Franz Vranitzky | |
|---|---|
 Vranitzky in 2020 | |
| Chancellor of Austria | |
| In office 16 June 1986 – 28 January 1997 | |
| President | Rudolf Kirchschläger Kurt Waldheim Thomas Klestil |
| Vice-Chancellor | Norbert Steger Alois Mock Josef Riegler Erhard Busek Wolfgang Schüssel |
| Preceded by | Fred Sinowatz |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Klima |
| Chair of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 11 May 1988 – 9 April 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Fred Sinowatz |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Klima |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 10 September 1984 – 16 June 1986 | |
| Chancellor | Fred Sinowatz |
| Preceded by | Herbert Salcher |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Klima |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1937-10-04)4 October 1937 (age 87) Vienna,Federal State of Austria (nowAustria) |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse | |
| Signature |  |
Franz Vranitzky (German:[fʁantsvʁaˈnɪtski]; born 4 October 1937) is anAustrian politician. A member of theSocial Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), he wasChancellor of Austria from 1986 to 1997.
As the son of afoundryman, Vranitzky was born into humble circumstances in Vienna's 17th district. He attended the Realgymnasium Geblergasse and studied economics, graduating in 1960. He financed his studies teaching Latin and English and as a construction worker.[citation needed]
As a young man, Vranitzky playedbasketball and was a member of Austria's national team, which in 1960 unsuccessfully tried to qualify for the1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[citation needed]
In 1962, Vranitzky joined theSocial Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ).[citation needed]
In 1962, Vranitzky married Christine Christen, with whom he fathered two children.[citation needed]
Vranitzky began his career in 1961 atSiemens-Schuckert, but within the year switched to Austria’s central bankOesterreichische Nationalbank. In 1969, he received a doctorate in International business studies. The following year,Hannes Androsch,finance minister under ChancellorBruno Kreisky, appointed him economic and financial advisor. Vranitzky served as deputy director of theCreditanstalt-Bankverein (1976–1981), briefly as its director general and as director general of theLänderbank (1981–1984).[citation needed]
In 1984, Vranitzky joined the SPÖ-Freedom Party (FPÖ) government coalition under ChancellorFred Sinowatz asfinance minister. He was criticized for receiving multiple compensations from his various functions in government-run businesses.[citation needed]
In the presidential elections of 1986, Chancellor Sinowatz vociferously opposedKurt Waldheim, the candidate of theAustrian People's Party (ÖVP) opposition. The formerUN Secretary General's campaign for office caused international controversy due to allegations about his role as a German army officer inWorld War II. When Waldheim was elected on 8 June, Sinowatz resigned from the government, proposing Vranitzky as his successor.[1]
Vranitzky entered his new office on 16 June 1986. At first he continued the government coalition with theFreedom Party. On 13 September 1986, however, radical FPÖ politicianJörg Haider was elected chairman of his party, ousting the moderatevice chancellorNorbert Steger. Vranitzky ended cooperation with his coalition partner and had parliament dissolved.[2]
In thesubsequent elections on 23 November 1986, the SPÖ remained the strongest party. In January 1987, Vranitzky formed a government, based on agrand coalition with the second-largest party, theChristian democrat ÖVP, withAlois Mock serving as vice-chancellor and foreign minister. In 1988, Vranitzky also succeeded Fred Sinowatz as chairman of his party.
Until 1992, Austria's foreign policy had to deal with the repercussions of the Waldheim controversy, as the Austrian president was shunned in some diplomatic circles. TheUnited States regarded Waldheim as apersona non grata, thereby barring him from entering the country in 1987, whileIsrael had recalled its ambassador after Waldheim's election. Vranitzky managed to normalise Austria's relations with both countries and frequently stepped in to perform diplomatic duties commonly assigned to the president.
On 8 July 1991, in a speech in parliament, Vranitzky acknowledged a share in the responsibility for the pain brought, not by Austria as a state, but by citizens of this country, upon other people and peoples", thereby departing from the hitherto official portrayal of Austria as "Hitler's first victim."
After the end of theCold War, Vranitzky focused on furthering relations with the nations of Eastern Europe and membership in theEuropean Union, of which Vranitzky and his foreign minister, Alois Mock, were strong advocates. After a referendum on 12 June 1994 resulted in 66% in favour of EU membership, Austria joined the European Union in January 1995. Austria's militaryneutrality, which had been espoused during the Cold War, was reaffirmed in the process.
In party politics, Vranitzky kept his distance fromJörg Haider's Freedom Party – a stance the latter decried as a "policy of exclusion." In theelection of 1990, Vranitzky's coalition government was confirmed when the Social Democrat vote remained stable while the ÖVP lost 17 seats, mainly to the FPÖ. The1994 election saw heavy losses by both coalition parties, which nonetheless remained the two largest parties, while FPÖ and others made further gains. Vranitzky renewed the coalition with the ÖVP, which after May 1995 was led by foreign ministerWolfgang Schüssel. Later in the year, the grand coalition broke apart over budget policy, leading to theelections of December 1995, which however only saw slight changes in favor of SPÖ and ÖVP. Vranitzky and Schüssel resumed their coalition in March 1996.
In January 1997, Vranitzky resigned as chancellor and as party chairman.[3] He was succeeded in both positions by his minister of finance,Viktor Klima.[4]
After leaving office, Vranitzky served asOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe representative forAlbania from March to October 1997,[5] before returning into the banking sector, as political consultant to theWestLB bank. In December, he was elected to the board of governors of automotive supplierMagna. He later occupied the same position for the tourism companyTUI and Magic Life hotels.
In June 2005, he donated one of hiskidneys to his wife Christine, who suffered from chronic kidney failure.
He actively supported his party's frontrunnerAlfred Gusenbauer in the2006 elections. During the campaign it was revealed, that in 1999, Vranitzky had received a million Austrian schillings as a consultant to theBAWAG bank, which was then under public scrutiny. It was alleged that the payment was made without any service in return[6] and that it constituted an "indirect party funding". Vranitzky denounced the allegations.[7]
Vranitzky chairs the quarterlyVranitzky colloquia, organised by the study group WiWiPol, which discusses economic topics and their impact on Austria and Europe. He is a former member of the Steering Committee of theBilderberg Group.[8]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Finance Minister of Austria 1984–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chancellor of Austria 1986–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Social Democratic Party 1988–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Recipient of theCharlemagne Prize 1995 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
