Norbert Hofer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norbert Hofer
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Hofer in 2019
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| Third President of the National Council | |
| In office 23 October 2019 – 23 October 2024 |
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| President | Wolfgang Sobotka |
| Preceded by | Anneliese Kitzmüller |
| Succeeded by | Doris Bures |
| In office 29 October 2013 – 18 December 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Martin Graf |
| Succeeded by | Anneliese Kitzmüller |
| Chair of the Freedom Party | |
| In office 14 September 2019 – 1 June 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Heinz-Christian Strache |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Kickl |
| Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology |
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| In office 18 December 2017 – 22 May 2019 |
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| Chancellor | Sebastian Kurz |
| Preceded by | Jörg Leichtfried |
| Succeeded by | Valerie Hackl |
| Member of the National Council | |
| In office 23 October 2019 – 24 October 2024 |
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| Nominated by | Himself |
| Affiliation | Freedom Party |
| In office 24 May 2019 – 22 October 2019 |
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| Constituency | 1 – Burgenland |
| In office 28 October 2008 – 18 December 2017 |
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| Constituency | 1 – Burgenland |
| In office 30 October 2006 – 27 October 2008 |
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| Nominated by | Heinz-Christian Strache |
| Affiliation | Freedom Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Norbert Gerwald Hofer
2 March 1971 Vorau, Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, Styria, Austria |
| Political party | Freedom Party |
| Spouse | Verena Malus |
| Children | 4 |
Norbert Gerwald Hofer (born 2 March 1971) is an Austrian politician. He was the head of a political party called the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from 2019 to 2021. Before that, he was a government minister in charge of transport, new ideas, and technology from 2017 to 2019. He worked under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
Hofer also served as the Third President of the National Council from 2013 to 2017. In 2016, he ran for president of Austria. He won the first round of the election. However, he lost in the final vote to Alexander Van der Bellen, who was from The Greens party.
After this, he became the Minister for Transport in the government led by Sebastian Kurz. He became the leader of the Freedom Party in September 2019. He had been acting leader since May 2019. In 2021, he stepped down as party leader.
Contents
Early Life and School
Norbert Hofer was born in Vorau, Austria. His father was a local politician and director of an electric power station. Hofer grew up in a regular family in Pinkafeld, Burgenland.
He went to a technical school in Eisenstadt where he studied airplanes. From 1990 to 1991, Hofer completed his military service. After that, from 1991 to 1994, he worked as an engineer for an airline called Lauda Air Engineering.
Political Career Highlights
Hofer started working for the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and became an important helper to Heinz-Christian Strache. Strache took over as the leader of the Freedom Party in 2005.
From 1996 to 2007, Hofer was a party secretary for the FPÖ in Burgenland. He was also a council member for the City of Eisenstadt from 1997 to 2007. Since 2006, he has been a deputy regional party chairman. From 2008 to 2012, Hofer was a vice president for an organization helping people with disabilities in Burgenland. He also spoke for the FPÖ on energy and environmental topics from 2006 to 2015. He was also the party's spokesperson for people with disabilities in the National Council.
On 29 October 2013, Hofer became the Third President of Austria's National Council. He took over this role from Martin Graf.
Running for President in 2016
On 28 January 2016, the FPÖ announced that Norbert Hofer would be their candidate for the 2016 presidential election. He won the first round of voting on 24 April. He was very close in votes to Alexander Van der Bellen, who was the former spokesperson for the Green Party.
Hofer promised to "put Austria first" during his campaign. He received 35.1 percent of the votes in the first round, which was the best result for the Freedom Party since 1956. Hofer gained support because of the recent migrant crisis. About 90,000 people asked for asylum in Austria, which put a strain on the country's resources. The Freedom Party was against the government's original "welcoming culture."
Hofer also said he would want to dissolve the Parliament to hold new elections. He also stated that he might not approve certain laws, like a trade agreement between the European Union and the United States.
Many right-wing politicians in Europe were happy about Hofer's first-place finish. These included Marine Le Pen from France, Frauke Petry from Germany, and Geert Wilders from the Netherlands.
The second round of the election was held on 22 May 2016. Hofer received 49.7% of the votes, while Van der Bellen received 50.3%. The difference was only 30,863 votes. Later, it was found that about 78,000 mail-in ballots were counted too early. Because of this, on 1 July, the Constitutional Court of Austria cancelled the results of the second round. They ordered the election to be held again. The president at the time, Heinz Fischer, left office on 8 July. So, the three presidents of the National Council – Doris Bures, Karlheinz Kopf, and Hofer – became the acting presidents of Austria together.
The new election ordered by the Court was held on 4 December 2016. Van der Bellen won again. Even though some thought fewer people would vote because of election tiredness and cold weather, more people actually voted. Voter turnout increased from 72.7% in May to 73.8%. The result was not as close this time, with Van der Bellen winning with about 53.3% of the votes. Hofer accepted his defeat soon after the first results were reported. He posted on Facebook: "I congratulate Alexander Van der Bellen for his success and ask all Austrians to pull together and work together." He also said he "would have liked to look after Austria" and planned to run again in 2022. Hofer remained one of the acting presidents until Van der Bellen officially became president on 26 January 2017.
Becoming a Federal Minister
The FPÖ did very well in the 2017 Austrian legislative election. They formed a government with the Austrian People's Party. Hofer was chosen to lead the Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology. This means he was in charge of things like transportation, new ideas, and technology for the country.
Other Work
Norbert Hofer has also been involved with other organizations. He is on the board of directors for Eurosolar Austria, which promotes solar energy. He also served on the boards of Mapjet AG and International Sky Services AG, which are companies related to aviation. He was also the executive chairman of PAF private trust.
Political Beliefs
Many news sources describe Hofer as "far-right." However, other media and experts say he is a more moderate face of the FPÖ. They see him as less extreme than the former party leader Heinz-Christian Strache.
Hofer himself has said he is not a nationalist but a patriot. He believes the FPÖ is a "centre-right party with a high degree of social responsibility." He has also mentioned former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as someone who influenced his political ideas.
In 2015, Hofer suggested that South Tyrol, a German-speaking area in Italy that used to be part of Austria, should become part of Austria again. In 2016, Hofer said he would want Austria to vote on whether to stay in the European Union. This would happen if the European Parliament gained more power or if Turkey joined the EU. Hofer also supports the right for people to own guns.
Personal Life
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Hofer is married for the second time and has four children: two daughters named Anna-Sophie and Vivien, and two sons named Yanik and Jeremie. He grew up Catholic but later became a Protestant. His wife and children are Catholic. He lives in southern Burgenland.
Hofer is an honorary member of a conservative student group called Marko-Germania zu Pinkafeld. He is also an honorary knight of the Order of St. George.
In August 2003, Hofer was in a paraglider accident in Stubenberg. He had serious injuries to his spine. He spent six months recovering, first using a wheelchair and then a cane to walk.
He enjoys guns and carries a Glock handgun. Besides his native German, Hofer also speaks English.
See also
In Spanish: Norbert Hofer para niños
