Susanne Riess facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susanne Riess
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Riess in 2019
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| Vice-Chancellor of Austria | |
| In office 4 February 2000 – 28 February 2003 |
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| Chancellor | Wolfgang Schüssel |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Schüssel |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Haupt |
| Minister of Sport | |
| In office 3 April 2000 – 28 February 2003 |
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| Chancellor | Wolfgang Schüssel |
| Preceded by | Franz Morak |
| Succeeded by | Karl Schweitzer |
| Chair of the Freedom Party | |
| In office 1 May 2000 – 8 September 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Jörg Haider |
| Succeeded by | Mathias Reichhold |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 January 1961 Braunau am Inn, Austria |
| Political party | Freedom Party |
| Spouse |
Johannes Hahn
(m. 2022) |
Susanne Riess (born on January 3, 1961, in Braunau am Inn) is a former Austrian politician. She was a member of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). Today, Riess-Passer is the head of the Wüstenrot-Gruppe, a large company.
Becoming a Leader
Susanne Riess became a very important person in Austrian politics in 2000. She was chosen to be the Vice-Chancellor in the government led by Wolfgang Schüssel. She also became the Minister of Public Services and Sports. This happened after the Freedom Party (FPÖ) joined forces with Schüssel's party, the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).
In the 1999 election, the Freedom Party came in second place. Their leader, Jörg Haider, was expected to become Vice-Chancellor. However, he decided to step back because he was a bit controversial. He wanted to make sure the new government could work well with other countries. So, he chose Susanne Riess-Passer to take his place as the leader of the Freedom Party. She had already been a key manager for the party since 1996.
Leading the Party
When the new government was formed in 2000, Susanne Riess became the official leader of the Freedom Party. She was known for being very loyal to Jörg Haider. Because of her strong loyalty, some people even called her Königskobra, which means "King Cobra."
Stepping Down
In 2002, Susanne Riess had some disagreements with Jörg Haider. After these issues, she decided to leave all her political jobs. Other important politicians from her party, like Karl-Heinz Grasser and Peter Westenthaler, also resigned.
After the 2002 elections, she stayed on as Vice-Chancellor for a short time. This was until the two parties formed a new government in early 2003. Since then, she has not been involved in politics.
Life After Politics
Since 2004, Susanne Riess-Passer has been the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Wüstenrot-Gruppe. This is a big group of companies.
Personal Life
In 2022, Susanne Riess married Johannes Hahn. He is a European Commissioner, which means he works for the European Union.
