Alfred Gusenbauer
Encyclopedia
Alfred Gusenbauer is an Austrian career politician who until 2008 spent his entire professional life as an employee of the Social Democratic Party of Austria
(SPÖ) or as a parliamentary representative. He headed the SPÖ from 2000 to 2008, and served as Chancellor of Austria
from January 2007 to December 2008. Since then he has pursued a career as a consultant and lecturer, and as a member of supervisory boards of Austrian companies.
in the state of Lower Austria
. He was educated at a high school in Wieselburg
and studied political science, philosophy and jurisprudence at the University of Vienna
, where he obtained a doctorate in political science in 1987. Gusenbauer was federal leader of the SPÖ youth wing, the Socialist Youth (SJ) from 1984 to 1990; vice-president of the International Union of Socialist Youth
from 1985 to 1989 and vice-president of the Socialist International
in 1989. He was then made a senior research fellow in the economic policy department of the Lower Austria section of the Chamber of Labour
from 1990 to 1999.
and a member of the Lower Austria party executive. In the same year he was elected to the Bundesrat
(the upper house of the Austrian Parliament) as a Deputy for Lower Austria. He was a member of the Austrian delegation to the parliamentary meeting of the Council of Europe
in 1991 and was chairman of the social committee of the Council of Europe from 1995 to 1998.
In the Bundesrat, Gusenbauer was Chairman of the Committee for Development Co-operation from 1996 to 1999. In 2000, he was elected leader of the SPÖ Group in the Bundesrat and also as Secretary-General of the SPÖ. Under his leadership in the 2002 elections
the SPÖ improved its vote and gained four seats, but failed to defeat the Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP) government of Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel
.
During 2006, the SPÖ was handicapped by its involvement in the "BAWAG scandal
" in which directors of the BAWAG
, an Austrian bank owned by the Austrian Trade Union Federation
(Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB), were accused of corruption, embezzlement and illicit speculation. The scandal led in March to the resignation of ÖGB head Fritz Verzetnitsch. The SPÖ as a party was not involved in the fraud but Gusenbauer found it politically expedient to exclude ÖGB leaders from the lists of SPÖ candidates, drawing criticism from the ÖGB.
, the SPÖ was the largest single party but had no absolute majority of the parliamentary seats. A grand coalition
between the ÖVP and the SPÖ was considered the most likely outcome. After prolonged negotiations, Gusenbauer became Chancellor on January 11, 2007 at the head of an SPÖ-ÖVP coalition.
Gusenbauer immediately drew criticism because he abandoned central promises of the SPÖ election campaign, such as those to abolish university tuition fees (it was decided by the SPÖ instead that students should do community service for 60 hours, which resulted in student protests) and to reverse the country's Eurofighter deal. This provoked public criticism even from SPÖ members. Infighting over Gusenbauer's ability to lead his party never subsided from this point onwards. On June 16, 2008, Gusenbauer was replaced as SPÖ chief by his Minister of Transport Werner Faymann
. However, he formally remained chancellor until after the 2008 snap elections
that were called in early July 2008 when the Austrian People's Party
(ÖVP) led by Wilhelm Molterer
left the governing coalition. His time in office was the shortest since World War II.
School of International and Public Affairs in New York. He was made a member of the supervisory board of Alpine Holding, an Austrian construction conglomerate, in July 2009 but resigned this position effective May 1, 2010 when it was announced that Gusenbauer was to head the supervisory board of Strabag
(Austria's leading construction company) effective June 18, 2010. At the same time he is to become chairman of the board of trustees of the private foundation established by Strabag's chairman, Hans Peter Haselsteiner.
In an article about Western leaders working for authoritarian regimes, the Associated Press noted that Gusenbauer works as a consultant for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev
.
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Social Democratic Party of Austria
The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...
(SPÖ) or as a parliamentary representative. He headed the SPÖ from 2000 to 2008, and served as Chancellor of Austria
Chancellor of Austria
The Federal Chancellor is the head of government in Austria. Its deputy is the Vice-Chancellor. Before 1918, the equivalent office was the Minister-President of Austria. The Federal Chancellor is considered to be the most powerful political position in Austrian politics.-Appointment:The...
from January 2007 to December 2008. Since then he has pursued a career as a consultant and lecturer, and as a member of supervisory boards of Austrian companies.
Youth and early political career
Gusenbauer was born in Sankt PöltenSankt Pölten
Sankt Pölten is the capital city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria. With inhabitants , it is Lower Austria's largest city...
in the state of Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
. He was educated at a high school in Wieselburg
Wieselburg
Wieselburg is a town in Lower Austria, Austria, located near the River Erlauf. Its name roughly translates to castle where two rivers meet, as there are two rivers that run together to create the Erlauf...
and studied political science, philosophy and jurisprudence at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, where he obtained a doctorate in political science in 1987. Gusenbauer was federal leader of the SPÖ youth wing, the Socialist Youth (SJ) from 1984 to 1990; vice-president of the International Union of Socialist Youth
International Union of Socialist Youth
The International Union of Socialist Youth encompasses socialist, social democratic and Labour Party youth organizations from more than 100 states of the world...
from 1985 to 1989 and vice-president of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
in 1989. He was then made a senior research fellow in the economic policy department of the Lower Austria section of the Chamber of Labour
Austrian Chamber of Labour
The Chamber of Labour , is an organisation that represents the interests of 3 million Austrian employees and consumers...
from 1990 to 1999.
