Contested Transformative Imaginaries: Economic Reasoning and Actor Coalitions in Austria's Corporatist Setting

Theresa Hager, Laura Porak (), Stephan Pühringer and Carlotta Terhorst ()
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Laura Porak: Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria
Carlotta Terhorst: Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

No 175, ICAE Working Papers from Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy

Abstract: Despite widespread acknowledgment of the climate crisis, ambitious climate action remains constrained by competing visions of socio-ecological transformation (SET). Drawing on critical state theory, which conceptualizes the state as a "strategic terrain" where social forces struggle over hegemonic visions, this paper analyzes how transformative imaginaries shape political opportunity structures for climate policy in Austria's corporatist setting. We address two critical gaps in the SET literature: existing research discusses transformation visions abstractly without linking them to concrete policy-relevant actors, and the economic reasoning underlying these imaginaries remains largely unexamined. Using the SETER framework, we conduct a mixed-methods analysis combining discourse analysis with social network analysis to identify actor coalitions among Austria's major political parties and organized interest groups. Our findings reveal three distinct coalitions: Market-Driven Transition (emphasizing markets and innovation), Just Transition (prioritizing state intervention and distributional justice), and Ecological Modernization (emphasizing urgency and international cooperation). Despite differences in transformation pace and quality, substantial hegemonic consensus exists across actors – particularly regarding market-state tandems, techno-optimism, and growth orientation. This consensus reflects deep path dependencies and explains Austria's shift from environmental leader to climate laggard, demonstrating how economic reasoning and material interests constrain the political opportunity space for transformative climate action.

Date: 2026-02
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Working Paper: Contested Transformative Imaginaries: Economic Reasoning and Actor Coalitions in Austria's Corporatist Setting (2026)
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