Werner Faymann

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Werner Faymann

Werner Faymann (born May 4, 1960 in Vienna ) is an Austrian entrepreneur and former politician ( SPÖ ). From 2008 to 2016 he was Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria and Federal Party Chairman of the SPÖ. From 2007 to 2008 he was Austrian Transport Minister and member of the National Council .

Life

youth

During his school days at the Henriettenplatz evening high school in Vienna Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus , Faymann joined the SPÖ youth organization Socialist Youth (SJ). He graduated from the aforementioned grammar school (Realgymnasium) for working people in the 15th district. Faymann did his community service with the SPÖ-affiliated association “Young Vienna” in youth work and initiated the still existing Viennese apprentice project “Zentrum Aichholzgasse”. He enrolled in law, art history and political science at the University of Vienna. His curriculum vitae, which is drawn up by the Parliamentary Directorate according to the information provided by the respective person, contained a “Legal studies at the University of Vienna” under vocational training without further comment until this became a topic in the ORF Summer Talks 2012. In the summer interview, he stated that he had attended individual lectures and had taken an exam for an introductory seminar while studying law. He also stated that he had obtained a taxi license. But he never drove a taxi "except a few times". When asked how he explained the gap in his curriculum vitae between his Matura in 1978 and his first job as a member of the state parliament in 1985, Faymann stated that during these seven years he had done community service and summer jobs and had been active in the socialist youth.

Entry into politics

In 1981 he became regional chairman of the Vienna SJ and was one of the co-organizers of a counter-event ( alternative to the Pope's visit ) to the youth encounter during Pope John Paul II's first visit to Austria .

In 1985 he became a consultant at Zentralsparkasse , a credit institution very close to the Vienna city administration. From 1985 to 1994 Faymann was a member of the Vienna State Parliament and City Council .

From 1988 to 1994 he was the managing director and regional chairman of the Vienna Tenants' Association . In 1994 he became President of the Vienna Soil Provisioning and Urban Renewal Fund (WBSF) and Vice President of the Vienna Economic Development Fund (WWFF).

From 1994 to 2007, Faymann was a member of the Viennese provincial government as the leading city councilor for housing and urban renewal . When he sold community properties in 2002, he focused on selling to interested tenants. Municipal buildings were excluded from the sale.

Minister and Chancellor

Werner Faymann (r.) With Manuel Valls (French Prime Minister), Sigmar Gabriel (German Vice Chancellor) and Stefan Löfven (Swedish Prime Minister) on December 12, 2015 in Berlin

From January 2007 he held the office of Minister of Infrastructure under Federal Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer . During his brief tenure as Minister of Infrastructure, he completed the 160 km / h test route on the Tauern motorway . During his term of office, the daytime running lights were abolished and winter tires were introduced .

On June 16, 2008, he was appointed executive chairman of the SPÖ. After the termination of the SPÖ- ÖVP coalition by Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer (ÖVP) on July 7, 2008, Faymann was designated by the SPÖ as the top candidate for the new election of the National Council. At the federal party conference on August 8, 2008 in Linz, he was elected federal party leader of the SPÖ with 98.36%. On October 13, 2012, he was re-elected as federal party chairman of the SPÖ with 83.43% in office, which is the worst result of an SPÖ leader with no opponents in recent party history.

Faymann caused a stir as the top candidate with his five-point inflation adjustment program, which he largely implemented shortly before the election by terminating the coalition agreement in parliament. It included an increase in care allowance, the abolition of tuition fees, an increase in family allowances through the introduction of a 13th payment, and the extension of the hacker's regulation . The halving of VAT on food , which is also required, could not be achieved . When he took office, Faymann was considered a pragmatist within the SPÖ. However, this picture has changed since the financial crisis in 2007 . In many campaigns, for example, he promoted the reintroduction of inheritance and gift taxes , which he originally rejected. This was discussed in many media and interpreted as a shift to the left in the SPÖ.

