Public affairs consultancy in Vienna
Vienna decides what applies across Austria.
Advice from the political centre of Austria, a short walk from parliament and the ministries.
What it is about
Austria is a small country with short distances, and that is exactly what makes public affairs demanding here: open the wrong door first and the issue is burned before it has been discussed.
The relevant addresses in Vienna sit close together: the two chambers of parliament, the ministries, the social partners, the regulators and the interest groups. That density is an advantage as long as the sequence is right. A case that surfaces in a parliamentary club office before the responsible desk officer knows about it reads as circumvention.
Added to that is the Austrian particularity of social partnership. The economic chamber, the chamber of labour, the trade union federation and the federation of industry effectively co-decide many files, although formally they only comment. Anyone who involves them first during the consultation stage has already missed the moment that counts.
The points that decide
Parliament and committees
Legislative text is rarely changed in plenary, but in committee and in the parliamentary clubs beforehand.
Ministries and desk officers
The draft is written in the department. Anyone unknown there is left commenting afterwards.
Social partners
A position that the relevant chamber does not carry has a hard time in Austria.
Vienna city and provincial level
Vienna is a city and a province at once. On location, transport and energy files both levels count.
How we work on it
Stakeholder & Network
Simply "knowing" people adds nothing. Robust relationships of trust with decision-makers do.
High-Level Strategy & Campaigning
A business strategy becomes a communications programme that reaches its goals faster.
Professional Analysis & Monitoring
Curated monitoring of initiatives, draft legislation and public debate - assessed against your business goals.
Frequently asked
Is lobbying in Vienna subject to registration?
Yes. The Austrian Lobbying and Interest Representation Transparency Act requires lobbying firms to register with the Federal Ministry of Justice. Firms and their lobbyists are listed, together with turnover from lobbying activity and a code of conduct under section 7 of the Act.
How long does an Austrian legislative procedure take?
From departmental work to publication usually takes six to eighteen months. The formal consultation period is typically four to six weeks. Anyone appearing only then can comment but barely shape anything: the real room to influence lies in the months before.
Related focus areas
Public affairs Austria
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Open pagePublic affairs Brussels
Advice at the Commission, Parliament and Council from an office on Avenue Louise, coordinated with the national work in Vienna.
Open pageGovernment relations
Building and maintaining dependable contacts in ministries, authorities, parliament and institutions, independent of day to day business.
Open page
Facing an issue in this sector?
A first conversation usually settles quickly whether and how we can help.