1907 Cisleithanian legislative election

Legislative elections were held in Cisleithania, the northern and western ("Austrian") crown lands of Austria-Hungary, on 14 and 23 May 1907 to elect the members of the 11th Imperial Council.[1][2] They were the first elections held under universal male suffrage, after an electoral reform abolishing tax paying requirements for voters had been adopted by the Council and was endorsed by Emperor Franz Joseph earlier in the year.[3][4] However, seat allocations were based on tax revenues from the States.[3]

1907 Cisleithanian Imperial Council election

← 1901 14 & 23 May 1907 1911 →

All 516 seats in the Imperial Council
259 seats needed for a majority
Turnout4,676,350 (84.60%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Karl Lueger Victor Adler
Party CS SDAP DKP
Alliance Christian Social Union Club of German Social Democrats Christian Social Union
Leader since 1893 1 January 1889
Last election 25 seats, 27.45% 12 seats, 23.39% 28 seats, 0.80%
Seats won 65 50 31
Seat change Increase 40 Increase 38 Increase 3
Popular vote 542,505 513,219 193,753
Percentage 11.73% 11.12% 4.20%
Swing Decrease 15.72% Decrease 12.27% Increase 3.40%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Otto Steinwender Josef Žďárský Antonín Němec
Party DVP RSZML ČSSD
Alliance German National Association Club of Bohemian Agrarians Club of Bohemian Social Democrats
Leader since 1896 1905 1904
Last election 51 seats, 6.56% 2 seats, 0.09% Stood With SDAP
Seats won 29 27 23
Seat change Decrease 22 Increase 25 New
Popular vote 131,474 206,784 389,960
Percentage 2.85% 4.48% 8.45%
Swing Decrease 3.71% Increase 4.39% Increase 8.45%

Minister-President of Cisleithania before election

Max Wladimir von Beck
Independent

Elected Minister-President of Cisleithania

Max Wladimir von Beck
Independent

Opening session of the House of Deputies, 17 June 1907

Electoral system

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Under the shadow of the Russian Revolution of 1905 and large-scale demonstrations organized by the Social Democrats, the emperor to placate the public had a reform of the former five-class suffrage system, drafted by Minister-President Paul Gautsch von Frankenthurn. His successor, Baron Max Wladimir von Beck, pushed it through against fierce resistance from the Austrian House of Lords and the heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Elections in the constituencies of "the Kingdoms and Lands represented in the Imperial Council" were held according to a two-round system. If no candidate received the required absolute majority on May 14, only the two candidates receiving the most votes survived to the second round. on May 23. The 516 representatives of the constituent crown lands were thus elected, 130 from Bohemia, 106 from Galicia, 64 from Lower Austria and 49 from Moravia. The numerous political associations were again split according to ethnicity ("nations"), with a result that no government could ever rely on a stable majority.

Results

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The right-wing Christian Social Party emerged as the largest bloc in Parliament, holding 95 of the 516 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria with 50 seats. The former won most rural constituencies in Upper and Lower Austria, Styria, Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg). It also achieved the majority in the capital, Vienna, benefiting from the popularity of the Christian Social mayor, Karl Lueger. In the German constituencies of Bohemia and Moravia and in Carinthia, the German national parties (German People's Party etc.) did well. The Social Democrats had their strongholds in the cities other than Vienna: Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Brno and Linz.

