Ministry of the Interior (Austria)

In Austria, the Ministry of the Interior (German: Bundesministerium für Inneres, colloquially Innenministerium, abbreviated: BM.I) is a federal government agency serving as the interior ministry of the Austrian government. It is chiefly responsible for the public security, but also deals with matters relating to citizenship, elections, referendums, plebiscites and the alternative civilian service. The Ministry of the Interior is considered one of the most important ministries in Austria

Federal Ministry of the Interior
Bundesministerium für Inneres
Agency overview
Formed1848 (1848) as Imperial and Royal Ministry of the Interior
Preceding agency
JurisdictionGovernment of Austria
StatusHighest federal authority
HeadquartersPalais Modena
Innere Stadt, Vienna
48°12′33″N 16°21′57″E
Annual budget€2.850 billion (2019)[1]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Child agencies
Websitewww.bmi.gv.at

It operates and oversees the vast majority of the country's law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Police, the Criminal Police Office (BKA), the Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN), the Bureau for Anticorruption (BAK), the Cobra Mission Command (EKO Cobra), the Aerial Police Force, and the Special Observatory Unit (SEO). The Directorate General for the Public Security, which is primarily made up of career law enforcement officers, serves as the professional governing body of all these agencies, except for the BAK. Federal law enforcement agencies outside of the ministry's control include the Military Police, the Fiscal Police, and the Judiciary Guard.

The Palais Modena is the ministry's central headquarters, it is situated in the centre of Austria's capital Vienna.

History

The Ministry was originally created as "Imperial and Royal Ministry of the Interior", serving as the empire-wide interior ministry for Austria-Hungary. It was succeeded by the "state office of the Interior" (Staatsamt des Innern) of the First Republic in 1918, and later renamed into "Federal Ministry of the Interior". After the dissolution of Nazi Germany in 1945 the Ministry was reestablished into its current form.

Until 1848 internal affairs of the country was under the responsibility of the Austro-Bohemian Court Chancellery which was established by Empress Maria Theresia.[2] In 1848 the ministry was established with the name of the Ministry of the Interior. Between 1918 and 1920 it was called State Office of the Interior. Then it was merged with the ministry of education and was renamed as State Office and Federal Ministry of the Interior and of Education.[2] The body was integrated into the federal government in 1923.[2] Following World War II it was renamed into its current title, Federal Ministry of the Interior.[2]

Responsibilities

The federal agency on cabinet-level is charged with the matters of public security, citizenship and civil status including legal names, elections, referendums and popular petitions as well as emergency management and the alternative civilian service.

As superior of the Directorate General for Public Security, the Minister for the Interior is in charge of the Federal Police, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism, the EKO Cobra tactical unit as well as of the Federal Criminal Police Office. Beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal Chancellery, the Ministry is also responsible for the matters of the Austrian states and municipalities, foundations and sovereign wealth funds.

Organization

The ministry consists of the minister of the interior, the state secretary, and the general secretary, under whom there are four sections: the presidium, the Directorate General for the Public Security, law, and service and controlling.[3]

Its head and chief executive authority is the Minister of the Interior (Bundesminister), currently Karl Nehammer. Right under the Minister is the General secretary (Generalsekretär), currently Peter Goldgruber, who serves as the agency's head of operations and second-highest-ranking official. The State secretary, currently Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP), could be seen as an overseeing authority (with no direct executive power) for the coalition party that hasn't obtained the minister post. The ministry is one of the few, that has a cabinet chief (Kabinettchef), he serves as chief of staff to the minister.

See also

References
  1. "Bundesfinanzgesetz 2019" (PDF).
  2. Mario Muigg (2009) The Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior in the 20th century SIAK Journal (3) Retrieved 20 October 2013
  3. "Geschäftseinteilung". www.bmi.gv.at.

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