List of chancellors of Austria

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Portrait of Renner (1905)
Dollfuss pictured as Kaiserschütze (1933)
Kreisky at an elections campaign (1983)
Clockwise from top left:
  • Renner was the first chancellor of German-Austria, the First Republic, and the Second Republic.
  • Dollfuss turned the First Republic into a dictatorship.
  • For most of his incumbency, Kurz was the world's youngest head of government.
  • Kreisky is considered perhaps Austria's most successful Socialist leader.[1]

The chancellor of Austria is the head of government of Austria, appointed by the president and viewed as the country's de facto chief executive. The chancellor chairs and leads the Cabinet, which also includes the vice-chancellor and the ministers.[2]

Following World War I, the office was established by the Provisional National Assembly on 30 October 1918 and named state chancellor of the Republic of German-Austria, and its first holder, Karl Renner, was appointed by the State Council. After the Allied powers denied German-Austria to merge with the Weimar Republic,[3] the country formed the federal First Austrian Republic and the office was renamed from state chancellor to federal chancellor. The first federal chancellor was Michael Mayr. There have been ten chancellors who served under the First Republic until Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss created the authoritarian and dictatorial Federal State of Austria.[4] Following Dollfuss's assassination by Austrian National Socialists,[5] Kurt Schuschnigg succeeded him as chancellor and upheld the dictatorship.[6] Schuschnigg was replaced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi caretaker who held the office for two days, until Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany.[7]

Austria under National Socialism lost its original republican system of government and was administered by Reichsstatthalter Arthur Seyss-Inquart (1938–1939), Reichskommissar Josef Bürckel[8] (1939–1940) and Reichsstatthalter Baldur von Schirach[9] (1940–1945). In 1940, the country was renamed Ostmark, completely lost its autonomy, and became a sub-national division of Nazi Germany.[10][11] After the liberation of Vienna and the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945, Austria restored its republican form of government.[12] However, Austria remained under allied occupation until 1955[13] and thus the country's sovereignty was ultimately still held by the Allied Control Council.

Since the institution of the republic, the People's Party and the Social Democratic Party have largely dominated Austrian politics; the People's Party (and its predecessor, the Christian Social Party) have led nineteen cabinets and served as a junior partner in eight, while the Social Democratic Party (formerly the Social Democratic Workers' Party) has led eleven and served as a junior partner in five. There have been seven parties that never held the chancellorship but participated in coalition cabinets: the Greater German People's Party in five, the Freedom Party and the Landbund in four, the Fatherland Front in two, and the Greens, the Alliance for the Future and the Communist Party in one.

Following a legislative election or in the case of a vacancy, the president conventionally picks the leader of the largest party in Parliament to serve as chancellor, and appoints the remaining members of the Cabinet based on the chancellor's recommendation. If a sitting chancellor dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to exercise the powers and duties of the office, the vice-chancellor becomes acting chancellor. If the vice-chancellor is unavailable, the other members of the Cabinet take over in order of seniority.[14]

Bruno Kreisky was the longest-serving chancellor, with more than thirteen years in office, while Arthur Seyss-Inquart was the shortest-serving chancellor, with two days in office, and Walter Breisky was the shortest-serving acting chancellor, with only one day in office.

Chancellors[edit]

