Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel

Former Austrian Chancellor

Wolfgang Schüssel was born on June 7, 1945, in Vienna. Following his university studies in Economics and Law, for which he received a Doctorate in Law in 1968, he began his professional and political career in the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). From 1968 to 1975 he worked as the secretary of the ÖVP's parliamentary club. From 1975 to 1991 he was secretary general of the Austrian Business Federation, and from 1979 to 1989 he was a member in the National Council. From 1987 to 1989 he also served as the deputy party chairman of the ÖVP. During this time he participated in negotiations for Austria's accession to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union.

In 1989 Dr. Schüssel was appointed minister for economic affairs in the coalition government under Chancellor Franz Vranitzky. On April 22, 1995, he succeeded Erhard Busek as the ÖVP's national leader. He also became vice-chancellor and foreign minister.

Following national elections in 2000, Dr. Schüssel was appointed Austrian chancellor, a post he held until January 2007. Following the sudden death of Interior Minister Liese Prokop, he assumed the post of interior minister on January 1, 2007. He has been closely associated with the Bertelsmann Stiftung through his role of coorganizer of the Salzburg Trilogue. Dr. Schüssel has been a member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Board of Trustees since April 2007.