria]] (BZÖ) split from the FPÖ in 2005, the BZÖ replaced the FPÖ in the government coalition which lasted until 2007. Austria for the first time had a government containing a party that was founded during the parliamentary term. In the [[2006 Austrian legislative election]], the ÖVP were defeated and after much negotiations agreed to become junior partner in a grand coalition with the SPÖ, with new party chairman [[Wilhelm Molterer]] as [[Ministry of Finance (Austria)|Finance Minister]] and [[Vice-Chancellor of Austria|Vice-Chancellor]] under SPÖ leader [[Alfred Gusenbauer]], who became Chancellor. The [[2008 Austrian legislative election]] saw the ÖVP lose 15 seats, with a further 8.35% decrease in its share of the vote. However, the ÖVP won the largest share of the vote (30.0%) in the [[2009 European Parliament election in Austria|2009 European Parliament election]] with 846,709 votes, although their number of seats remained the same.

The ÖVP had minor losses in the [[2013 Austrian legislative election]], and the grand coalition with the SPÖ continued until the [[2017 Austrian legislative election]], when the ÖVP changed its colour to turquoise and won its first legislative election since 2002. The party underwent a change in its image after [[Sebastian Kurz]] became chairman, changing its colour from the traditional black to turquoise, and adopting the alternate name '''The New People's Party''' ({{langx|de|Die neue Volkspartei}}).<ref name="Our History">{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.dieneuevolkspartei.at/Die-Geschichte |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929171903/https://www.dieneuevolkspartei.at/Die-Geschichte |archive-date=29 September 2019 |access-date=9 September 2020 |publisher=Austrian People's Party}}</ref> It became the largest party after the [[2017 Austrian legislative election|2017 election]], and formed a [[First Kurz government|coalition government]] with the FPÖ.<ref>{{cite web |date=16 October 2017 |title=Austria election results: Far-right set to enter government as conservatives top poll |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/austria-election-exit-poll-result-sebastian-kurz-ovp-latest-projection-freedom-far-right-a8001811.html |access-date=17 October 2018 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> This collapsed eighteen months later due to the [[Ibiza affair]], leading to the [[2019 Austrian legislative election|2019 election]], after which the ÖVP formed a [[Second Kurz government|new coalition]] with [[The Greens – The Green Alternative|The Greens]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=red |first=ORF at |date=2020-01-01 |title=Neue Regierung: Kurz und Kogler präsentierten Einigung |url=https://orf.at/stories/3149364/ |access-date=2020-01-01 |website=news.ORF.at |language=de}}</ref>

An investigation into the Ibiza affair by a parliamentary subcommittee, an unstable Cabinet plagued by resignations, and ultimately [[Kurz corruption probe|a corruption inquiry]], forced Kurz to resign the chancellorship in October 2021. Kurz was replaced by [[Karl Nehammer]] in 2021 as party leader and Chancellor. In the [[2024 Austrian legislative election|2024 legislative election]], the party fell to second behind the FPÖ. Following the surge of the FPÖ in various polls throughout late 2024 and early 2025, as well as the collapse of the ÖVP-SPÖ-NEOS coalition talks, Nehammer resigned as party leader and was replaced with [[Christian Stocker]] as acting leader.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-04 |title=Austrian Chancellor Nehammer says he will resign after talks on forming a new government fail |url=https://apnews.com/article/austria-politics-talks-collapse-2e4ce6802617c2ac7a6d28f4842df38e |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=[[AP News]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-05 |title=Austrian People's Party nominates Christian Stocker as interim leader after Nehammer resigns |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/austrian-people-s-party-nominates-christian-stocker-as-interim-leader-after-nehammer-resigns-/7924879.html |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=[[Voice of America]] |language=en}}</ref> After failed talks with the FPÖ, the party would eventually form a coalition with the SPÖ and NEOS, with Stocker as Chancellor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three-party Austria government takes office, ending months of deadlock |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/3/christian-stocker-becomes-austria-chancellor-as-three-party-govt-sworn-in |access-date=2025-03-04 |website=[[Al Jazeera]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Ideology and platform ==
{{Conservatism in Austria|Parties}}

