Alexander Schallenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Schallenberg
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Schallenberg in 2023
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| Chancellor of Austria | |
| Acting 10 January 2025 – 3 March 2025 |
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| President | Alexander Van der Bellen |
| Vice-Chancellor | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Karl Nehammer |
| Succeeded by | Christian Stocker |
| In office 11 October 2021 – 6 December 2021 |
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| President | Alexander Van der Bellen |
| Vice-Chancellor | Werner Kogler |
| Preceded by | Sebastian Kurz |
| Succeeded by | Karl Nehammer |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 6 December 2021 – 3 March 2025 |
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| Chancellor | Karl Nehammer Himself (acting) |
| Preceded by | Michael Linhart |
| Succeeded by | Beate Meinl-Reisinger |
| In office 3 June 2019 – 11 October 2021 |
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| Chancellor | Brigitte Bierlein Sebastian Kurz |
| Preceded by | Karin Kneissl |
| Succeeded by | Michael Linhart |
| Minister of the Chancellery | |
| In office 6 June 2019 – 7 January 2020 Serving with Ines Stilling
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| Chancellor | Brigitte Bierlein |
| Preceded by | Gernot Blümel Juliane Bogner-Strauß |
| Succeeded by | Christine Aschbacher Karoline Edtstadler Susanne Raab |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 June 1969 Bern, Switzerland |
| Political party | People's Party (2020–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (before 2020) |
| Spouse |
Marie-Isabelle Hénin
(m. 1995) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
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| Education | University of Vienna Panthéon-Assas University College of Europe |
Alexander Georg Nicolas Schallenberg (born 20 June 1969) is an Austrian politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2025. For a short time in 2021, he was the 27th chancellor of Austria. He also served as acting Chancellor again from January to March 2025.
Contents
About Alexander Schallenberg's Family
Alexander Schallenberg was born in 1969 in Bern, Switzerland. His family is a noble Austrian family. His father, Wolfgang Schallenberg, was an Austrian ambassador. This meant Alexander grew up in many different countries. He lived in India, Spain, and France while his father worked as an ambassador. Later, his father became a top official in the Foreign Ministry.
Alexander Schallenberg is very good at languages. He speaks German, French, English, and Spanish fluently. He also knows some Russian. His family was given the title of "Count" in 1666. This is a special, old noble title.
His Marriage and Children
In 1995, Schallenberg married Marie-Isabelle Hénin in France. She was a European civil servant. They had four children together. Later, they divorced.
His Education and Early Career
Alexander Schallenberg studied law from 1989 to 1994. He went to the University of Vienna in Austria and the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas in France. After that, he earned a special degree in European law in Belgium. This was at the College of Europe, a school known for training young leaders for Europe.
In 1997, Schallenberg started working for the Austrian diplomatic service. This means he worked for his country's government on international matters. From 2000 to 2005, he worked at Austria's office in the European Union in Brussels. He was in charge of legal matters there.
Later, he became a spokesperson for the Foreign Minister. In 2013, he started working on strategic foreign policy planning. He was seen as a guide for Sebastian Kurz, who was new to foreign policy at the time. Schallenberg was promoted to important roles in the foreign ministry.
Alexander Schallenberg's Political Journey
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On 3 June 2019, Alexander Schallenberg became the Foreign Minister of Austria. He kept this job when a new government was formed in January 2020. He stepped down from this role when he became Chancellor, but he returned to it later.
Serving as Chancellor
In October 2021, the previous Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, resigned. The People's Party then suggested Alexander Schallenberg to take his place.
Schallenberg was sworn in as Chancellor on 11 October 2021 by President Alexander Van der Bellen. One of his first actions was to name Michael Linhart as the new Foreign Minister.
In November 2021, Schallenberg announced that COVID-19 vaccines would be required in Austria starting in February 2022. Austria was the first European country to make this rule.
Schallenberg announced his resignation on 2 December 2021. He said he believed the Chancellor and the leader of the political party should be the same person.
Returning as Foreign Minister
On 9 October 2023, Schallenberg announced that Austria would stop sending €19 million (about $20 million) in aid to Palestinian areas. This was in response to attacks on Israel. He also said Austria would review its projects in Palestine. He also called in the Iranian ambassador to discuss Iran's reactions to the attack.
In 2025, Schallenberg was again appointed as interim Chancellor. This happened on 10 January, after Karl Nehammer resigned.
Awards and Recognition
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein (2019)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2020)
Other Activities
Since 2020, Schallenberg has been a trustee for the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism. This fund helps victims of the Nazi era.
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Schallenberg para niños