 Acting chancellors
Key to parties
  Austrian People's Party / Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP)
  •   1891–1934: Christian Social Party / Christlichsoziale Partei (CS)
  •   2017–present: New People's Party / Neue Volkspartei
  Social Democratic Party of Austria / Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ)
  •   1889–1934: Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria / Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs (SDAPÖ)
  Freedom Party of Austria / Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ)
  Alliance for the Future of Austria / Bündnis Zukunft Österreich (BZÖ)
  Communist Party of Austria / Kommunistische Partei Österreichs (KPÖ)
  The Greens / die Grünen
Key to historical parties
  1920–1934: Greater German People's Party / Großdeutsche Volkspartei (GDVP)
  1922–1934: Rural Federation / Landbund (LBd)
  1920–1936: Homeland Guard / Heimwehr
  1933–1938: Fatherland Front / Vaterländische Front (VF)
  1920–1945: National Socialist German Worker's Party / Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP)
No. Portrait Name
(born–died)
Term of office Party Elected Cabinet
coalition
Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Portrait of Karl Renner (1920) Karl Renner[a][b]
(1870–1950)
30 October 1918 7 July 1920 1 year, 251 days SDAPÖ 1919 Renner IIIIII
SDAPÖ CS GDVP
[15][16][17]
2 Photograph of Mayr (before 1922) Michael Mayr[c]
(1864–1922)
7 July 1920 21 June 1921 349 days CS 1920 Mayr III
CS SDAPÖ
[18]
3 Portrait of Schober (circa 1922) Johannes Schober
(1874–1932)
21 June 1921 26 January 1922 344 days IND Schober I
CS GDVP Technocrats
[19]
4 Portrait of Walter Breisky (1927) Walter Breisky
(1871–1944)
26 January 1922 27 January 1922 1 day CS Breisky
CS GDVP
[20]
(3) Portrait of Schober (circa 1922) Johannes Schober
(1874–1932)
27 January 1922 31 May 1922 124 days IND Schober II
CS GDVP Technocrats
[21]
5 Portrait of Seipel Ignaz Seipel
(1876–1932)
31 May 1922 20 November 1924 2 years, 173 days CS 1923 Seipel IIIIII
CS GDVP Technocrats
[22]
6 Portrait of Ramek (1924) Rudolf Ramek
(1881–1941)
20 November 1924 20 October 1926 1 year, 334 days CS Ramek III
CS GDVP
[23]
(5) Portrait of Seipel Ignaz Seipel
(1876–1932)
20 October 1926 4 May 1929 2 years, 196 days CS 1927 Seipel IVV
CS GDVP LBd
[citation needed]
7 Portrait of Streeruwitz (1929) Ernst Streeruwitz
(1874–1952)
4 May 1929 26 September 1929 145 days CS Streeruwitz
CS LBd
[24]
(3) Photograph of Johann Schober (1927) Johannes Schober
(1874–1932)
26 September 1929 30 September 1930 1 year, 4 days IND Schober III
CS
[citation needed]
8 Photograph of Vaugoin (1933) Carl Vaugoin
(1873–1949)
30 September 1930 4 December 1930 65 days CS Vaugoin
CS
[25]
9 Photograph of Ender (1929) Otto Ender
(1875–1960)
4 December 1930 20 June 1931 198 days CS 1930 Ender
CS
[26]
10 Portrait of Buresch (1932) Karl Buresch
(1878–1936)
20 June 1931 20 May 1932 335 days CS Buresch III
CS LBd
[27]
11 Portrait of a man in a Three-piece suit Engelbert Dollfuss
(1892–1934)
20 May 1932 25 July 1934 2 years, 66 days CS Dollfuss I
CS LBd Heimwehr
20 May 1932 – 1 May 1934