The ÖVP is described as [[Christian democracy|Christian-democratic]],<ref name="Peverini2023">{{cite book|author=Marco Peverini|title=Promoting Rental Housing Affordability in European Cities: Learning from the Cases of Milan and Vienna|publisher=Springer Nature Switzerland|year=2023|isbn=9783031436925|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aw3kEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA58|page=58}}</ref><ref name="MarksWilson">{{cite book|first1=Gary|last1=Marks|first2=Carole|last2=Wilson|chapter=National Parties and the Contestation of Europe|editor1=T. Banchoff|editor-first2=Mitchell P.|editor-last2=Smith|title=Legitimacy and the European Union|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgvLEFPY8l4C&pg=PA126|access-date=26 August 2012|year=1999|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-18188-4|page=126}}</ref><ref name="Krouwel2012">{{cite book|first=André|last=Krouwel|title=Party Transformations in European Democracies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w4DMRL66gOIC&pg=PA291|access-date=14 February 2013|year=2012|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-1-4384-4483-3|page=291}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bale |first=Tim |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1256593260 |title=Riding the populist wave: Europe's mainstream right in crisis |date=2021 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser |isbn=978-1-009-00686-6 |location=Cambridge, United Kingdom |pages=34 |oclc=1256593260}}</ref> [[conservatism|conservative]],<ref name="GrandeDolezal">{{cite book|first1=Edgar|last1=Grande|first2=Martin|last2=Dolezal|first3=Marc|last3=Helbling|first4=Dominic|last4=Höglinger|title=Political Conflict in Western Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_zivrfDd3AC&pg=PA52|access-date=19 July 2013|year=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-02438-0|page=52}}</ref><ref name="Givens2005">{{cite book|first=Terri E.|last=Givens|title=Voting Radical Right in Western Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SDY2CGcPJwkC&pg=PA23|access-date=19 July 2013|year=2005|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-139-44670-9|page=23}}</ref> and [[liberal conservatism|liberal-conservative]].<ref name="Peverini2023"/><ref name="Güntzel2010">{{cite book|author=Ralph P Güntzel|title=Understanding "Old Europe": An Introduction to the Culture, Politics, and History of France, Germany, and Austria|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8gJ4DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA162|year= 2010|publisher=Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag|isbn=978-3-8288-5300-3|page=162}}</ref><ref name="HM2018">{{cite book|author= Janne Haaland Matlary|title=Hard Power in Hard Times: Can Europe Act Strategically?|publisher=Palgrave Macmillian|year=2018|isbn= 9783319765143|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eflcDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA108|page=108}}</ref> The party has also been described as a [[big tent|catch-all party]] of the [[centre-right politics|centre-right]], in the vein of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]].<ref name="KesselmanKrieger2008">{{cite book|author1=Mark Kesselman|author2=Joel Krieger|author3=Christopher S. Allen|author4=Stephen Hellman|title=European Politics in Transition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FGK0Ht0OM_IC&pg=PA229|accessdate=17 August 2012|year=2008|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-0-618-87078-3|page=229}}</ref><ref name="Wiliarty2010">{{cite book|author=Sarah Elise Wiliarty|title=The CDU and the Politics of Gender in Germany: Bringing Women to the Party|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xYAlBYDvrkC&pg=PA221|accessdate=17 August 2012|year=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-76582-4|page=221}}</ref> For most of its existence, the ÖVP has explicitly defined itself as [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] and [[anti-socialist]], with the ideals of [[Subsidiarity (Catholicism)|subsidiarity]] as defined by the [[encyclical]] ''[[Quadragesimo anno]]'' and [[decentralisation]].

For the first election after World War II, the ÖVP presented itself as the Austrian Party ({{langx|de|die österreichische Partei}}), was [[Criticism of Marxism|anti-Marxist]] and regarded itself as the Party of the centre ({{langx|de|link=no|Partei der Mitte}}). The ÖVP consistently held power—either alone or in so-called [[Grand coalition|black–red coalition]] with the [[Social Democratic Party of Austria]] (SPÖ)—until 1970, when the SPÖ formed a minority government with the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] (FPÖ). The ÖVP's economic policies during the era generally upheld a [[social market economy]].

