1900–1901 Cisleithanian legislative election

Legislative elections to elect the members of the 10th Imperial Council were held in Cisleithania, the northern and western ("Austrian") crown lands of Austria-Hungary, from December 12, 1900 to January 18, 1901.[1]

Cisleithanian Imperial Council election, 1900–01

← 1897 12 December 1900 to 18 January 1901 1907 →

All 425 seats in the Imperial Council
213 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Otto Steinwender Karel Kramář
Party DVP NSS PPK
Alliance Association of German People's Parties Bohemian Club Poland Club
Leader since 1896 1897
Last election 31 seats, 4.53% 53 seats, 6.09% 46 seats, 2.47%
Seats won 51 50 49
Seat change Increase 20 Decrease 3 Increase 3
Popular vote 70,540 60,919 25,381
Percentage 6.56% 5.66% 2.36%
Swing Increase 2.03% Decrease 0.43% Decrease 0.11%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Josef Maria Baernreither
Party DLVP VSGGB DKKP
Alliance German Progressive Union Union of Constitutionalist Landowners Centre Club
Leader since 1885
Last election 50 seats, 7.79% 23 seats, 0.23% 14 seats, 0.67%
Seats won 35 29 28
Seat change Decrease 15 Increase 6 Increase 14
Popular vote 75,190 2,257 8,037
Percentage 7.19% 0.23% 0.80%
Swing Decrease 0.60% Steady Increase 0.13%

Minister-President of Cisleithania before election

Ernest von Koerber

Elected Minister-President of Cisleithania

Ernest von Koerber

Electoral system

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The elections were held according to the parameters set in 1896 Badeni electoral reform which classified voters according to their status and wealth into five curiae:

  1. Landowners (85 seats)
  2. Trade and industry chambers (21 seats)
  3. Large and medium farmers (129 seats)
  4. Male city residents who were annually paying at least 5 guilders worth of taxes (118 seats)
  5. All men older than 24 (72 seats)

The votes for the Farming and Men over 24 curiae were also classified into 2 different categories, direct votes and electoral votes. Electoral votes carried a lot more weight than direct votes, and so the parties that won these seats generally did not get seats based on their total vote counts.

Only 6% of the adult population of Cisleithania had a right to vote. Voting took place in stages, with the last elections being held in 1st curiae in Lower Austria.[2]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Croatian Nation
Croatian National Party3,6950.346+4
Party of Rights5280.053New
Croatian Clerical Party3780.040New
Croatian Radical Party140.000–3
Czech Nation
Young Czech Party60,9195.6650–3
Czech National Social Party5,4040.505New
Czech National Party4,6750.432+2
Czech Radical Party2,2710.210New
Czech Compromise Candidates1,8900.181–3
Czech Clerical Party1,5410.142New
Common-Czechs Party1,4110.130New
Bohemian Agrarian Party1,0040.092New
Czech Radical Constitutionalist Party6660.060New
Czech Radical Progressive Party6010.060New
Czech Independents4280.040New
Czech Trading Party4000.040New
Christian Reform Party1770.020New
Old Czech Party420.0000
German Nation
Christian Social and Anti-Semitic Party295,35427.4525–14
Social Democratic Party251,65223.3911–3
German-National Party78,9417.3422+10
German Liberal and Constitutional Party75,1906.9935–15
German People's Party70,5406.5651+20
German Clerical and Conservative Party8,0390.7528+14
Social Politicians5,0420.4710
Agrarian Party3,0960.293+2
Catholic People’s Party2,2920.210–5
German Farmers' Party1,2750.121+1
Clerical Independents6220.060New
Catholic Conservative Party5990.060–14
Italian Nation
Italian Liberal Party21,1071.9612–2
Italian Conservative Party2,2140.213+2
Italian Autonomist Party1,0950.1000
Italian Radical Party1,0560.102New
Italian Clerical Party4500.040–4
Italian Democratic Party250.000New
Landowner Candidates
Constitutionalist Landowners2,2570.2129+6
Conservative Landowners8960.084–5
Bohemian Centre Party–Moravian Centre Party5120.054+1
Bohemian Conservative Landowners3350.03190
Polish-Armenian Landowners810.011New
Polish Nation
Polish Conservative Party25,3812.3649+3
Polish Democratic Party9,3400.8760
Polish Anti-Semitic Party6,7200.626New
Polish Liberal Party5,6210.523–2
Polish National Party3,2820.311New
Polish People's Party2,7440.264+1
Polish Radical Party8540.0810
Polish Farmers' Party6560.060New
Polish Clerical Party110.000–1
Romanian Nation
Old Romanian Party7240.0750
Conservative Romanian Party3470.030New
Young Romanian Party2740.030New
Moderate Romanian Party1980.020New
Romanian People's Party250.000New
Radical Romanian Party140.000New
Ruthenian Nation
Ruthenian Radical Party4,4070.412+1
Old Ruthenian Party1,3610.133+2
Ruthenian Moderate Party1,3500.1330
National Ruthenian Party5050.0500
Young Ruthenian Party4620.041–5
Ruthenian People’s Party2770.0300
Moderate Young Ruthenian Independents2200.020New
Conservative Ruthenian Party1290.0100
Serbian Nation
Serb People's Party1860.0220
Slovenian Nation
Slovenian Clerical Party56,8955.2911+3
Slovenian Liberal Party20,4921.905+2
Slovenian National Party10,9891.020–2
Slovenian Progressive Agrarian Party1,6490.150New
Slovenian Conservative Party5570.050–2
Slovenian Christian Social Party1710.020New
Slovenian Pro-German Party470.000New
Other
Independents3,4780.3210
Unknown/split votes7,9040.73
Total1,075,984100.004250
Source: ANNO 1907 & ANNO 1901

