Siegfried Kampl
Encyclopedia
Siegfried Kampl is an Austria
n politician. Kampl is the mayor of the town of Gurk
, and a member of the Federal Council of Austria
(the Bundesrat).
, in the Austrian state
of Carinthia
. He completed the agricultural vocational school
and an agricultural technical school. He married Elizabeth Bucher in 1960.
In 1974 he was selected to be the local party chairman of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) in Gurk; two years later he became its district party chairman. In 1979 he was elected to the Gurk local council, and was selected immediately to be vice mayor, a position he retained for twelve years. During this time period, he was also elected to the state parliament (Landtag
) of Carinthia, in which he served for the FPÖ from 1982 through 1994. In 1991, he was elected mayor of Gurk with 53.4% of the vote, and also remained a member of the Landtag. In 2004, he was sent as a representative of Carinthia to the Federal Council of Austria
(the Bundesrat), where he again sat with the FPÖ.
In the Federal Council, Kampl was closely allied with controversial FPÖ leader Jörg Haider
, who he had helped propel to the party leadership in 1986. Kampl calls himself "very homeland-connected" and nationalist
. When the FPÖ split in April 2005, Kampl followed Haider to his new party, the Alliance for the Future of Austria
(BZÖ).
during World War II
. He argued that the deserters were "assassins of battle comrades", and criticized what he called the "brutal persecution" of Austrian Nazis after 1945, saying that "more than 99% of Austrians" had been members of the Nazi party. He was heavily pressured to resign, and agreed to do so on April 28. However, about a month later (on May 29), he said he stood by his views (although he said he may have phrased them differently in retrospect), and would not in fact be resigning. He attributed his decision not to resign partly to what he called the "provocative" manner in which Federal Council President Georg Pehm (a Social Democrat
) had demanded he do so. He did, however, resign his membership in the BZÖ, saying he did not want to burden the party with the controversy.
Kampl's backtracking on resignation caused an even bigger controversy because, coincidentally, he was scheduled to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Federal Council on July 1. Left-leaning lawmakers demanded that Chancellor
Wolfgang Schüssel
intervene to prevent Kampl from assuming the presidency of the upper house, and threatened a walkout if he was allowed to do so. In the end, the Federal Council resolved matters itself by passing a constitutional amendment, informally labelled Lex Kampl (Latin for "Kampl's law"), allowing the Council to, by a two-thirds vote, replace anyone scheduled to take over the rotating presidency with a different member of the same party. The amendment was agreed upon by all four main parties (including the FPÖ and BZÖ) and passed unanimously, although BZÖ member Roland Zellot left the chamber before the vote. The amendment entered into force on June 25, just in time to prevent Kampl from becoming president of the Council.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n politician. Kampl is the mayor of the town of Gurk
Gurk (town)
Gurk is an Austrian market town and former episcopal see in the District of Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia.thumb|left|180px|Gurk Cathedral.- Location :...
, and a member of the Federal Council of Austria
Federal Council of Austria
The Federal Council of Austria or Bundesrat is the second chamber of the Austrian parliament, representing the nine States of Austria on federal level. As part of a bicameral legislature alongside of the National Council of Austria , it can be compared with an upper house or a senate...
(the Bundesrat).
Biography and political career
Kampl was born in SteuerbergSteuerberg
Steuerberg is a town in the district of Feldkirchen in Carinthia in Austria.-Neighboring municipalities:...
, in the Austrian state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
. He completed the agricultural vocational school
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
and an agricultural technical school. He married Elizabeth Bucher in 1960.
In 1974 he was selected to be the local party chairman of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) in Gurk; two years later he became its district party chairman. In 1979 he was elected to the Gurk local council, and was selected immediately to be vice mayor, a position he retained for twelve years. During this time period, he was also elected to the state parliament (Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
) of Carinthia, in which he served for the FPÖ from 1982 through 1994. In 1991, he was elected mayor of Gurk with 53.4% of the vote, and also remained a member of the Landtag. In 2004, he was sent as a representative of Carinthia to the Federal Council of Austria
Federal Council of Austria
The Federal Council of Austria or Bundesrat is the second chamber of the Austrian parliament, representing the nine States of Austria on federal level. As part of a bicameral legislature alongside of the National Council of Austria , it can be compared with an upper house or a senate...
(the Bundesrat), where he again sat with the FPÖ.
In the Federal Council, Kampl was closely allied with controversial FPÖ leader Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider
Jörg Haider was an Austrian politician. He was Governor of Carinthia on two occasions, the long-time leader of the Austrian Freedom Party and later Chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria , a breakaway party from the FPÖ.Haider was controversial within Austria and abroad for comments...
, who he had helped propel to the party leadership in 1986. Kampl calls himself "very homeland-connected" and nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
. When the FPÖ split in April 2005, Kampl followed Haider to his new party, the Alliance for the Future of Austria
Alliance for the Future of Austria
The Alliance for the Future of Austria , abbreviated to BZÖ, is a conservative liberal political party in Austria. The party has sixteen seats in the National Council....
(BZÖ).
2005 controversy
Controversy erupted when Kampl made an April 19, 2005 speech against the rehabilitation of Austrian armed-forced members who had desertedDesertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He argued that the deserters were "assassins of battle comrades", and criticized what he called the "brutal persecution" of Austrian Nazis after 1945, saying that "more than 99% of Austrians" had been members of the Nazi party. He was heavily pressured to resign, and agreed to do so on April 28. However, about a month later (on May 29), he said he stood by his views (although he said he may have phrased them differently in retrospect), and would not in fact be resigning. He attributed his decision not to resign partly to what he called the "provocative" manner in which Federal Council President Georg Pehm (a Social Democrat
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...
) had demanded he do so. He did, however, resign his membership in the BZÖ, saying he did not want to burden the party with the controversy.
Kampl's backtracking on resignation caused an even bigger controversy because, coincidentally, he was scheduled to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the Federal Council on July 1. Left-leaning lawmakers demanded that Chancellor
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...
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...
intervene to prevent Kampl from assuming the presidency of the upper house, and threatened a walkout if he was allowed to do so. In the end, the Federal Council resolved matters itself by passing a constitutional amendment, informally labelled Lex Kampl (Latin for "Kampl's law"), allowing the Council to, by a two-thirds vote, replace anyone scheduled to take over the rotating presidency with a different member of the same party. The amendment was agreed upon by all four main parties (including the FPÖ and BZÖ) and passed unanimously, although BZÖ member Roland Zellot left the chamber before the vote. The amendment entered into force on June 25, just in time to prevent Kampl from becoming president of the Council.