 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German. (September 2021)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Manfred Haimbuchner (born 12 August 1978) is aFreedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) politician. He served in theNational Council from 2006 to 2009, and in theLandtag ofUpper Austria as his party's leader since 2009. In 2015, he became Deputy Governor of the state.
Haimbuchner is the descendant of refugeeSudeten Germans.[1] His fatherLambert Haimbuchner [de] was the mayor ofSteinhaus.[1] He graduated in Law fromJohannes Kepler University Linz.[1] He married Annette in May 2016,[2] and their son was born in January 2018.[3]
In the2006 elections, he was elected to theNational Council.[4] He was the FPÖ's lead candidate in the2009 Upper Austrian state election,[5] and was named minister for Housing, Nature and Savings inJosef Pühringer's state government.[6]
During the campaign for the2015 Upper Austrian state election, he spoke out against settlingSyrian refugees in the state during theEuropean migrant crisis.[1] His party's vote share doubled to 30.4% to make them the second power in the state after theAustrian People's Party (ÖVP);Reuters credited this to the migrant crisis.[7] He was then made Deputy Governor to Pühringer.[8]
Haimbuchner was the recipient of the 2016 Black Globe Award given out byGreenpeace, theWWF and Global 2000 to figures who deny climate change. He welcomed the award as recognition for "common-sense politics".[9]
In March 2021, Hambuchner was in intensive care withCOVID-19. He was later fined for having broken rules by attending a welcoming party for a newborn.[10] That September, his party's seats dropped to 11 inthe state elections, joint second with theSocial Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).[11]