Alexander Schallenberg Austrian statesman and politician Date of Birth: 20.06.1969 Country: Austria

1. Early Life and Education
2. Diplomatic Career
3. Political Career
4. Chancellorship
5. Awards and Recognition
6. Other Activities

Early Life and Education

Alexander Schallenberg was born in Bern, Switzerland, in 1969. As the son of an Austrian ambassador, he spent his childhood in India, Spain, and Paris. From 1989 to 1994, Schallenberg studied law at the University of Vienna and Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas. He then attended the College of Europe until 1995.

Diplomatic Career

In 1997, Schallenberg entered the Austrian diplomatic service. He served at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union in Brussels from 2000 to 2005, where he headed the legal service. In 2006, he became the spokesman for Ursula Plassnik, his former College of Europe classmate and then Foreign Minister.

When Sebastian Kurz became Foreign Minister, Schallenberg was appointed Director for Strategic Foreign Policy Planning in 2013. Initially slated to become ambassador to India in 2014, he chose to remain in the Foreign Ministry to work with the new foreign minister. Schallenberg was seen as an inexperienced mentor for Kurz, who had little foreign policy expertise, which propelled him to more senior roles. In 2016, Schallenberg became head of the European Department of the Foreign Ministry.

Political Career

On June 3, 2019, Schallenberg succeeded Karin Kneissl as Foreign Minister of Austria in the technocratic cabinet of Brigitte Bierlein. He retained his post in the second cabinet of Sebastian Kurz, sworn in on January 7, 2020, where he was nominated by the ÖVP. Following the resignation of Sebastian Kurz on October 9, 2021, Schallenberg assumed leadership of the Austrian government, and was sworn in as Federal Chancellor of Austria on October 11.

Chancellorship

After Kurz announced on October 9, 2021, that he expected to resign amid corruption investigations, the ÖVP nominated Schallenberg as his successor as Chancellor of Austria. Schallenberg was sworn in as Chancellor on October 11, 2021, by President Alexander Van der Bellen. In his first official act, he appointed Michael Linhart, a career diplomat and ambassador to France, to replace him as Foreign Minister.

In November 2021, Schallenberg announced that COVID-19 vaccination would become mandatory in Austria beginning in February 2022, making it the first European country to mandate the vaccine. On December 2, 2021, just seven weeks after taking office and hours after his predecessor as Chancellor and leader of the ruling Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), Sebastian Kurz, announced his resignation from all political offices, Schallenberg announced his intention to step down. He stated, "I am firmly convinced that the two offices – that of head of government and federal chairman of the party with the most votes in Austria – should quickly be reunited in one hand," clarifying that he had never intended to lead the ÖVP.

Awards and Recognition

- Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein (2019)

- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2019)

Other Activities

Since 2020, Schallenberg has served as patron of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism.