Citizens' Ministry

These were the ministries of Prince Karl of Auersperg (30 December 1867 – 24 September 1868), Taaffe (24 September 1868 – 15 January 1870), Baron Ignaz von Plener (15 January 1870 – 1 February 1870), and Leopold Hasner von Artha (1 February 1870 – 12 April 1870), during which the composition of the cabinet changed slightly.

The Citizens' Ministry pursued a liberal political agenda, but failed in 1870 due to their inability to adequately manage the tensions between the many nationalities.

When Hasner refused Emperor Franz Josef I's request to dissolve the uncooperative regional Diet Assemblies, he resigned, bringing the Bürgerministerium to an end.

After conflicts in the cabinet over concessions to various nationalities and ethnic groups represented in the Council of Ministers, he resigned in protest on 4 September 1868.

In his view, Taaffe and Foreign Minister Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust (30 December 1867 – 8 November 1871) made excessive concessions to the Czech National Party.