Post by pieter on May 30, 2019 8:30:45 GMT -7
First Austrian female prime minister
Brigitte Bierlein (born June 25, 1949 in Vienna) is an Austrian jurist. She was the advocate general of the Procurator's Office, essentially the country's chief public prosecutor, from 1990 to 2002, and a member of the executive board of the International Association of Prosecutors from 2001 to 2003. In 2003, Bierlein was made a member of the Austrian Constitutional Court. Since January 2018, she has been serving as its president, the first woman to hold this position. She will be appointed as temporary Chancellor until the next national elections in September 2019 and will be the first woman in this role in Austria.
Brigitte Bierlein has been appointed as Austria’s first female chancellor, at the head of an interim technocratic government to rule the country for the next four months.
Ms Bierlein, the current president of Austria’s constitutional court, will be formally sworn into office in the coming days, said President Alexander Van der Bellen on Thursday.
The 69 year-old jurist’s appointment brings to a close a rancorous fortnight in Austrian politics, viewed by many in Vienna as the most serious political crisis in the Austrian second republic’s history.
Ms Bierlein, who has no official political affiliation but is seen as moderately right of centre, said she was “surprised” to have been approached to take the job, but pledged to “gain the trust” of the country’s main political parties “and the confidence of Austrians”.
She announced the first two appointments to her cabinet: Clemens Jabloner, another lawyer, is to become vice-chancellor and minister for justice. Alexander Schallenberg, a career diplomat, will take over the foreign ministry.
The Bierlein government will rule until September, when fresh elections have been scheduled. It will seek to administer, but not legislate, said President Van Der Bellen. “I am talking about a government of trust,” he announced, speaking from his official residence in Vienna’s former imperial palace, the Hofburg. “She has my confidence, and the confidence of the people she will work out in the coming weeks.”
Designated Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein speaks next to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen during a news conference in Vienna, Austria, May 30, 2019. Reuters/Lisi Niesner
Austria’s political scene is unlikely to quieten down over the summer. The country’s main political parties already gearing up for what is expected to be a bitter, and hard-fought campaign ahead of the polls in September. The outcome is likely to prove critical for Austria’s political future.
Sebastian Kurz, once a posterboy for conservative politicians across Europe because of his pragmatic accommodation of Austria’s insurgent rightwing populists, was removed as chancellor on Monday in a vote of no confidence by parliamentarians — despite high popular approval ratings and a huge electoral victory for his party in Sunday’s European parliamentary election.
Mr Kurz had hoped to lead a minority government until September after his coalition with the far-right Freedom Party broke down because of the so-called ‘Ibiza Affair’. The chancellor ejected the Freedom Party from his government two weeks ago, scuppering his parliamentary majority, after a covertly-filmed video emerged showed the far-right group’s leader and Austria’s then vice-chancellor, Heinz-Christian Strache, promising government contracts in exchange for heavyweight political support from Russia.
Brigitte Bierlein, as president of Austria’s constitutional court
In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Kurz welcomed Ms Bierlein’s appointment. “Brigitte Bierlein is an extraordinarily competent, experienced and honest person. She will ensure a stable administration in Austria over the coming months and we will of course do our utmost to support her,” he wrote.
Many expect Mr Kurz to emerge victorious in September, and re-enter the Ballhausplatz, as the official seat of Austria’s premier is known. Most Austrians, polling last week showed, did not want to see him removed from office.
But there are still significant chances his path back to power could be derailed. The Freedom Party, in particular, is likely to make attacks on Mr Kurz a leitmotif of its campaign.
In a statement on Thursday, a spokesperson for the party also welcomed Ms Bierlein’s appointment, calling her a “highly suitable” appointee. ““Above all, we want to ensure a smooth co-operation between Parliament and the interim government, and I will make the necessary contribution in my new role,” said Herbert Kickl, the Freedom Party’s recently ousted minister of the interior.
Source: Wikipedia and the Financial Times
Brigitte Bierlein (born June 25, 1949 in Vienna) is an Austrian jurist. She was the advocate general of the Procurator's Office, essentially the country's chief public prosecutor, from 1990 to 2002, and a member of the executive board of the International Association of Prosecutors from 2001 to 2003. In 2003, Bierlein was made a member of the Austrian Constitutional Court. Since January 2018, she has been serving as its president, the first woman to hold this position. She will be appointed as temporary Chancellor until the next national elections in September 2019 and will be the first woman in this role in Austria.
Brigitte Bierlein has been appointed as Austria’s first female chancellor, at the head of an interim technocratic government to rule the country for the next four months.
Ms Bierlein, the current president of Austria’s constitutional court, will be formally sworn into office in the coming days, said President Alexander Van der Bellen on Thursday.
The 69 year-old jurist’s appointment brings to a close a rancorous fortnight in Austrian politics, viewed by many in Vienna as the most serious political crisis in the Austrian second republic’s history.
Ms Bierlein, who has no official political affiliation but is seen as moderately right of centre, said she was “surprised” to have been approached to take the job, but pledged to “gain the trust” of the country’s main political parties “and the confidence of Austrians”.
She announced the first two appointments to her cabinet: Clemens Jabloner, another lawyer, is to become vice-chancellor and minister for justice. Alexander Schallenberg, a career diplomat, will take over the foreign ministry.
The Bierlein government will rule until September, when fresh elections have been scheduled. It will seek to administer, but not legislate, said President Van Der Bellen. “I am talking about a government of trust,” he announced, speaking from his official residence in Vienna’s former imperial palace, the Hofburg. “She has my confidence, and the confidence of the people she will work out in the coming weeks.”
Designated Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein speaks next to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen during a news conference in Vienna, Austria, May 30, 2019. Reuters/Lisi Niesner
Austria’s political scene is unlikely to quieten down over the summer. The country’s main political parties already gearing up for what is expected to be a bitter, and hard-fought campaign ahead of the polls in September. The outcome is likely to prove critical for Austria’s political future.
Sebastian Kurz, once a posterboy for conservative politicians across Europe because of his pragmatic accommodation of Austria’s insurgent rightwing populists, was removed as chancellor on Monday in a vote of no confidence by parliamentarians — despite high popular approval ratings and a huge electoral victory for his party in Sunday’s European parliamentary election.
Mr Kurz had hoped to lead a minority government until September after his coalition with the far-right Freedom Party broke down because of the so-called ‘Ibiza Affair’. The chancellor ejected the Freedom Party from his government two weeks ago, scuppering his parliamentary majority, after a covertly-filmed video emerged showed the far-right group’s leader and Austria’s then vice-chancellor, Heinz-Christian Strache, promising government contracts in exchange for heavyweight political support from Russia.
Brigitte Bierlein, as president of Austria’s constitutional court
In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Kurz welcomed Ms Bierlein’s appointment. “Brigitte Bierlein is an extraordinarily competent, experienced and honest person. She will ensure a stable administration in Austria over the coming months and we will of course do our utmost to support her,” he wrote.
Many expect Mr Kurz to emerge victorious in September, and re-enter the Ballhausplatz, as the official seat of Austria’s premier is known. Most Austrians, polling last week showed, did not want to see him removed from office.
But there are still significant chances his path back to power could be derailed. The Freedom Party, in particular, is likely to make attacks on Mr Kurz a leitmotif of its campaign.
In a statement on Thursday, a spokesperson for the party also welcomed Ms Bierlein’s appointment, calling her a “highly suitable” appointee. ““Above all, we want to ensure a smooth co-operation between Parliament and the interim government, and I will make the necessary contribution in my new role,” said Herbert Kickl, the Freedom Party’s recently ousted minister of the interior.
Source: Wikipedia and the Financial Times