1897 Cisleithanian legislative election

Legislative elections to elect the members of the ninth Imperial Council were held in March 1897 in Cisleithania, the northern and western ("Austrian") crown lands of Austria-Hungary. These elections were first in Cisleithania held under the curial system with universal, but still not equal, suffrage.[1]

1897 Cisleithanian Imperial Council election

March 1897
All 425 seats in the Imperial Council 213 seats needed for a majority
Leader Josef Kaizl Party NSS DLVP PKK Alliance Bohemian Club German Progressive Parties Poland Club Leader since 1895 Last election 9.15% 32.81% 11.62% Seats won 53 50 46 Popular vote 64,546 81,291 26,161 Percentage 6.09% 7.79% 2.46% Swing 3.06% 25.02% 9.16%   Leader Karl Lueger Otto Steinwender Josef Maria Baernreither Party CS DVP VSGGB Alliance Christian Social Union Association of German People's Parties Union of Constitutionalist Landowners Leader since 1893 1896 1885 Last election 12.60% New 0.78% Seats won 39 31 23 Popular vote 372,395 48,000 2,288 Percentage 35.15% 4.53% 0.23% Swing 22.55% 4.53% 0.55%
Minister-President of Cisleithania before election Kasimir Felix Badeni FP Elected Minister-President of Cisleithania Kasimir Felix Badeni FP

Badeni electoral reform

Count Kasimir Felix Badeni had led the Cisleithanian government since 1895. In February 1896, the government submitted a proposal for fundamental reform of the electoral system. The so-called Badeni electoral reform kept the curial electoral system, but in addition to four existing curiae (landowners, trade and industry chambers, large and medium farmers, and male city residents who were annually paying at least 10 guilders of taxes), the fifth, general curiae, was added. While voting rights were limited in the four original curiae (fiscally defined, therefore, allowing voting to only those who have paid taxes on prescribed minimum amount), the fifth curia included all men older than 24. In May 1896, Badeni electoral reform was approved by the Imperial Council.[2]

Results

Voting took place in several stages during March 1897, with the last elections being held in the fifth curiae on March 12, 1897.[3]

The elections significantly changed relations in the Imperial Council, with a strong trend in the degradation of the original dominant German Progressive Party being set. This trend went in favor of the newly founded German People's Party and the Christian Social Party. The elections also brought a further fragmentation of the political scene; the three strongest parliamentary clubs (Young Czechs, Polish Club, and German Progressive Party) had only 168 seats, and the new Imperial Council had 17 parliamentary clubs. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats were still weakening, winning only 15 seats.[4]

Party	Votes	%	Seats
Croatian Nation
Croatian Moderate National Party	3,751	0.36	6
Croatian National Party	1,181	0.11	2
Croatian Radical Party	419	0.04	3
Czech Nation
Young Czech Party	64,546	6.09	53
Old Czech Party	22,769	2.15	0
Czech Compromise Candidates	4,176	0.39	4
Czech People's Party (Young Czech)	2,565	0.24	3
Bohemian Conservative Party	2,369	0.23	1
National Czech Party	1,883	0.18	0
German Nation
Christian Social and Anti-Semitic Party	372,395	35.15	39
Social Democratic Party	245,001	23.13	14
German Liberal and Constitutional Party	81,291	7.79	50
German People's Party	48,000	4.53	31
German-National Party	46,025	4.35	12
Social Politicians	7,874	0.74	1
German Clerical and Conservative Party	7,109	0.67	14
Catholic Conservative Party	4,475	0.42	14
German Clerical Party	2,140	0.20	2
Catholic People’s Party	1,897	0.18	5
German Compromise Candidates	1,548	0.15	1
Officials' Party	1,207	0.11	1
German Farmers' Party	1,157	0.11	0
Agrarian Party	642	0.06	1
German Independents	541	0.05	1
Italian Nation
Italian Liberal Party	25,312	2.39	14
Italian Autonomist Party	1,465	0.14	0
Italian Clerical Party	1,098	0.10	4
Italian Conservative Party	916	0.09	1
Landowner Candidates
Constitutionalist Landowners	2,288	0.23	23
Conservative Landowners	1,089	0.11	9
Bohemian Conservative Landowners	689	0.07	19
Bohemian Centre Party–Moravian Centre Party	346	0.03	3
Polish Nation
Polish Conservative Party	26,161	2.47	46
Polish Radical Party	10,610	1.00	1
Polish Liberal Party	8,792	0.83	5
Polish Democratic Party	8,509	0.80	6
Polish People's Party	6,077	0.57	3
Polish Clerical Party	698	0.06	1
Romanian Nation
Romanian National Party	1,550	0.15	5
Ruthenian Nation
Ruthenian Radical Party	6,020	0.57	1
Young Ruthenian Party	1,816	0.17	6
Ruthenian Moderate Party	1,744	0.17	3
Ruthenian Radical People’s Party	927	0.09	0
Conservative Ruthenian Party	428	0.04	0
Old Ruthenian Party	366	0.03	1
Russophilic Party	287	0.03	0
Serbian Nation
Serb People's Party	183	0.02	2
Slovenian Nation
Slovenian National Party	9,386	0.88	2
Slovenian Liberal Party	2,278	0.21	3
Slovenian Clerical Party	1,984	0.19	8
Slovenian Conservative Party	554	0.05	2
Young Slovenian Party	262	0.02	0
Slovenian Radical Party	122	0.01	0
Unknown & Split Votes
Unknown votes	5,130	0.49	-
Split votes	7,930	0.75	-
Total	1,059,319	100	425
Source: ANNO

Seats

In May 1897, the Imperial Council had 16 political groups and individual parties:

Grouping	Seats
Bohemian Club	60
Poland Club	59
Association of German People's Parties	41
Slavic Christian-National Association	35
German Progressive Parties	33
Club of Catholic People's Parties	31
Union of Constitutional Landowners	30
Christian Social Union	26
Group of Bohemian Conservative Landowners	19
Italian Union	19
Social Democratic Association	15
Free German Union	15
Center Club	6
Polish Christian People's Parties	6
Romanian Club	5
Schönerer's group	5
Polish People's Party	3
Independents	17
Total	425

Aftermath

After the elections, Badeni tried to negotiate with the aim of creating a stable pro-government parliamentary majority. However, he did not consider the German Progressive Party or the radical nationalist Pan-German League, but preferred to try to gain support among conservative German-Austrian politicians, including the liberal German Constitutional Party. After the German Constitutional Party refused to give support to the minority government, Badeni announced on April 2, 1897 that his government would resign, but did not go through with the resignation. Meanwhile, negotiations on forming a government continued. On April 4, a framework agreement was set, effectively restoring the conservative so-called Iron Circle from the 1880s, which consisted of the German Catholic People's Party, the Young Czech Party, the Polish club and the Czech Party of Conservative Landowners. Badeni remained Prime Minister. However, the government did not last long as Badeni resigned on November 28, 1897 under the pressure from the German nationalists over the language regulations.[5]

References

1. Československé dějiny v datech. Praha : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. S. 323-324. (in Czech)
2. Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848-1918. Praha : Svoboda, 1982. p. 450-451. (in Czech)
3. Československé dějiny v datech. Prag : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 324. (in Czech)
4. Československé dějiny v datech. Praha : Svoboda, 1987. ISBN 80-7239-178-X. p. 324. (in Czech)
5. Urban, Otto: Česká společnost 1848-1918. Praha : Svoboda, 1982. p. 458-462. (in Czech)