Social Democratic Party of Austria
Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs |
|
---|---|
Abbreviation | SPÖ |
Chairman | Christian Kern |
Founded | 1 January 1889 (as SDAPÖ) 14 April 1945 (as SPÖ) |
Preceded by | Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria |
Headquarters | Löwelstraße 18 A-1014 Vienna |
Youth wing | Young Generation |
Ideology |
Social democracy Progressivism |
Political position | Centre-left |
European affiliation | Party of European Socialists |
International affiliation |
Progressive Alliance, Socialist International |
European Parliament group | Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats |
Colours | Red |
National Council: |
52 / 183
|
Federal Council: |
20 / 61
|
European Parliament: |
5 / 18
|
Website | |
spoe.at | |
The Social Democratic Party of Austria (German: Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ) is a social-democraticpolitical party in Austria. It succeeds Austria's original Social Democratic Party (German: Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs, SDAPÖ). The SPÖ has ties to the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK). Currently, the largest party in the National Council and second largest in the Federal Council, the SPÖ forms the federal government in coalition with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). The SPÖ's Chairman is Christian Kern who became Chancellor of Austria on 17 May 2016.
Socialist and worker's movements and associations had already started to form in Austria by the mid-19th century. The party's first meeting took place in 1874 in Neudörfl in what later became Burgenland. The following years saw factional infighting, and the party split into moderate and more radical factions.
It was united in 1889 as the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (German: Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs, SDAPÖ) through the work of Doctor Victor Adler. At the party congress in Hainfeld, the party decided to accept Adler's Declaration of Principles on 30 December 1888. 1 January 1889 is therefore considered the party's founding date. On 12 July 1889 the first issue of the party newspaper the Arbeiter-Zeitung was printed. Initially close to Marxism, the party continued to grow especially in Vienna and the industrial areas of Bohemia, Moravia, Styria, Lower Austria and Upper Austria.