In the 2008 National Council election , Faymann was able to defend first place for the SPÖ, but suffered great losses compared to the 2006 election. On November 23, 2008, the party leaders of the SPÖ and ÖVP announced that they had agreed on a new edition of the grand coalition with Werner Faymann as Federal Chancellor .

In the first few months of his time as Federal Chancellor, major losses followed in the elections in Carinthia , Salzburg and Upper Austria, as well as poor poll results. Experts saw the SPÖ under his leadership in a crisis because it had an unclear profile. Faymann then launched a campaign about distributive justice and demanded wealth- related taxes, thereby breaking his promise not to introduce any new taxes. In 2010, Faymann and the German SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel announced an EU-wide referendum to introduce a Tobin tax . Such a request became possible after the Lisbon Treaty entered into force . He announced a similar initiative after the Fukushima nuclear accidents .

During his chancellorship, a bank aid package was also passed, which all major banks in Austria made use of. In addition, two major banks (Kommunalkredit, Hypo Alpe Adria) were nationalized and one ÖVAG was partially nationalized in order to save them from bankruptcy. Further changes during Faymann's chancellorship were an increase in the mineral oil tax as of January 1, 2012, the abolition of the 13th family allowance, the creation of joint custody in family law and the ratification of the ESM . On March 1, 2014, there was an increase in the engine-related insurance tax , an increase in the NOVA and the de facto reintroduction of the sparkling wine tax at € 1 per liter (the tax had not previously been abolished, only set to 0).

A change was made by the SPÖ under Faymann's chairmanship with regard to conscription . If the SPÖ had been an advocate of general conscription for decades, it changed this line in October 2010 shortly before the state and municipal council elections in Vienna . Since the coalition partner ÖVP also unexpectedly spoke out in favor of compulsory military service, even though it had been promoting the professional army and joining NATO for decades, no agreement could be reached. It was finally agreed that on January 20, 2013, a referendum would be carried out on maintaining conscription. This referendum produced a clear majority (59.7%) in favor of maintaining compulsory military service and alternative military service (community service).

After the National Council election in 2013 , Werner Faymann, as chairman of the party with the strongest vote, the SPÖ, was commissioned by Federal President Heinz Fischer on October 9, 2013 to form a new government.

On September 4, 2015, Faymann announced that after telephone calls with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán , it had been agreed that Austria and Germany would allow the refugees to continue their journey due to the emergency, contrary to the provisions of the Dublin Agreement without registration by Hungary agree to the Austro-Hungarian border into their countries. Several thousand refugees were then taken by train from the border to Vienna and, in some cases, from there to Germany.

Later in the same month, in the wake of the refugee crisis in the EU, Faymann suggested cutting EU funding for those member states that accept no or very few refugees. EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn countered this proposal that it violated current EU law, since the EU funds in the common financial framework have already been distributed until 2020.

Since Faymann took office as SP chairman and chancellor in 2008, the SPÖ has run 20 elections at federal, state and EU level, with losses 18 times, including twice in the double-digit percentage range. The only significant gain in votes was achieved in the state elections in Carinthia in 2013 . In these years, went Governor Post in Salzburg ( state election in Salzburg in 2013 ) and Styria ( state elections in Styria in 2015 lost) to the ÖVP.

As a result of the poor result of the SPÖ candidate Rudolf Hundstorfer in the first round of the federal presidential election on April 24, 2016 , there were intensive discussions within the party, including about Faymann as chancellor and party leader. On May 9, 2016, he announced that he would resign both from the office of Chancellor and as chairman of the SPÖ, as he lacked the necessary full support in the party for the necessary restart of the government. Federal President Heinz Fischer entrusted Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner with the interim continuation of government affairs, the Mayor of Vienna and Governor Michael Häupl took over the party chairmanship until further notice. The Board of Directors of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) agreed on May 12, 2016 on Christian Kern , who has already been named several times for this purpose , previously Chairman of the Board of ÖBB- Holding AG, as successor in the office of Federal Chancellor and in the function of party chairman.