Voter turnout was 84.6%.[5]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Croatian Nation
Croatian National Party23,4820.512–4
Party of Rights16,0130.352–1
People's Party (Anti-Resolutionist)15,6830.342New
People's Party (Resolutionist)15,2830.334New
Croatian Independents6,3730.141New
People's Party (Democratic)4,4410.100New
Croatian and Slovenian Nation
Slavic Social Democratic Party10,5180.231New
Czech Nation
Social Democratic Party389,9608.4523New
Czech Agrarian Party206,7844.4827+25
Catholic-National Conservative Parties in Bohemia and Moravia182,5003.9510New
Christian Social Party in Bohemia and Moravia7+5
Young Czech Party116,5242.5221–29
Czech National Social Party75,1011.636+2
Old Czech Party32,2240.705+5
Czech Independents15,9520.352+2
Czech Realist Party14,7040.322New
Czech Paper Candidates14,3390.310New
Czech Radical Progressive Party9,8990.212+2
Czech National Party9,8280.211–1
Czech Progressive Constitutionalist Party7,8790.171+1
German Nation
Christian Social Party542,50511.7565+40
Social Democratic Party513,21911.1150+38
German Conservative Party193,7534.2031+3
Agrarian Party132,9782.8819+16
German People's Party131,4742.8529–22
German Progressive Party103,3152.2419–15
Free German Party70,5641.5313New
Pan-German Association20,6930.452New
Upper Austrian Farmers' Club15,2830.330New
German-National Party10,4570.230–22
Officials’ Party5,7010.120New
Free Socialists5,2890.111New
German Conservative Farmers' Party4,9470.1100
Independent German Radicals4,5690.102New
Independent Pan-Germans3,6590.080New
German Workers' Party3,4860.080New
German-Christian Party3,2860.070New
German Independents2,8060.0600
Social Politicians2,3860.0510
Tiroler Volksbund1,1130.020New
Radical Party7850.020New
Central Industrial Committee1500.000New
Italian Nation
Trentino People's Party40,9430.897New
Italian National-Liberal Party27,7230.603–9
Italian Social Democratic Party19,9180.435New
Italian-National Party9,6730.211–1
Italian Clerical Party9,5990.212+2
Italian Christian Social Party8,9770.191New
Italian Independents4,0080.090New
Italian Liberal Farmers' Association1,0650.020New
Jewish Candidates
Jewish National Party31,9410.694New
Polish Nation
Polish People's Party165,9803.5916+12
Polish Conservative Party131,5402.8515–39
Polish Centre Party108,2472.3414New
Polish National Democratic Party104,5442.2614+11
Polish Social Democratic Party65,0571.416New
Polish Democratic Party45,9420.9911+5
Polish Christian Social Party11,2100.2410
Independent Socialists8,0220.171New
Polish Agrarian Party4,9710.1100
Polish National Party3,6750.080–1
Polish Progressive Democratic Party1,6840.0410
Romanian Nation
Romanian National (Defense) Party31,6740.693–2
Romanian National (Democratic) Party15,1950.331New
Romanian Independents4,6550.101New
Romanian Social Democratic Party8230.020New
Ruthenian Nation
Ukrainian National Democratic Party–Young Ruthenian Party304,4106.5920+19
Russian National Party162,6633.525+2
Ukrainian Radical Party105,1182.285+3
Ukrainian Social Democratic Party27,9780.612New
Serbian Nation
Serb People's Party7,8080.1720
Serbian Independents3,9750.090New
Slovenian Nation
Slovene Clerical Party48,4311.058–3
Slovene People's Party48,1751.0410New
Slovene Liberal Party23,2920.503–2
Slovenian National Party16,8300.362+2
Slovene Social Democratic Party13,1890.290New
Slovenian National-Progressive Party10,9210.241New
Slovenian Pro-German Party6,0010.1300
Slovenian Agrarian Party1,3090.0300
Slovenian Independents8730.020New
Unknown or split
Unknown or split votes39,4160.85
Total4,617,360100.00516+91
Valid votes4,617,36098.74
Invalid/blank votes58,9901.26
Total votes4,676,350100.00
Registered voters/turnout5,526,20384.62
Source: ANNO

By parliamentary grouping

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PartySeats+/–
Christian Social Union96+71
Poland Club55–10
German National Association51New
Club of German Social Democrats50+39
Club of Bohemian Agrarians30+24
Bohemian Club25–19
Ruthenian Club25+17
Club of Bohemian Social Democrats24New
Association of Yugoslavians20–5
Catholic-National Party17New
Slovenian Club17New
Polish People’s Party16+11
German Progressive Union15–12
German Radical Group13New
Bohemian National Social Club11New
Italian People’s Party10New
Club of Polish Social Democrats6New
Group of Italian Social Democrats5New
Romanian Club5Steady
Club of Liberal Italians4New
Jewish Club4New
Pan-German Group3–5
Representation of Ruthenian-Ukrainian Social Democrats2New
Independents12–20
Total516+91
Source: ANNO

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p196 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Howe, Philip J.; Szöcsik, Edina; Zuber, Christina I. (2021). "Nationalism, Class, and Status: How Nationalists Use Policy Offers and Group Appeals to Attract a New Electorate". Comparative Political Studies. doi:10.1177/00104140211036033. ISSN 0010-4140.
  3. ^ a b Nohlen & Stöver, p184
  4. ^ Jenks, William Alexander (1950). The Austrian Electoral Reform of 1907. Columbia University Press. doi:10.7312/jenk93108/html. ISBN 978-0-231-89205-6.
  5. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p209