ABSTRACT
The analysis first looks back at the nationalisation process and at earlier attempts at privatisation. Then it singles out three central and inter-related factors that have made privatisation an issue in the 1980s: it is argued that waning economic success, increasing doubts about ‘Austro-Keynesian’ macro-economic policy and, above all, the poor performance of nationalised industries were relevant. In a third section it examines the development of the programmes and policy proposals of the two big parties, showing that privatisation was not demanded by the People’s Party before 1985 and by the Social Democrats before 1986. Then the ‘practice of privatisation’, that is, the agreed government plans, is described and an interim report of its progress until the beginning of 1988 is given. Finally, the study deals with the impact of privatisation on the distribution of social power in Austria.
