Austria

=== Independence ===
On 15 May 1955, after talks which lasted for years and were influenced by the [[Cold War]] Austria regained full independence by concluding the [[Austrian State Treaty]] with the allies of World War II. On 26 October 1955 all occupation troops had left and Austria declared its ''permanent neutrality'' by an act of parliament.<ref name="johnson 153">Lonnie Johnson 153</ref> This day is now Austria's [[National Day]], a public holiday.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Austrian National Day |url=https://www.austria.org/national-day |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025070927/https://www.austria.org/national-day |archive-date=25 October 2018 |access-date=24 October 2018 |publisher=Austrian Embassy, Washington |language=en-US }}</ref>

The status of [[Tyrol]] is a lingering problem between Austria and [[Italy]]. To this day, there are 20 different squares in Austrian cities called "Südtiroler Platz" (South Tyrolean Square) in memory of the supposed loss of the Austrian territories. Riots by the [[South Tyrolean independence movement]] have been documented in the 1950s and 1960s. A great degree of autonomy was granted to Tyrol by the Italian national government.

[[File:Tratado de Lisboa 13 12 2007 (081).jpg|thumb|right|Austria joined the [[European Union]] in 1995 and signed the [[Lisbon Treaty]] in 2007]]
The political system of the [[Second Austrian Republic|Second Republic]] is based on the constitution of 1920 and 1929, which was reintroduced in 1945. The system came to be characterised by ''[[Proporz]]'', whereby most posts of political importance were split proportionately between members of the [[Social Democratic Party of Austria]] (SPÖ) and the [[Austrian People's Party]] (ÖVP).<ref>Lonnie Johnson 139</ref> Interest group "chambers" with mandatory membership (e.g. for workers, business people, farmers) grew to considerable importance and were usually consulted in the legislative process, so hardly any legislation was passed that did not reflect widespread consensus.<ref>Lonnie Johnson 165</ref>

Since 1945, governing via a single-party government has occurred twice: 1966–1970 (ÖVP) and 1970-1983 (SPÖ). During all other legislative periods, either a [[grand coalition]] of SPÖ and ÖVP or a "small coalition" (one of these two and a smaller party) ruled the country.

[[Kurt Waldheim]], the former secretary-general of the [[United Nations]], was elected President of Austria from 1986 to 1992. He had been a Wehrmacht officer in the Second World War and was [[Austria — the Nazis' first victim#Waldheim Affair|accused of war crimes]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kurt Waldheim {{!}} president of Austria and secretary-general of the United Nations |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kurt-Waldheim |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926052356/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kurt-Waldheim |archive-date=26 September 2018 |access-date=25 September 2018 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en }}</ref>

Following a [[1994 Austrian European Union membership referendum|referendum in 1994]], at which consent reached a majority of two-thirds, the country became a member of the [[European Union]] on 1 January 1995.<ref>Brook-Shepherd 447,449</ref>

The major parties SPÖ and ÖVP have contrary opinions about the future status of Austria's military nonalignment: While the SPÖ in public supports a neutral role, the ÖVP argues for stronger integration into the EU's security policy; even a future NATO membership is not ruled out by some ÖVP politicians (ex. Werner Fasslabend (ÖVP) in 1997).{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} In reality, Austria is taking part in the EU's [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]], participates in [[peacekeeping]] and peace creating tasks, and has become a member of [[NATO]]'s "[[Partnership for Peace]]"; the constitution has been amended accordingly.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=North Atlantic Treaty Organization |title=Signatures of Partnership for Peace Framework Document |date=October 5, 2006 |url=http://www.nato.int/pfp/sig-cntr.htm |access-date=February 17, 2024 |archive-date=29 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129213256/http://www.nato.int/pfp/sig-cntr.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Since [[Liechtenstein]] joined the [[Schengen Area]] in 2011, none of Austria's neighbouring countries performs border controls towards it anymore.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press corner |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_11_1566 |website=European Commission – European Commission |language=en |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=4 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204100203/https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_11_1566 |url-status=live }}</ref>