Today, 4 March, commemorates the deposition of parliament by the Dolfuss government in 1933. 90 years later, a poll by opinion research institute SORA for the ORF shows that 80 percent of Austrians are convinced that democracy is the best form of government. In general, this belief is as widespread as it was in 2007, but then it was stronger. And the idea of the “strong leader” is less likely to be rejected. 22 percent think they should have one.
The “full” endorsement of democracy as the best form of government was a lot lower at 54 percent in the January survey of 1,005 people over the age of 16 living in Austria, by phone and online. In a comparable survey in 2007, 62 percent agreed ‘totally’.
22 percent want a “strong leader”
As an alternative form of government, a government of experts comes first: with 47 percent, it was approved by almost half. But at least 22 percent think you should have a strong leader who doesn’t have to worry about parliament and elections. According to SORA, what is striking compared to 2007 is that rejection has decreased: 16 years ago, 61 percent of people rejected a ‘strong leader’ ‘totally’, now it is 46 percent.
However, the study clearly showed that when people have to choose directly between two forms of government, parliamentary democracy wins. A bipartisan government of the brightest minds came closest (36 percent to 49 for democracy). Democracy won 63-21 against a government of experienced managers. The decision between the climate government, which can act without parliament, and the existing system was 17:71 in favor of democracy. The vote between democracy (78 percent) and a temporary dictatorship (11 percent) was even more pronounced.
Great desire for more participation
However, there is a great desire for more citizen participation. In the comparison of parliamentary democracy and the more direct democracy based on the Swiss model, the latter won by 63 to 26 percent.
However, the principles of democracy are hardly in question, even for those people who can imagine autocratic or authoritarian systems of government. The vast majority (60 to 80 percent) of them also rejected the idea that only a leader should be able to decide whether to hold elections, parliamentary powers, laws, court decisions or media coverage.
According to SORA, a total of five attitude patterns can be distinguished: The predominant one – around 40 percent – is that of “satisfied democrats”, for whom participation on the Swiss model is the only option to supplement the current system. Ten percent showed authoritarian patterns: democracy equates to a “strong leader” or a military government, and they vote unanimously for a “temporary dictatorship that will lead us out of the current crises in the next two years.”
87 percent of Austrians like to live in a democracy
In between, the pollsters identified 25 percent as disgruntled democrats (who tend towards expert government), another 11 percent as extra-parliamentary climate defenders (who bypass parliament for autocratic decisions when it comes to climate protection), and 14 percent with a diffuse (anti-)democratic stance. cartridge.
However, across all patterns, 87 percent of people in Austria were happy to live in a democracy – even those with vague (anti)democratic attitudes accounted for 81 percent and still two-thirds for those with authoritarian attitudes. Should democracy be attacked, 79 percent said they would be prepared to defend themselves.
Such an attack was commemorated 90 years ago on Saturday. On March 4, 1933, the entire Presidency of the National Council resigned after a dispute over the dropout of votes. The government of the Christian Social Party Engelbert Dollfuss took advantage of the situation to set up a dictatorship, which culminated in 1934 in the civil war with the Social Democrats and the establishment of the authoritarian “corporate state”.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
