Nation profile
South Tyrol
Südtirol
General information
Presentation
South Tyrol is an autonomous province of the Italian Republic, one of the two —the other one being Trento— that make up the Autonomous Region of Trentino-South Tyrol. The territory has a German-speaking majority, and is historically and culturally linked to the rest of Tyrol, which is currently one of the states, or Länder, of Austria.
South Tyrol, along with Trentino, was part of the County of Tyrol from the 12th century until 1919, when both territories were transferred to Italy after Austria’s defeat in World War I.
Trentino-South Tyrol received autonomy within Italy in 1947. The South Tyrolean movement —made up of both peaceful and armed organisations— insisted on South Tyrolean self-government during the 1960s. In 1972, much of the autonomous region’s powers were devolved to each of the two provinces that make up the region.
Part of the territory of Ladinia lies within the borders of South Tyrol.
Politics and government
The South Tyrolean autonomy is guaranteed by a bilateral Italian-Austrian deal (Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement of 1946 and Treaty of Paris of 1947), is anchored in Article 6 of the Italian Constitution, and is shaped by the second Statute of Autonomy of South Tyrol, approved in 1972. According to the Statute, the Province of Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol) exercises legislative and executive powers in a number of areas including education, social affairs, roads, housing, public transport, tourism, agriculture, trade, health, sports, and natural parks.
These powers are exercised by the Council or Landtag, which is the legislative chamber of South Tyrol, and the Government or Landesregierung, which is the province’s executive branch.
South Tyrol has its own party system, dominated since the end of World War II by autonomist South Tyrolean People’s Party (Südtiroler Volkspartei, SVP), which places itself at the centre-right of the political spectrum, and claims to represent the interests of the German- and Ladin-speaking South Tyroleans. Several pro-sovereignty or pro-independence parties exist, most notably The Libertarians (Die Freiheitlichen, DF, right to far-right) and South Tyrolean Freedom (Süd-Tiroler Freiheit, SF, right). An autonomist centrist party, Team K (TK), was established in 2018, which claims to seek to overcome parties’ dynamics linked to the furthering of specific language groups.
Governor (president) of the Province: Arno Kompatscher, South Tyrolean People's Party (since 2014)
Political system: autonomous province with its own government and parliament
Distribution of seats in the Provincial Council or Landtag (October 2023 election). 35 members:
Government: Coalition SVP-Lega
South Tyrol is an autonomous province of the Italian Republic, one of the two —the other one being Trento— that make up the Autonomous Region of Trentino-South Tyrol. The territory has a German-speaking majority, and is historically and culturally linked to the rest of Tyrol, which is currently one of the states, or Länder, of Austria.
South Tyrol, along with Trentino, was part of the County of Tyrol from the 12th century until 1919, when both territories were transferred to Italy after Austria’s defeat in World War I.
Trentino-South Tyrol received autonomy within Italy in 1947. The South Tyrolean movement —made up of both peaceful and armed organisations— insisted on South Tyrolean self-government during the 1960s. In 1972, much of the autonomous region’s powers were devolved to each of the two provinces that make up the region.
Part of the territory of Ladinia lies within the borders of South Tyrol.
Politics and government
The South Tyrolean autonomy is guaranteed by a bilateral Italian-Austrian deal (Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement of 1946 and Treaty of Paris of 1947), is anchored in Article 6 of the Italian Constitution, and is shaped by the second Statute of Autonomy of South Tyrol, approved in 1972. According to the Statute, the Province of Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol) exercises legislative and executive powers in a number of areas including education, social affairs, roads, housing, public transport, tourism, agriculture, trade, health, sports, and natural parks.
These powers are exercised by the Council or Landtag, which is the legislative chamber of South Tyrol, and the Government or Landesregierung, which is the province’s executive branch.
South Tyrol has its own party system, dominated since the end of World War II by autonomist South Tyrolean People’s Party (Südtiroler Volkspartei, SVP), which places itself at the centre-right of the political spectrum, and claims to represent the interests of the German- and Ladin-speaking South Tyroleans. Several pro-sovereignty or pro-independence parties exist, most notably The Libertarians (Die Freiheitlichen, DF, right to far-right) and South Tyrolean Freedom (Süd-Tiroler Freiheit, SF, right). An autonomist centrist party, Team K (TK), was established in 2018, which claims to seek to overcome parties’ dynamics linked to the furthering of specific language groups.
Governor (president) of the Province: Arno Kompatscher, South Tyrolean People's Party (since 2014)
Political system: autonomous province with its own government and parliament
Distribution of seats in the Provincial Council or Landtag (October 2023 election). 35 members:
- South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP, Südtiroler Volkspartei, centre-right autonomist, German- and Ladin-speakers' interests): 15
- Team Köllensperger (center autonomist): 4
- South Tyrolean Freedom (Süd-Tiroler Freiheit, right-wing pro-independence): 4
- Greens (Grüne-Verdi-Vërc, centre-left regionalist): 3
- Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia, right to far-right centralist): 2
- Jürgen Wirth Anderlan (right to far-right pro-independence): 2
- The Liberals (Die Freiheitlichen, right to far-right pro-independence): 2
- Democratic Party (PD, Italian centre-left): 1
- For South Tyrol with Widmann (Für Südtirol mit Widmann, centre autonomist): 1
- League (Lega, right to far-right regionalist): 1
- Civic (Civica): 1
- Life (Vita): 1
Government: Coalition SVP-Lega
Links
Language and Culture
European Academy Bozen EURAC (in Glemany, Italian, Ladin and English) www.eurac.edu
Media
Dolomiten dolomiten.it
Neue Südtiroler Tageszeitung tageszeitung.it
Alto Adige altoadige.it
FF ff-bz.com
SDF sdf.bz.it
RAS ras.bz.it
Salto salto.bz
VB 33 video33.it
(Last updated October 2023.)