The party's campaign for the [[2017 Austrian legislative election|2017 legislative election]] under the party chairman [[Sebastian Kurz]] was dominated by a rightward shift in policy which included a promised crackdown on [[illegal immigration]] and a fight against [[political Islam]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/make-austria-great-again-the-rapid-rise-of-sebastian-kurz/a-40313720|title=Make Austria Great Again — the rapid rise of Sebastian Kurz|work=[[Deutsche Welle]]|access-date=17 October 2018}}</ref> making it more similar to the program of the FPÖ, the party that Kurz chose as his coalition partner after the ÖVP won the election. The party underwent a change in its image after Kurz became chairman, changing its colour from the traditional [[black]] to [[turquoise (color)|turquoise]], and adopting the name '''The new People's Party''' ({{langx|de|Die neue Volkspartei}}).<ref name="Our History"/>

== Organization ==

=== Symbols ===
<gallery>
 ÖVP-Logo (80er).svg|Logo used in the 1980s
 ÖVP Logo.svg|Logo before 2017
 Austrian People's Party logo.png|Logo with [[Flag of Austria|flag]] before 2017
 Volkspartei Logo 2018.svg|Party logo 2017 - 2022
 Logo neue VP tuerkis.png|[[Turquoise (color)|Turquoise]] variant of the Party-Logo 2017 - 2022
 Volkspartei Logo 2022.svg|Party Logo since 2022
</gallery>

=== Chairpersons since 1945 ===
The chart below shows a timeline of ÖVP chairpersons and the [[Chancellor of Austria|Chancellors of Austria]]. The left black bar shows all the chairpersons (''Bundesparteiobleute'', abbreviated as CP) of the ÖVP party 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 [[Cabinet (government)|cabinets]].

<timeline>
ImageSize  = width:400 height:530
PlotArea   = width:350  height:450 left:50 bottom:50
Legend     = columns:3 left:50 top:25 columnwidth:50

DateFormat = yyyy
Period     = from:1945 till:2023
TimeAxis   = orientation:vertical
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1945

# there is no automatic collision detection,
# so shift texts up or down manually to avoid overlap

Colors     =
  id:ÖVP  value:gray(0.25) legend:ÖVP
  id:SPÖ  value:red    legend:SPÖ
  id:independent value:gray(0.85) legend:independent
#  id:FPÖ  value:blue    legend:FPÖ

Define $dx = 25 # shift text to right side of bar
Define $dy = -4 # adjust height

PlotData   =

  bar:CP color:red width:25 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:S

  from:1945  till:1945 shift:($dx,1)      color:ÖVP    text:[[Leopold Kunschak]]
  from:1945  till:1952 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Leopold Figl]]
  from:1952  till:1960 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Julius Raab]]
  from:1960  till:1963 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Alfons Gorbach]]
  from:1963  till:1970 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Josef Klaus]]
  from:1970  till:1971 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Hermann Withalm]]
  from:1971  till:1975 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Karl Schleinzer]]
  from:1975  till:1979 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Josef Taus]]
  from:1979  till:1989 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Alois Mock]]
  from:1989  till:1991 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Josef Riegler]]
  from:1991  till:1995 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Erhard Busek]]
  from:1995  till:2007 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Wolfgang Schüssel]]
  from:2007  till:2008 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Wilhelm Molterer]]
  from:2008  till:2011 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:[[Josef Pröll]]
  from:2011  till:2014 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text: [[Michael Spindelegger]]
  from:2014  till:2017 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text: [[Reinhold Mitterlehner]]
  from:2017  till:end shift:($dx,$dy)     color:ÖVP    text: [[Sebastian Kurz]]
  from:2021  till:end shift:($dx,$dy)     color:ÖVP    text: [[Karl Nehammer]]
  bar:Govern. color:red width:25 mark:(line,white) align:left fontsize:7

