1933: Destruction of the Parliamentary System

From 1932 it became obvious that the Nazis were becoming very popular and that the government had lost its majority in elections. A breakdown of the National Council’s standing orders occurred at an opportune moment, allowing the Engelbert Dollfuss government to renounce the parliamentary system.

The question of how to proceed with a railway workers’ strike is what led to a turbulent discussion on March 4, 1933 and then to unclear votes in the parliament. During the session, the three presidents of the National Council – Karl Renner, Rudolf Ramek and Sepp Straffner – resigned, a situation that was not stipulated in the standing orders of that time. Parliament no longer had the necessary number of people for passing a resolution. No one was authorised to convene a next session. Dollfuss spoke of a “self-elimination” of the parliament and consequently prevented, even by force of arms, the delegates of the National Council from reconvening. He also paralysed the constitutional court by the resignation of the members from the ruling party. The Federal President remained inactive and the legal coup d’état was completed.