Wolfgang Schüssel

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Wolfgang Schüssel is an Austrian retired politician born on June 7, 1945, in Vienna, Austria. He served as Chancellor of Austria from February 2000 to January 2007 and was a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). In 2011, he left his parliamentary mandate due to corruption charges against former members of his government.

Schüssel's political career began with his involvement in the ÖVP. He joined the party as its secretary in 1975 and later became chairman at the 30th Party Congress on April 22, 1995, removing Erhard Busek from his position. In May 1995, Schüssel staged an election for President of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and ousted Busek as president. He also took over as Vice-Chancellor in Franz Vranitzky's fourth government on May 23, 1995.

Schüssel's government was highly controversial due to its inclusion of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), a nationalist party close to the extreme right. The ÖVP had been a member of every Austrian government since 1945 and from 1986 onwards but never been completely excluded from power. Despite this, Schüssel's government became contentious because of the FPÖ's involvement.

In February 2000, Schüssel was appointed Chancellor after Jörg Haider succeeded him as leader of the FPÖ. The ÖVP had agreed to support Schüssel as chancellor, and he formed a coalition with the Freedom Party. However, this decision led to criticism from European Union leaders, who saw it as a breach of the EU's long-standing policy against right-wing populist parties.

During his tenure as Chancellor, Schüssel presented an initiative for a "new partnership for Europe," which aimed to cover 15 Member States of the European Union, Eastern and Cyprus candidates, Turkey, EFTA countries, CIS nations, and Mediterranean countries. The proposal was met with limited support from other EU governments, resulting in no continuity as a project.

Schüssel's biography is marked by economic difficulties at home, having grown up in a family affected by World War II. His father was affiliated with the German National Socialist Workers' Party (Nazi Party) before its defeat in 1945. Despite this background, Schüssel went on to become one of Austria's most prominent politicians, serving as Chancellor for nearly seven years