  from:1945  till:1946 shift:($dx,-2)     color:SPÖ    text:Renner
  from:1946  till:1949 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Figl I
  from:1949  till:1952 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Figl II
  from:1952  till:1953 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Figl III
  from:1953  till:1956 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Raab I
  from:1956  till:1959 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Raab II
  from:1959  till:1960 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Raab III
  from:1960  till:1961 shift:($dx,-2)     color:ÖVP    text:Raab IV
  from:1961  till:1963 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Gorbach I
  from:1963  till:1964 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Gorbach II
  from:1964  till:1966 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Klaus I
  from:1966  till:1970 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Klaus II
  from:1970  till:1971 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Kreisky I
  from:1971  till:1975 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Kreisky II
  from:1975  till:1979 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Kreisky III
  from:1979  till:1983 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Kreisky IV
  from:1983  till:1986 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Sinowatz
  from:1986  till:1987 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Vranitzky I
  from:1987  till:1990 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Vranitzky II
  from:1990  till:1994 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Vranitzky III
  from:1994  till:1996 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Vranitzky IV
  from:1996  till:1997 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Vranitzky V
  from:1997  till:2000 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Klima
  from:2000  till:2003 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Schüssel I
  from:2003  till:2007 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Schüssel II
  from:2007  till:2008 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Gusenbauer
  from:2008  till:2016 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Faymann
  from:2016  till:2017 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:SPÖ    text:Kern
  from:2017  till:2019 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:ÖVP    text:Kurz I
  from:2019  till:2020 shift:($dx,$dy)    color:independent text:Bierlein
  from:2020  till:2021 shift:($dx,$dy)     color:ÖVP    text:Kurz II
  from:2021  till:2021 shift:($dx,$dy)     color:ÖVP    text:Schallenberg
  from:2021  till:end shift:($dx,$dy)     color:ÖVP    text:Nehammer
</timeline>

== Election results ==
=== National Council ===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! Leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Government
|-
! [[1945 Austrian legislative election|1945]]
| rowspan=3 | [[Leopold Figl]]
| 1,602,227
| 49.80 (#1)
| {{composition bar|85|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| New
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ–KPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[1949 Austrian legislative election|1949]]
| 1,846,581
| 44.03 (#1)
| {{composition bar|77|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 8
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[1953 Austrian legislative election|1953]]
| 1,781,777
| 41.26 (#2)
| {{composition bar|74|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[1956 Austrian legislative election|1956]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Julius Raab]]
| 1,999,986
| 45.96 (#1)
| {{composition bar|82|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 8
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[1959 Austrian legislative election|1959]]
| 1,928,043
| 44.19 (#2)
| {{composition bar|79|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[1962 Austrian legislative election|1962]]
| [[Alfons Gorbach]]
| 2,024,501
| 45.43 (#1)
| {{composition bar|81|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[1966 Austrian legislative election|1966]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Josef Klaus]]
| 2,191,109
| 48.35 (#1)
| {{composition bar|85|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| {{yes2|ÖVP majority}} 
|-
! [[1970 Austrian legislative election|1970]]
| 2,051,012
| 44.69 (#2)
| {{composition bar|78|165|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 7
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1971 Austrian legislative election|1971]]
| Hermann Withalm
| 1,964,713
| 43.11 (#2)
| {{composition bar|80|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1975 Austrian legislative election|1975]]
| rowspan=2 | Josef Taus
| 1,981,291	
| 42.95 (#2)
| {{composition bar|80|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1979 Austrian legislative election|1979]]
| 1,981,739
| 41.90 (#2)
| {{composition bar|77|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1983 Austrian legislative election|1983]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Alois Mock]]
| 2,097,808
| 43.22 (#2)
| {{composition bar|81|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1986 Austrian legislative election|1986]]
| 2,003,663
| 41.29 (#2)
| {{composition bar|77|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[1990 Austrian legislative election|1990]]
| Josef Riegler
| 1,508,600
| 32.06 (#2)
| {{composition bar|60|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 17
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[1994 Austrian legislative election|1994]]
| [[Erhard Busek]]
| 1,281,846
| 27.67 (#2)
| {{composition bar|52|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 8
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[1995 Austrian legislative election|1995]]
| rowspan=4 | [[Wolfgang Schüssel]]
| 1,370,510
| 28.29 (#2)
| {{composition bar|52|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[1999 Austrian legislative election|1999]]
| 1,243,672
| 26.91 (#3)
| {{composition bar|52|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ majority}}
|-
! [[2002 Austrian legislative election|2002]]
| 2,076,833
| 42.30 (#1)
| {{composition bar|79|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 27
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ majority}}
|-
! [[2006 Austrian legislative election|2006]]
| 1,616,493
| 34.33 (#2)
| {{composition bar|66|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 13
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[2008 Austrian legislative election|2008]]
| [[Wilhelm Molterer]]
| 1,269,656
| 25.98 (#2)
| {{composition bar|51|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 15
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[2013 Austrian legislative election|2013]]
| [[Michael Spindelegger]]
| 1,125,876
| 23.99 (#2)
| {{composition bar|47|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP majority}}
|-
! [[2017 Austrian legislative election|2017]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Sebastian Kurz]]
| 1,341,930
| 31.47 (#1)
| {{composition bar|62|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| {{increase}} 15
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ majority}} 
|-
! [[2019 Austrian legislative election|2019]]
| 1,789,417
| 37.46 (#1)
| {{composition bar|71|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| {{increase}} 9
| {{yes2|ÖVP–GRÜNE majority}}
|-
! [[2024 Austrian legislative election|2024]]
| [[Karl Nehammer]]
| 1,246,676
| 26.27 (#2)
| {{composition bar|52|183|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 19
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ–NEOS majority}}
|}

