Wolfgang Schüssel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wolfgang Schüssel
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Schüssel in 2024
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| Chancellor of Austria | |
| In office 4 February 2000 – 11 January 2007 |
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| President | Thomas Klestil Heinz Fischer |
| Vice-Chancellor | Susanne Riess-Passer Herbert Haupt Hubert Gorbach |
| Preceded by | Viktor Klima |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Gusenbauer |
| Vice-Chancellor of Austria | |
| In office 4 May 1995 – 4 February 2000 |
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| Chancellor | Franz Vranitzky Viktor Klima |
| Preceded by | Erhard Busek |
| Succeeded by | Susanne Riess-Passer |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 4 May 1995 – 4 February 2000 |
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| Chancellor | Franz Vranitzky Viktor Klima |
| Preceded by | Alois Mock |
| Succeeded by | Benita Ferrero-Waldner |
| Minister of Economic Affairs | |
| In office 24 April 1989 – 4 May 1995 |
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| Chancellor | Franz Vranitzky |
| Preceded by | Robert Graf |
| Succeeded by | Johannes Ditz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 June 1945 Vienna, Austria |
| Political party | Austrian People's Party |
| Alma mater | University of Vienna |
Wolfgang Schüssel (born 7 June 1945) is an Austrian politician. He served as the Chancellor of Austria for two terms. This means he was the head of the Austrian government from February 2000 to January 2007. He was known for trying to make big changes in Austrian politics.
His governments were sometimes controversial. This was because he formed a coalition, or partnership, with the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). In 2011, he stopped being an active member of parliament. This happened due to concerns about some members of his government.
Contents
Wolfgang Schüssel's Early Life and Education
Wolfgang Schüssel was born in Vienna, the capital city of Austria. He went to a well-known Catholic school for boys called Schottengymnasium. He finished school there in 1963.
After school, he studied at the University of Vienna. In 1968, he earned a special degree in law.
Starting His Political Career
Schüssel began his political journey working for the Austrian People's Party. From 1968 to 1975, he was a secretary for their group in parliament.
Later, from 1975 to 1991, he became the general secretary of the Austrian Business Federation. This group is part of the Austrian People's Party.
Becoming a Government Minister
On 24 April 1989, Wolfgang Schüssel became the Minister for Economic Affairs. He joined a government that was a partnership between the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). This government was led by Chancellor Franz Vranitzky.
In 1995, Schüssel took on a bigger role in his party. He became the chairman of the Austrian People's Party. He also became the Vice-Chancellor of Austria and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. He held these important jobs in different governments until 2000.
Wolfgang Schüssel as Chancellor of Austria
The First Schüssel Government (2000-2002)
In the 1999 election, Schüssel's party came in third place. After talks to form a government with the Social Democratic Party failed, Schüssel decided to work with the Freedom Party.
Normally, the leader of the larger party would become Chancellor. However, the Freedom Party's leader, Jörg Haider, was very controversial. So, the Freedom Party agreed to support Schüssel as Chancellor. Schüssel became Chancellor on 4 February 2000. This was the first time in 30 years that the government was not led by the Social Democratic Party.
International Concerns and Protests
Schüssel's government faced a lot of criticism both in Austria and from other countries. Many people were concerned because the Freedom Party was part of the government. Some felt it broke an unwritten rule against including certain right-wing parties in Europe.
In Austria, there were weekly protests in Vienna against the government. These were called the Donnerstagsdemonstrationen, or "Thursday demonstrations."
EU Countries' Reaction
Other countries in the European Union also reacted strongly. They showed their disapproval by limiting social and diplomatic interactions with Schüssel's government. This was not an official punishment, but an informal way to show they were unhappy.
After several months, a group of EU diplomats visited Austria. They checked the situation and suggested ways to improve EU laws for the future. After their report, the other EU countries slowly returned to normal relations with Austria.
The Second Schüssel Government (2003-2007)
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By 2002, the Freedom Party was having internal problems. Some key members resigned. Because of this, Schüssel called for early elections. In this election, Schüssel's party did very well, winning the most votes since 1983.
Even though the Freedom Party's votes dropped, Schüssel decided to form a government with them again. He was sworn in as Chancellor for the second time on 28 February 2003.
In 2005, the Freedom Party split into two groups. But Schüssel continued his government with the new group. In the 2006 election, Schüssel's party lost some votes and came in second. He then worked with the Social Democratic Party to form a new government. Schüssel served as Chancellor until the new government took over on 11 January 2007.
Leading the European Council in 2006
In 2006, Austria took over the leadership of the European Council. This meant Wolfgang Schüssel became the President of the European Council for a period. He worked closely with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during this time.
After Being Chancellor
Chairman of the ÖVP Parliamentary Group
After the 2006 election, Schüssel became the chairman of his party's group in parliament. He later announced that he would continue to be a member of parliament, but in a less active role.
In 2011, Wolfgang Schüssel decided to leave parliament. This decision was made due to various concerns related to members of the governments he had led.
Key Policies and Changes
Schüssel's government tried to balance the national budget. They made changes by both raising some taxes and cutting costs. For example, they made changes to the education system and cut some salaries at universities.
However, his government also increased spending in some areas. They introduced a new "Kindergeld" (child benefit) to help families. This was a change that the Freedom Party had wanted.
Another big decision was to buy new Eurofighter planes for the Austrian army. This was seen as expensive by some, but the government argued it was needed to protect Austria's airspace.
Schüssel's government also worked on pension reform. This was to prepare for a future where there would be more retired people than active workers. They aimed to reduce future pension costs and raise the retirement age. They also cut corporate tax to encourage businesses to invest and grow.
Life After Politics
After leaving active politics in Austria, Wolfgang Schüssel has taken on various roles. He has served on the boards of several companies, like Investcorp and RWE.
He has also been involved with many non-profit organizations. These include the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, United Europe, and the World Economic Forum. He works with groups that focus on foreign policy and international relations.
Awards and Honors
Wolfgang Schüssel has received many awards and honors from different countries. These show recognition for his work and contributions. Some of these include:
- 1995: Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain)
- 1996: Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norway)
- 2000: Grand Cross with Diamonds of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein
- 2004: Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
- 2006: Grand Cross of Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
- 2006: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- 2007: Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
- 2007: Bavarian Order of Merit (Germany)
He is also an Honorary Citizen of Tirana, Albania.
See also
In Spanish: Wolfgang Schüssel para niños