Dollfuss II
VF
1 May 1934 – 25 July 1934
[28]
VF
Photograph of Mitterlehner (2015) Prince
Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg
(1899–1956)
25 July 1934 29 July 1934 4 days VF Dollfuss II
VF
[29]
12 Photograph of Schuschnigg (1936) Kurt Schuschnigg
(1897–1977)
29 July 1934 11 March 1938 3 years, 225 days VF Schuschnigg IIIIIIIVV
VF
[30]
13 Photograph of Seyss-Inquart Arthur Seyss-Inquart
(1892–1946)
11 March 1938 13 March 1938 2 days NSDAP Seyss-Inquart
NSDAP
[31][32]
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 12 March 1938 to 13 April 1945
(1) Portrait of Karl Renner (1931) Karl Renner[d]
(1870–1950)
27 April 1945 20 December 1945 237 days SPÖ Renner IV
SPÖ ÖVP KPÖ
[33][34][35]
14 Photograph of Figl (after 1962) Leopold Figl
(1902–1965)
20 December 1945 2 April 1953 7 years, 103 days ÖVP 1945 Figl IIIIII
ÖVP SPÖ
[36]
1949
15 Photograph of Raab (1961) Julius Raab
(1891–1964)
2 April 1953 11 April 1961 8 years, 9 days ÖVP 1953 Raab IIIIIIIV
ÖVP SPÖ
[37]
1956
1959
16 Photograph of Gorbach (1965) Alfons Gorbach
(1898–1972)
11 April 1961 2 April 1964 2 years, 357 days ÖVP 1962 Gorbach III
ÖVP SPÖ
[38]
17 Photograph of Klaus (1964) Josef Klaus
(1910–2001)
2 April 1964 21 April 1970 6 years, 19 days ÖVP Klaus I
ÖVP SPÖ
[39]
1966 Klaus II
ÖVP
18 Photograph of Kreisky (1983) Bruno Kreisky
(1911–1990)
21 April 1970 24 May 1983 13 years, 33 days SPÖ 1970 Kreisky IIIIIIIV
SPÖ
[40]
1971
1975
1979
19 Photograph of Sinowatz Fred Sinowatz
(1929–2008)
24 May 1983 16 June 1986 3 years, 23 days SPÖ 1983 Sinowatz
SPÖ FPÖ
[41]
20 Photograph of Vranitzky Franz Vranitzky
(born 1937)
16 June 1986 28 January 1997 10 years, 226 days SPÖ 1986 Vranitzky III
SPÖ FPÖ
[42]
1990 Vranitzky IIIIVV
SPÖ ÖVP
1994
1995
21 Photograph of Klima (1988) Viktor Klima
(born 1947)
28 January 1997 4 February 2000 3 years, 7 days SPÖ Klima
SPÖ ÖVP
[43]
22 Photograph of Schüssel (2006) Wolfgang Schüssel
(born 1945)
4 February 2000 11 January 2007 6 years, 341 days ÖVP 1999 Schüssel I
ÖVP FPÖ
4 February 2000 – 3 April 2005

Schüssel II
ÖVP BZÖ
3 April 2005 – 11 January 2007
[44]
2002
23 Photograph of Gusenbauer (2008) Alfred Gusenbauer
(born 1960)
11 January 2007 2 December 2008 1 year, 326 days SPÖ 2006 Gusenbauer
SPÖ ÖVP
[45]
24 Portrait of Faymann (2008) Werner Faymann
(born 1960)
2 December 2008 9 May 2016 7 years, 159 days SPÖ 2008 Faymann III
SPÖ ÖVP
[46]
2013
Photograph of Mitterlehner (2016) Reinhold Mitterlehner
(born 1955)
9 May 2016 17 May 2016 8 days ÖVP Faymann II
SPÖ ÖVP
[47][48]
25 Portrait of Kern (2016) Christian Kern
(born 1966)
17 May 2016 18 December 2017 1 year, 215 days SPÖ Kern
SPÖ ÖVP
[49]
26 Sebastian Kurz
(born 1986)
18 December 2017 28 May 2019 1 year, 161 days ÖVP 2017 Kurz I
ÖVP FPÖ
18 December 2017 – 22 May 2019

ÖVP
22 May 2019 – 28 May 2019
[50]
Hartwig Löger
(born 1965)
28 May 2019 3 June 2019 6 days ÖVP Kurz I
ÖVP
[51][52]
27 Brigitte Bierlein
(born 1949)
3 June 2019 7 January 2020 218 days IND Bierlein
Technocrats
[53][54]
(26) Kurz with Russian President Putin in the Kremlin (2018) Sebastian Kurz
(born 1986)
7 January 2020 11 October 2021 1 year, 277 days ÖVP 2019 Kurz II
ÖVP Greens
[55]
28 Alexander Schallenberg
(born 1969)
11 October 2021 6 December 2021 56 days ÖVP Schallenberg
ÖVP Greens
[56]
29 Karl Nehammer
(born 1972)
6 December 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 151 days ÖVP Nehammer
ÖVP Greens
[57]

Timeline[edit]

Karl NehammerAlexander SchallenbergBrigitte BierleinSebastian KurzChristian KernWerner FaymannAlfred GusenbauerWolfgang SchüsselViktor KilmaFranz VranitzkyFred SinowatzBruno KreiskyJosef KlausAlfons GorbachJulius RaabLeopold FiglArthur Seyss-InquartKurt SchuschniggEngelbert DollfussKarl BureschOtto EnderCarl VaugoinErnst StreeruwitzRudolf RamekIgnaz SeipelWalter BreiskyJohannes SchoberMichael MayrKarl Renner