=== President ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Election
! rowspan="2"|Candidate
! colspan=3|First round
! colspan=3|Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Result
! Votes
! %
! Result
|-
! [[1951 Austrian presidential election|1951]]
| [[Heinrich Gleißner]]
| 1,725,451
| 40.1
| {{depends|Runner-up}}
| 2,006,322
| 47.9
| {{no2|Lost}}
|-
! [[1957 Austrian presidential election|1957]]
| [[Wolfgang Denk]]
| 2,159,604
| 48.9
| {{no2|Lost}}
| colspan="3"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[1963 Austrian presidential election|1963]]
| [[Julius Raab]]
| 1,814,125
| 40.6
| {{no2|Lost}}
| colspan="3"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[1965 Austrian presidential election|1965]]
| [[Alfons Gorbach]]
| 2,324,436
| 49.3
| {{no2|Lost}}
| colspan="3"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[1971 Austrian presidential election|1971]]
| [[Kurt Waldheim]]
| 2,224,809
| 47.2
| {{no2|Lost}}
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[1974 Austrian presidential election|1974]]
| [[Alois Lugger]]
| 2,238,470
| 48.3
| {{no2|Lost}}
| colspan="3" style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[1980 Austrian presidential election|1980]]
| colspan="7"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|No candidate
|-
! [[1986 Austrian presidential election|1986]]
| [[Kurt Waldheim]]
| 2,343,463
| 49.6
| {{depends|Won}}
| 2,464,787
| 53.9
| {{yes2|Won}}
|-
! [[1992 Austrian presidential election|1992]]
| [[Thomas Klestil]]
| 1,728,234
| 37.2
| {{depends|Runner-up}}
| 2,528,006
| 56.9
| {{yes2|Won}}
|-
! [[1998 Austrian presidential election|1998]]
| [[Thomas Klestil]]
| 2,644,034
| 63.4
| {{yes2|Won}}
| colspan="3"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[2004 Austrian presidential election|2004]]
| [[Benita Ferrero-Waldner]]
| 1,969,326
| 47.6
| {{no2|Lost}}
| colspan="3"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[2010 Austrian presidential election|2010]]
| colspan="7"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|No candidate
|-
! [[2016 Austrian presidential election|2016]]
| [[Andreas Khol]]
| 475,767
| 11.1
| {{no2|5th place}}
| colspan="3"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|
|-
! [[2022 Austrian presidential election|2022]]
| colspan="7"  style="background-color:lightgrey;"|No candidate
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! List leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[1996 European Parliament election in Austria|1996]]
| rowspan=3 |[[Ursula Stenzel]]
| 1,124,921
| 29.65 (#1)
| {{composition bar|7|21|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| New
| rowspan=2 |[[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in Austria|1999]]
| 859,175
| 30.67 (#2)
| {{composition bar|7|21|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Austria|2004]]
| 817,716
| 32.70 (#2)
| {{composition bar|6|18|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| [[European People's Party - European Democrats|EPP-ED]]
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Austria|2009]]
| [[Ernst Strasser]]
| 858,921
| 29.98 (#1)
| {{composition bar|6|17|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| rowspan=4 |[[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Austria|2014]]
| rowspan=2 |[[Othmar Karas]]
| 761,896
| 26.98 (#1)
| {{composition bar|5|18|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party}}}} 
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Austria|2019]]
| 1,305,954
| 34.55 (#1)
| {{composition bar|7|18|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Austria|2024]]
| [[:de:Reinhold Lopatka|Reinhold Lopatka]]
| 864,072
| 24.52 (#2)
| {{composition bar|5|20|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| {{decrease}} 2
|}

