1897 Cisleithanian legislative election

Legislative elections to elect the members of the ninth Imperial Council were held in March 1897 in Cisleithania, the northern and western ("Austrian") crown lands of Austria-Hungary. These elections were first in Cisleithania held under the curial system with universal, but still not equal, suffrage.[1]

1897 Cisleithanian Imperial Council election

March 1897

All 425 seats in the Imperial Council
213 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Josef Kaizl
Party NSS DLVP PKK
Alliance Bohemian Club German Progressive Parties Poland Club
Leader since 1895
Last election 9.15% 32.81% 11.62%
Seats won 53 50 46
Popular vote 64,546 81,291 26,161
Percentage 6.09% 7.79% 2.46%
Swing 3.06% 25.02% 9.16%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Karl Lueger Otto Steinwender Josef Maria Baernreither
Party CS DVP VSGGB
Alliance Christian Social Union Association of German People's Parties Union of Constitutionalist Landowners
Leader since 1893 1896 1885
Last election 12.60% New 0.78%
Seats won 39 31 23
Popular vote 372,395 48,000 2,288
Percentage 35.15% 4.53% 0.23%
Swing 22.55% 4.53% 0.55%

Minister-President of Cisleithania before election

Kasimir Felix Badeni
FP

Elected Minister-President of Cisleithania

Kasimir Felix Badeni
FP

Badeni electoral reform

Count Kasimir Felix Badeni had led the Cisleithanian government since 1895. In February 1896, the government submitted a proposal for fundamental reform of the electoral system. The so-called Badeni electoral reform kept the curial electoral system, but in addition to four existing curiae (landowners, trade and industry chambers, large and medium farmers, and male city residents who were annually paying at least 10 guilders of taxes), the fifth, general curiae, was added. While voting rights were limited in the four original curiae (fiscally defined, therefore, allowing voting to only those who have paid taxes on prescribed minimum amount), the fifth curia included all men older than 24. In May 1896, Badeni electoral reform was approved by the Imperial Council.[2]

Results

Voting took place in several stages during March 1897, with the last elections being held in the fifth curiae on March 12, 1897.[3]

The elections significantly changed relations in the Imperial Council, with a strong trend in the degradation of the original dominant German Progressive Party being set. This trend went in favor of the newly founded German People's Party and the Christian Social Party. The elections also brought a further fragmentation of the political scene; the three strongest parliamentary clubs (Young Czechs, Polish Club, and German Progressive Party) had only 168 seats, and the new Imperial Council had 17 parliamentary clubs. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats were still weakening, winning only 15 seats.[4]

Party Votes % Seats
Croatian Nation
Croatian Moderate National Party3,7510.366
Croatian National Party1,1810.112
Croatian Radical Party4190.043
Czech Nation
Young Czech Party64,5466.0953
Old Czech Party22,7692.150
Czech Compromise Candidates4,1760.394
Czech People's Party (Young Czech)2,5650.243
Bohemian Conservative Party2,3690.231
National Czech Party1,8830.180
German Nation
Christian Social and Anti-Semitic Party372,39535.1539
Social Democratic Party245,00123.1314
German Liberal and Constitutional Party81,2917.7950
German People's Party48,0004.5331
German-National Party46,0254.3512
Social Politicians7,8740.741
German Clerical and Conservative Party7,1090.6714
Catholic Conservative Party4,4750.4214
German Clerical Party2,1400.202
Catholic People’s Party1,8970.185
German Compromise Candidates1,5480.151
Officials' Party1,2070.111
German Farmers' Party1,1570.110
Agrarian Party6420.061
German Independents5410.051
Italian Nation
Italian Liberal Party25,3122.3914
Italian Autonomist Party1,4650.140
Italian Clerical Party1,0980.104
Italian Conservative Party9160.091
Landowner Candidates
Constitutionalist Landowners2,2880.2323
Conservative Landowners1,0890.119
Bohemian Conservative Landowners6890.0719
Bohemian Centre Party–Moravian Centre Party3460.033
Polish Nation
Polish Conservative Party26,1612.4746
Polish Radical Party10,6101.001
Polish Liberal Party8,7920.835
Polish Democratic Party8,5090.806
Polish People's Party6,0770.573
Polish Clerical Party6980.061
Romanian Nation
Romanian National Party1,5500.155
Ruthenian Nation
Ruthenian Radical Party6,0200.571
Young Ruthenian Party1,8160.176
Ruthenian Moderate Party1,7440.173
Ruthenian Radical People’s Party9270.090
Conservative Ruthenian Party4280.040
Old Ruthenian Party3660.031
Russophilic Party2870.030
Serbian Nation
Serb People's Party1830.022
Slovenian Nation
Slovenian National Party9,3860.882
Slovenian Liberal Party2,2780.213
Slovenian Clerical Party1,9840.198
Slovenian Conservative Party5540.052
Young Slovenian Party2620.020
Slovenian Radical Party1220.010
Unknown & Split Votes
Unknown votes5,1300.49-
Split votes7,9300.75-
Total1,059,319100425
Source: ANNO

Seats

In May 1897, the Imperial Council had 16 political groups and individual parties:

Grouping Seats
Bohemian Club60
Poland Club59
Association of German People's Parties41
Slavic Christian-National Association35
German Progressive Parties33
Club of Catholic People's Parties31
Union of Constitutional Landowners30
Christian Social Union26
Group of Bohemian Conservative Landowners19
Italian Union19
Social Democratic Association15
Free German Union15
Center Club6
Polish Christian People's Parties6
Romanian Club5
Schönerer's group5
Polish People's Party3
Independents17
Total425

Aftermath

After the elections, Badeni tried to negotiate with the aim of creating a stable pro-government parliamentary majority. However, he did not consider the German Progressive Party or the radical nationalist Pan-German League, but preferred to try to gain support among conservative German-Austrian politicians, including the liberal German Constitutional Party. After the German Constitutional Party refused to give support to the minority government, Badeni announced on April 2, 1897 that his government would resign, but did not go through with the resignation. Meanwhile, negotiations on forming a government continued. On April 4, a framework agreement was set, effectively restoring the conservative so-called Iron Circle from the 1880s, which consisted of the German Catholic People's Party, the Young Czech Party, the Polish club and the Czech Party of Conservative Landowners. Badeni remained Prime Minister. However, the government did not last long as Badeni resigned on November 28, 1897 under the pressure from the German nationalists over the language regulations.[5]

References

  1. Československé dějiny v datech. Praha : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. S. 323-324. (in Czech)
  2. Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848-1918. Praha : Svoboda, 1982. p. 450-451. (in Czech)
  3. Československé dějiny v datech. Prag : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 324. (in Czech)
  4. Československé dějiny v datech. Praha : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 324. (in Czech)
  5. Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848-1918. Praha : Svoboda, 1982. p. 458-462. (in Czech)
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