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Renner initially served as State Chancellor of the Republic of German-Austria until 21 October 1919, and thereafter as State Chancellor of the Republic of Austria.
  2. ^ The chancellor is appointed by the president of Austria. However, since the office of president was only established in 1920, Renner was instead appointed by the State Council.
  3. ^ Office renamed from "State Chancellor" to "Federal Chancellor" on 10 November 1920.
  4. ^ After the Red Army freed Vienna from the Nazi Regime, Renner formed a cabinet under Soviet rule. The cabinet was accepted by the Soviets on 27 April 1945 and recognized by all states of Austria as well as the Allied Control Council in September 1945.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Power limited for Austrian foreign minister, fan of Bruno Kreisky, critic of Juncker". euractiv.com. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Bundeskanzler Sebastian Kurz". bundeskanzleramt.gv.at (in German). Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Treaty of Saint-Germain". Britannica. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  4. ^ "First Republic and the Anschluss". Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  5. ^ "The assassination of Engelbert Dollfuss, July 25, 1934". eclecticatbest.com. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Kurt von Schuschnigg". Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Arthur Seyss-Inquart". Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Josef Bürckel". geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Baldur von Schirach". geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Gesetz über Gebietsveränderungen in Österreich". alex.onb.ac.a (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Anschluss". Britannica. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  12. ^ "The years of the Allied Forces in Vienna". wien.gv.at. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Full text of the Austrian State Treaty" (PDF). treaties.un.org. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Art. 69 B-VG". jusline.at (in German). Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Dr. Karl Renner" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Bundesregierung (Österreich)". austria-forum.org (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  17. ^ "Staatsregierung Renner I". anno.onb.ac.at (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Dr. Michael Mayr" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  19. ^ "abs. iur. DDDr. h.c Johannes Schober" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  20. ^ "abs. iur. DDDr. h.c Johannes Schober" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  21. ^ "abs. iur. DDDr. h.c Johannes Schober" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Dr. Ignaz Seipel" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  23. ^ "Dr. Rudolf Ramek" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  24. ^ "Ernst Streeruwitz" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  25. ^ "Carl Vaugoin" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Dr. Otto Ender" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  27. ^ "Dr. Karl Buresch" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  28. ^ "Dr. Karl Buresch" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Austria: Death for Freedom". Time. 6 August 1934. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Dr. Kurt Schuschnigg" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Arthur Seyss-Inquart". geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  32. ^ "Dr. Arthur Seyss-Inquart" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  33. ^ "Bundeskanzler seit 1945". bundeskanzleramt.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  34. ^ "Kanzler und Regierungen seit 1945". bundeskanzleramt.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  35. ^ "Karl Renner (Politiker)". geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  36. ^ "Dipl.-Ing. DDDr. h.c. Leopold Figl" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  37. ^ "Ing. DDDr. Julius Raab" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  38. ^ "Dr. Alfons Gorbach" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  39. ^ "Dr. Josef Klaus" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  40. ^ "Dr. Bruno Kreisky" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  41. ^ "Dr. Fred Sinowatz" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  42. ^ "Dipl.-Kfm. Dr. Franz Vranitzky" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  43. ^ "Mag. Viktor Klima" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  44. ^ "Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  45. ^ "Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  46. ^ "Werner Faymann" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  47. ^ "Dr. Reinhold Mitterlehner" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  48. ^ "ÖVP-Chef "überrascht"". orf.at (in German). 9 May 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  49. ^ "Mag. Christian Kern" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  50. ^ "Sebastian Kurz" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  51. ^ "Bundespräsident Van der Bellen enthebt Regierung ihres Amtes" (in German). APA. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  52. ^ "Hartwig Löger" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  53. ^ "Kabinett Bierlein angelobt". orf.at (in German). Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  54. ^ "Dr. Brigitte Bierlein" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  55. ^ "Sebastian Kurz" (in German). Republic of Austria Parliament. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  56. ^ "Schallenberg set to replace Kurz as Austria's chancellor". Euronews. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  57. ^ Welle (dw.com), Deutsche. "Austria: Karl Nehammer sworn in as new chancellor | DW | 06.12.2021". DW.COM. Retrieved 6 December 2021.

External links[edit]