===[[Distribution of seats in the Austrian Landtage|State Parliaments]]===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! State
!Leader
! Year
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Government
|-
! [[Burgenland]]
|[[Christian Sagartz]]
| [[2025 Burgenland state election|2025]]
| 42,923
| 22.0 (#3)
| {{composition bar|8|36|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="0"|{{decrease}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Carinthia]]
| Martin Gruber
| [[2023 Carinthian state election|2023]]
| 51,637
| 17.0 (#3)
| {{composition bar|7|36|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="1"| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|SPÖ–ÖVP}}
|-
! [[Lower Austria]]
| [[Johanna Mikl-Leitner]]
| [[2023 Lower Austrian state election|2023]]
| 359,194
| 39.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|23|56|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="-1"| {{decrease}} 6
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ}}
|-
! [[Salzburg (state)|Salzburg]]
| [[Wilfried Haslauer]]
| [[2023 Salzburg state election|2023]]
| 81,752
| 30.4 (#1)
| {{composition bar|12|36|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="4"| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ}}
|-
! [[Styria]]
| Christopher Drexler
| [[2024 Styrian state election|2024]]
| 177,580
| 26.8 (#2)
| {{composition bar|13|48|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="4"| {{decrease}} 5
| {{yes2|FPÖ–ÖVP}}
|-
! [[Tyrol (state)|Tyrol]]
| Anton Mattle
| [[2022 Tyrolean state election|2022]]
| 119,167
| 34.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|14|36|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="-3"| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|ÖVP–SPÖ}}
|-
! [[Upper Austria]]
| Thomas Stelzer
| [[2021 Upper Austrian state election|2021]]
| 303,835
| 37.6 (#1)
| {{composition bar|22|56|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="1"| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ}}
|-
! [[Vienna]]
| Karl Mahrer
| [[2025 Viennese state election|2025]]
| 63,050
| 9.71 (#5)
| {{composition bar|22|100|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="15"| {{decrease}} 
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Vorarlberg]]
| Markus Wallner
| [[2024 Vorarlberg state election|2024]]
| 70,638
| 38.3 (#1)
| {{composition bar|15|36|hex={{party color|Austrian People's Party (2017)}}}}
| data-sort-value="1"| {{decrease}} 2
| {{yes2|ÖVP–FPÖ}}
|}

== See also == 
{{Portal|Austria|Conservatism|Politics}}
* [[Politics of Austria]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|35em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book|first=Dieter A.|last=Binder|chapter='Rescuing the Christian Occident': The People's Party in Austria|editor-first1=Michael|editor-last1=Gehler|editor-first2=Wolfram|editor-last2=Kaiser|title=Christian Democracy in Europe since 1945|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|isbn=0-7146-5662-3|pages=121–134}}
* {{cite book|first=Franz|last=Fallend|chapter=The Rejuvenation of an 'Old Party'? Christian Democracy in Austria|editor1=Steven Van Hecke|editor-first2=Emmanuel|editor-last2=Gerard|title=Christian Democratic Parties in Europe Since the End of the Cold War|publisher=Leuven University Press|year=2004|isbn=90-5867-377-4|pages=79–104}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.photoglobe.info/ebooks/austria/cstudies_austria_0138.html Austrian People's Party Country Studies]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110720094641/http://www.epp.eu/countryPg.asp?cid=1 Austrian People's Party] at the European People's Party website
{{European People's Party}}
{{International Democracy Union}}
{{Austrian political parties}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Austrian People's Party]]
[[Category:Liberal parties in Austria]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in Austria]]
[[Category:Liberal conservative parties]]
[[Category:Christian democratic parties in Europe]]
[[Category:Political parties in Austria]]
[[Category:Politics of Austria]]
[[Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines]]
[[Category:Pro-European political parties in Austria]]