Chairman of the Socialist Party
In 1991, Gusenbauer was elected SPÖ chairman in Ybbs an der DonauYbbs an der Donau
Ybbs an der Donau is a city in Austria. It was established in 1317. Throughout the town, from the intersection of the important trade routes and along the Danube the town has preserved a site that already had great economic importance during the Middle Ages...
and a member of the Lower Austria party executive. In the same year he was elected to the Bundesrat
Bundesrat
Bundesrat means federal council and may refer to:* Bundesrat of Germany* Federal Council of Austria* Swiss Federal Council...
(the upper house of the Austrian Parliament) as a Deputy for Lower Austria. He was a member of the Austrian delegation to the parliamentary meeting of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
in 1991 and was chairman of the social committee of the Council of Europe from 1995 to 1998.
In the Bundesrat, Gusenbauer was Chairman of the Committee for Development Co-operation from 1996 to 1999. In 2000, he was elected leader of the SPÖ Group in the Bundesrat and also as Secretary-General of the SPÖ. Under his leadership in the 2002 elections
Austrian legislative election, 2002
Early parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 24 November 2002, after internal divisions in the Freedom Party of Austria culminating in the Knittelfeld Putsch led to the resignation of several leading FPÖ members. The result was a victory for the ÖVP, which won 79 of the 183 seats, the...
the SPÖ improved its vote and gained four seats, but failed to defeat the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(ÖVP) government of Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel
Wolfgang Schüssel
Wolfgang Schüssel is an Austrian People's Party politician. He was Chancellor of Austria for two consecutive terms from February 2000 to January 2007...
.
During 2006, the SPÖ was handicapped by its involvement in the "BAWAG scandal
BAWAG
BAWAG is a bank in Austria. On October 1, 2005, it merged with the separate Österreichische Postsparkasse to form the "Bank für Arbeit und Wirtschaft und Österreichische Postsparkasse AG", shortened as BAWAG P.S.K..-History:BAWAG was founded in 1922 by the Austrian Chancellor Dr...
" in which directors of the BAWAG
BAWAG
BAWAG is a bank in Austria. On October 1, 2005, it merged with the separate Österreichische Postsparkasse to form the "Bank für Arbeit und Wirtschaft und Österreichische Postsparkasse AG", shortened as BAWAG P.S.K..-History:BAWAG was founded in 1922 by the Austrian Chancellor Dr...
, an Austrian bank owned by the Austrian Trade Union Federation
Austrian Trade Union Federation
-External links:*...
(Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB), were accused of corruption, embezzlement and illicit speculation. The scandal led in March to the resignation of ÖGB head Fritz Verzetnitsch. The SPÖ as a party was not involved in the fraud but Gusenbauer found it politically expedient to exclude ÖGB leaders from the lists of SPÖ candidates, drawing criticism from the ÖGB.
Chancellor of Austria
After the 2006 electionsAustrian legislative election, 2006
The 2006 general election for the National Council in Austria was held on 1 October 2006.Following the Austrian legislative election, 1999, the Austrian People's Party had formed a coalition government with the Austrian Freedom Party , and later the Alliance for the Future of Austria .As a result...
, the SPÖ was the largest single party but had no absolute majority of the parliamentary seats. A grand coalition
Grand coalition
A grand coalition is an arrangement in a multi-party parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government...
between the ÖVP and the SPÖ was considered the most likely outcome. After prolonged negotiations, Gusenbauer became Chancellor on January 11, 2007 at the head of an SPÖ-ÖVP coalition.
Gusenbauer immediately drew criticism because he abandoned central promises of the SPÖ election campaign, such as those to abolish university tuition fees (it was decided by the SPÖ instead that students should do community service for 60 hours, which resulted in student protests) and to reverse the country's Eurofighter deal. This provoked public criticism even from SPÖ members. Infighting over Gusenbauer's ability to lead his party never subsided from this point onwards. On June 16, 2008, Gusenbauer was replaced as SPÖ chief by his Minister of Transport Werner Faymann
Werner Faymann
Werner Faymann is Chancellor of Austria and chairman of the Social Democratic Party SPÖ .-Background and earlier career:Born in Vienna, Austria, he studied law at the University of Vienna for two years but did not graduate....
. However, he formally remained chancellor until after the 2008 snap elections
Austrian legislative election, 2008
A legislative snap election for the National Council in Austria was held on 28 September 2008. The previous election was held on 1 October 2006. The election was caused by the withdrawal of Austrian People's Party leader Wilhelm Molterer from the governing grand coalition on 7 July 2008...
that were called in early July 2008 when the Austrian People's Party
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...
(ÖVP) led by Wilhelm Molterer
Wilhelm Molterer
Wilhelm Molterer is Vice-President and member of the Management Committee of the European Investment Bank . Before joining the EIB, he was Member of the Austrian Parliament...
left the governing coalition. His time in office was the shortest since World War II.
Post-politics career
Gusenbauer briefly returned to his old post in the Chamber of Labour but immediately used his network to start another career. Since early 2009, Gusenbauer is the first Leitner Global Fellow at the Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
School of International and Public Affairs in New York. He was made a member of the supervisory board of Alpine Holding, an Austrian construction conglomerate, in July 2009 but resigned this position effective May 1, 2010 when it was announced that Gusenbauer was to head the supervisory board of Strabag
Strabag
Strabag is a European construction company based in Villach, with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria). It is the largest construction company in Austria and one of the largest construction companies in Europe...
(Austria's leading construction company) effective June 18, 2010. At the same time he is to become chairman of the board of trustees of the private foundation established by Strabag's chairman, Hans Peter Haselsteiner.
In an article about Western leaders working for authoritarian regimes, the Associated Press noted that Gusenbauer works as a consultant for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...
.
External links
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