Relationship with the media

Faymann enjoyed a long friendship with Hans Dichand , the former editor of the daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung . Faymann contradicted the assertion that emerged in media reports that he had called Dichand “Uncle Hans” and described this as “nonsense” . He said he had known Dichand since he was 25 and had a good relationship with him. During Faymann's time as a Viennese city councilor for housing construction, he went on city trips with Dichand and wrote a column for the Kronen Zeitung entitled The direct line to the city council . The letter from Faymann and Gusenbauer addressed to Dichand was also published in the Kronen Zeitung , in which they announced the change of the party line on European issues as well as referendums on future EU treaties. In 2011, the FPÖ filed a criminal complaint against Faymann and his then cabinet head Josef Ostermayer for embezzlement, violation of the Stock Corporation Act and abuse of office, because during his tenure as Minister of Infrastructure he allegedly advertised the state-owned companies ÖBB and ASFINAG, which were then subordinate to him, in the tabloid media (Kronen Zeitung, Austria , Heute ) should have forced. The public prosecutor's office for business and corruption , however, did not see sufficient suspicion and closed the investigation in November 2013.

Activities after resignation

After his resignation, Faymann registered in the lobbying and interest representation register with the field of consulting and public affairs and considered working on a European level. In September 2016 he and his former press spokesman Matthias Euler-Rolle founded the company “4Projektmanagement- und KommunikationgmbH” with a focus on the development of real estate projects and public relations . His company recorded a balance sheet profit of around 195,000 euros for 2017, as the daily newspaper " Die Presse " reported. The company has a 44% stake in the Berlin "VIB - International Strategy Group GmbH & Co. KG", whose co-owners are other SPD politicians in addition to the former German SPD boss and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel .

On September 1, 2016, he was appointed honorary UN Special Representative for the Prevention of Youth Unemployment.

Private

Faymann lives in Vienna- Liesing . He has been married to Martina Ludwig-Faymann , member of the Viennese state parliament, since 2001 and has two daughters, one of them from his first marriage.

