thumb|Party membership of parties in Austria, since 1945 The People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, or ÖVP, since rebranded Die Neue Volkspartei) was founded by leaders of the former Christian Social Party in 1945 as a conservative/Centre-right party with loose ties to the Catholic Church.countrystudies.us - Austrian People's Party. Retrieved 22 May 2010. Between 1945 and 1970 it provided the Chancellor of Austria and since 1987 it has continuously been in government, its leader Wolfgang Schüssel serving as Chancellor between 2000 and 2007. It finds support from farmers, large and small business owners, and lay Catholic groups, but also from voters without party affiliation, with strongholds in the rural regions of Austria. In the nationwide elections in 2008 it finished second with 26% of the vote, the worst result in the party's history.Austria's right hails poll result, BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2010 Since 1991 the party is a member of the European People's Party.
thumb|Party membership of parties in Austria, since 1945 The Peopl!e's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, or ÖVP, since rebranded Die Neue Volkspartei) was founded by leaders of the former Christian Social Party in 1945 as a conservative/Centre-right party with loose ties to the Catholic Church.countrystudies.us - Austrian People's Party. Retrieved 22 May 2010. Between 1945 and 1970 it provided the Chancellor of Austria and since 1987 it has continuously been in government, its leader Wolfgang Schüssel serving as Chancellor between 2000 and 2007. It finds support from farmers, large and small business owners, and lay Catholic groups, but also from voters without party affiliation, with strongholds in the rural regions of Austria. In the nationwide elections in 2008 it finished second with 26% of the vote, the worst result in the party's history.Austria's right hails poll result, BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2010 Since 1991 the party is a member of the European People's Party.