By parliamentary grouping

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The largest groups after the election were the Polish Club, the Young Czech Party and the German People's Party, which together had 164 seats.[3]

The elections did not significantly alter relations in the Imperial Council and maintained the highly fragmented political spectrum. The Young Czech Party saw some weakening due to the formation of independent political parties such as Czech Agrarian Party and the Czech National Social Party. Czech National Socials represented a new trend in voter preferences, strengthening the nationalist forces. Significantly, they succeed Pan-German Association.[clarification needed] These elections led to the weakening of the social democratic parties, with the Social Democrats gaining only 10 seats.[4]

Compared with previous elections, turnout fell. In the 5th curia, under 30% of eligible voters voted. Historian Otto Urban interprets this as a result of the declining influence of the Council in Austrian political life. At the same time it was a more general change of attitude towards the elected legislative bodies.[5]

The elections had no impact on the Government because the Cabinet of Ernest von Koerber had a mandate from its election in 1900 until 1904.

In early February 1901, the Imperial Council had 20 political groups:[6][7]

PartySeats+/–
Poland Club65+6
Bohemian Club44–16
Association of German People's Parties42+1
Union of Constitutionalist Landowners300
Centre Club29+23
German Progressive Union27–16
Christian Social Union25–1
Slavic Association25New
Group of Bohemian Conservative Landowners190
Italian Union18New
Association of Social Democrats11–4
German Agrarian Parties9New
Free Association of Pan-Germans8New
Ruthenian Club8New
Union of Unaligned Bohemians8New
Club of Bohemian Agrarians6New
Yugoslavian Progressive Club6New
Polish People's Parties5+2
Romanian Club50
Moravian Center Parties3New
Independents32+15
Total4250
Source: ANNO

References

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  1. ^ Československé dějiny v datech. Prag : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 327–328. (in Czech)
  2. ^ Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848–1918. Prag : Svoboda, 1982. p. 510–511. (in Czech)
  3. ^ Československé dějiny v datech. Prag : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 328. (in Czech)
  4. ^ Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848-1918. Praha : Svoboda, 1982. p. 510-511. (in Czech)
  5. ^ Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848-1918. Praha : Svoboda, 1982. p. 511. (in Czech)
  6. ^ Marjan Diklić: Dvije pobjede don Ive Prodana na izborima za Carevinsko vijeće u Beču, Rad. Zavoda povij. znan. HAZU Zadru, sv. 45/2003., p. 388 (in Croatian)
  7. ^ Československé dějiny v datech. Prag : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 327–328. (in Czech)