honors and awards

Publications

  • Werner Faymann: Learning to participate in school . In: Michael Häupl (Ed.): Model City - World City . political concepts for Europe's cities. Promedia Verlag , Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-85371-121-9 .
  • Rüdiger Lainer, Werner Faymann, Walter Zschokke: Ornament and the depths of the surface . Ed .: Aedes East. Aedes, Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-937093-35-4 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Werner Faymann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Werner Faymann biography , Vienna History Wiki.
  2. "Against senseless command culture" . In: Vorarlberger Nachrichten . February 25, 2011, p.  A2 ( online [accessed October 30, 2019]).
  3. a b ORF Summer Talk 2012 , interview with Werner Faymann.
  4. Werner Faymann, biography. Austrian Parliament , March 12, 2009, archived from the original on June 15, 2012 ; Retrieved on February 9, 2013 (later added “(not completed)”).
  5. Ingeborg Schödl: From Departure to Crisis. The Church in Austria from 1945. Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2011, pp. 148–150.
  6. a b CV Werner Faymann. ( Memento from June 21, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Website of the BKA, accessed on February 9, 2013.
  7. Municipality sells apartments. In: derstandard.at. January 18, 2002, accessed December 15, 2013.
  8. ↑ Slap in the face for Faymann: Only 83.43 percent if DiePresse.com was re-elected on October 14, 2012, accessed on December 18, 2015
  9. Article "SPÖ: Links from (and with) Laura Rudas" from April 21, 2012, accessed on diepresse.com on December 15, 2013
  10. Article “SPÖ: Werner Faymann relies on red traditionalism” from April 21, 2012, accessed on www.profil.at on December 15, 2013
  11. Article “The SPÖ is drifting into an increasingly steep left-hand bend” from May 6, 2012, accessed on www.format.at on December 15, 2013
  12. NZZ : SPÖ and ÖVP agree on grand coalition in Austria - Werner Faymann becomes new Federal Chancellor , November 23, 2008
  13. Article "Faymann plans EU referendum on financial transaction tax" of May 18, 2010, accessed on derstandard.at on December 15, 2013
  14. Faymann wants to forge a broad anti-nuclear alliance before the EU referendum. In: noen.at. April 5, 2011, accessed December 15, 2013.
  15. ^ Chancellor Faymann charged with forming a government. In: spoe.at. October 9, 2013, accessed December 15, 2013.
  16. Federal Chancellor Werner Faymann: Approval for refugees from Hungary to continue their journey to Austria and Germany. Faymanns Facebook blog, September 4, 2015, accessed October 28, 2015
  17. Thousands of refugees from Hungary reach Austria , Reuters, September 5, 2015, accessed October 28, 2015
  18. Chancellor in the refugee crisis: Angela Merkel and the art of normality , Günter Bannas in FAZ online from September 20, 2015, accessed October 28, 2015
  19. Hahn: Funding cuts not possible for defaulting countries In: Kleine Zeitung, September 21, 2015
  20. The 18 defeats of the Faymann era and the Chancellor's attempted explanations. In: The Standard . May 9, 2016.
  21. Werner Faymann resigns as Federal Chancellor and SPÖ leader. , May 9, 2016.
  22. Chancellor Faymann resigns. In: orf online. Retrieved May 9, 2016 .
  23. ^ Salzburger Nachrichten : Faymann's resignation: Mitterlehner temporarily Chancellor , May 9, 2016.
  24. profile : ÖBB boss Christian Kern has a chance to succeed Chancellor Faymann , August 2, 2014
  25. profile : Christian Kern: Chancellor of Hearts , September 16, 2015
  26. Die die: Kern as SPÖ boss as good as fixed. In: news.ORF.at. May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016 .
  27. SPÖ grandees fix Kern as party leader. In: derStandard.at. May 13, 2016, accessed May 13, 2016 .
  28. Uncle Hans intervenes. ( Memento from October 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) In: Die Zeit , September 2008. - Article about the relationship between Hans Dichand and Werner Faymann (on florianklenk.com).
  29. Erna Lackner / Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung : Mediocracy in Austria: Uncle Hans, he can do it , July 1, 2008
  30. Michael Völker / Der Standard : “I don't say Uncle Hans to him” , July 12, 2008
  31. ^ Saskia Jungnikl: The minister without qualities . In: date . No. 6 , June 1, 2008, p. 16 f . ( online ( memento of April 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) [accessed on March 30, 2013]).
  32. ^ Die Welt : Friendly, but smooth: Werner Faymann, new SPÖ candidate , July 9, 2008.
  33. SPÖ letter in full: referendum for a new EU treaty. (No longer available online.) In: krone.at. July 2008 ;formerly in the original .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives );@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / wcm.krone.at
  34. ^ Advertisements: No charges against Faymann. In: orf.at. November 5, 2013, accessed November 5, 2013 .
  35. ^ Advertisements: Proceedings against Faymann and Ostermayer discontinued , DiePresse dated November 5, 2013
  36. Werner Faymann is now a lobbyist. In: The Standard . Retrieved June 27, 2016 .
  37. ^ Kurier: Ex-Chancellor Faymann and Euler-Rolle found companies . Article dated September 1, 2016, accessed September 2, 2016.
  38. Werner Faymann builds an "economic empire" . In: The press . ( diepresse.com [accessed November 6, 2018]).
  39. Andrea Hodoschek: Faymann and Sigmar Gabriel start a joint company . November 7, 2018 ( kurier.at [accessed November 8, 2018]).
  40. Werner Faymann has a new job from September. In: Courier. Retrieved August 13, 2016 .
  41. ^ Freedom Fighters Conference, press release, APA OTS0072, November 27, 2010.
  42. ^ Wiener Zeitung: Government excellent ; accessed on May 9, 2015