Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). The ÖVP is a christian democratic party and Austria’s main party of the centre-right. It is broadly similar to Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union in Germany, though more Catholic and less conservative. The party traces its lineage back to the pre-war Christian Social Party founded in 1891. The party has traditionally been the most pro-European of Austria’s main political parties being resolutely committed to European integration.
In the immediate post-war era the ÖVP was Austria’s dominant party but it was eclipsed by the Social Democrats in 1970. From 1999 until 2006 it governed with the Freedom Party, and then, briefly, its splinter party, the Alliance for the Future of Austria. The ÖVP had the worst election result in its history in 2008, and then again in 2013 though it remained in second due to an increasingly fragmented party system.
The ÖVP is a member of the European People’s Party. According to Votewatch.eu the ÖVP has voted alongside its fellow EPP parties 94.8% of the time in this parliament, making it slightly more loyal than average amongst EPP member parties.
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