1949 Austrian legislative election

The elections to the Austrian National Council of 1949 were the second nationwide elections in Austria after World War II. About 500,000 registered Nazis, who were not allowed to vote in 1945, regained their voting rights. A newly created party, the Electoral Party of Independents (WdU) (a predecessor of the Freedom Party of Austria) specifically targeted this group of voters and immediately won a large share of votes.[1] The Austrian People's Party remained strongest party, although losing their absolute majority of seats. Leopold Figl stayed as Chancellor, leading a coalition with the Socialist Party of Austria as junior partner.[2]

1949 Austrian legislative election
9 October 1949
165 seats in the National Council of Austria
83 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Leopold Figl Adolf Schärf
Party ÖVP SPÖ
Leader since 20 December 1945 15 December 1945
Last election 85 seats, 49.80% 76 seats, 44.60%
Seats won 77 67
Seat change 8 9
Popular vote 1,846,581 1,623,524
Percentage 44.03% 38.71%
Swing 5.77% 5.91%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Herbert Kraus Johann Koplenig
Party VdU KPÖ
Leader since 25 March 1949 1924
Last election New Party 4 seats, 5.42%
Seats won 16 5
Seat change 16 1
Popular vote 489,273 213,066
Percentage 11.67% 5.08%
Swing 11.67% 0.34%
Chancellor before election

Leopold Figl
ÖVP

 Elected Chancellor

Leopold Figl
ÖVP

This article is part of a series on the
Politics of Austria
Constitution
Executive
Legislature

  • Upper house of parliament

  • Joint session of both houses
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Results
 Summary of the 9 October 1949 National Council of Austria election results
Parties Votes +/- % +/- Seats +/-
Austrian People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei) 1,846,581 +244,354 44.03 -5.77 77 -8
Socialist Party of Austria (Sozialistische Partei Österreichs) 1,623,524 +188,626 38.71 -5.89 67 -9
Electoral Party of Independents (Wahlpartei der Unabhängigen) 489,273 * 11.67 * 16 *
Communist Party of Austria and Left Socialists (Kommunistische Partei Österreichs und Linkssozialisten) 213,066 +48,809 5.08 -0.34 5 +1
Democratic Union (Demokratische Union) 12,059 * 0.28 * 0 *
Vierte Partei (Fourth Party) 7,134 * 0.17 * 0 *
Democratic Front of the Working People (Demokraticna fronta delovnegna ljudstva ) 2,088 * 0.05 * 0 *
Democratic Party of Austria 5 * 0.0 * 0 *
Economic Party of House and Property Owners 3 * 0.0 * 0 *
Austrian Patriotic Party 0 * 0.0 * 0 *
Invalid/blank votes56,883–––––
Total (turnout 96.8%) 4,250,616 100.0 165
Notes: * Did not stand in previous election
Source: Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010). Elections in Europe: A data handbook. p. 213.
Popular vote
ÖVP
 
 44.03%
SPÖ
 
 38.71%
VdU
 
 11.67%
KuL
 
 5.08%
Other
 
 0.51%
Parliamentary seats
ÖVP
 
 46.67%
SPÖ
 
 40.61%
VdU
 
 9.70%
KuL
 
 3.03%

References
  1. Documentation Archive of Austrian Resistance: The Development of Right-Wing Extremism After 1945 Archived January 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 19 May 2010
  2. Austrian Chancellery - Austrian Cabinets since 1945 Archived 2013-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 19 May 2010


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