Alexander Schallenberg is the man with whom the Christian Democratic ÖVP in Vienna wants to stay in the coalition with the Greens. The choice seems logical, although or precisely because his name was not prominently featured in the previous scenarios for what-if. On the one hand, he is not as closely linked to the rise of Sebastian Kurz within the party as other previous members of the ÖVP government. He is far enough away from the advertising affair because of which the Greens forced Kurz to withdraw in order to satisfy their demand for an “impeccable person”. On the other hand, since Kurz became Foreign Minister in 2013, he was a close advisor and loyal follower to him in office. In short, who wants to continue to play a decisive role would not have suggested someonewho contradicts his line or threatens to develop too much of his own ambition in the new post.
Stephan Löwenstein
Political correspondent based in Vienna.
Follow I follow
Schallenberg comes from an old Austrian family, his ancestors have served many emperors. His father led the nomadic life of a diplomat, which is why the future Austrian Chancellor was born in the Swiss capital Bern in 1969 and spent some of his childhood in India, Spain and France. He studied law in Vienna and Paris and European law in Bruges. Then he joined the foreign service himself. However, its tasks already testify to a political approach. After a post at the legal department of the Austrian EU embassy in Brussels, Foreign Ministers Plassnik and Spindelegger got him as their spokesman. Kurz then promoted him to head of "strategic foreign policy planning". When Kurz took office in 2017,he also took Schallenberg there with him as head of planning.
"Part of Sebastian Kurz's team"
The Ibiza affair came to an abrupt end to Kurz's first chancellorship less than two years later, and the divorced father of four wondered whether he would be spending long mornings in the Volksgarten with Caffè latte in the future.
But it turned out quite differently, he became foreign minister in Brigitte Bierlein's "civil servants' government".
Even then he could be considered a representative of the ÖVP, just as other parties brought in officials close to them.
He was also able to exert influence as a government coordinator.
It is no coincidence that Kurz now recalled Schallenberg's role at the time.
He only joined the ÖVP when he was accepted into the turquoise-green government.
He always stayed on the short line, whether in matters of migration or personnel policy.
Now he has the tricky task of being “part of Sebastian Kurz's team”, as he once called himself, to lead a government team with his own authority.