Wolfgang Schüssel

Biographical Information

Wolfgang Schüssel served as Federal Chancellor of Austria between 2000 and 2007, a period which saw the introduction of the Euro, a comprehensive reform of Austria’s pension system, the consolidation of the country‘s budget, the privatization of nationalized industries, as well as restitution payments to the victims of National Socialism.

Public Career

Wolfgang Schüssel was born in Vienna in 1945 and received his doctorate in law from Vienna University in 1968.

From 1995 to 2007 he was National Chairman of the Austrian People‘s Party. From 1989 to 1995 he served as Minister of Economic Affairs, and from 1995 to 1999 as Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr Schüssel played a key role in Austria’s accession to the European Union and chaired the European Council during Austria‘s EU Presidency in the first half of 2006.

Activity after Public Politics

Since retiring from active politics Wolfgang Schüssel has been involved with a number of boards and organisations and is a renowned speaker on the subjects of Europe and European integration, international energy policy and economic development, as well as transatlantic relations and relations between Europe and Russia.

Wolfgang Schüssel became a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation in 2014.

Membership and Associations

• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
• President of the Foreign Policy and United Nations Association
• Trustees of the Bertelsmann Foundation
• Trustees of the Allensbach Institute