ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to reconstruct the developments in and dynamics of regional elections in Austria since the mid-1980s and to relate them to electoral behavior on the federal level. One of the crucial characteristics of a federal state is the more or less developed sovereignty of its sub-entities. In a properly defined polity framework, these sub-entities can act autonomously, and—contrary to decentralized states—their political elites must regularly face general elections. Emerging problems can be identified very quickly, and communication between the political elites is dense which eases negotiation and facilitates consensus. Political elites are well aware of the fact "that beyond the short periods of open competition, criticism, struggle over ideas, arguments and voters, they have to return to consensual decision making, compromise in acting and communication." Due to intra-party conflicts about credibility and the political agenda, the Freiheitliche Partei Osterreichs (FPO, Austrian Freedom Party) faced serious tensions, culminating in the so-called "Knittelfeld event."
