(1986-08-27) 27 August 1986 (age 37) Meidling, Vienna, Austria
Political party
People's Party (2003–present)
Domestic partner
Susanne Thier
Children
1
Parents
Josef Kurz (father)
Elisabeth Döller (mother)
Residence(s)
Meidling, Vienna
Education
GRG 12 Erlgasse (Matura)
Cabinet
Faymann I
Faymann II
Kern
Kurz I
Kurz II
Signature
Website
Official website
Parliament website
Military service
Allegiance
Austria
Branch/service
Austrian Armed Forces
Years of service
2004–2005
Unit
Maria Theresa's Barracks
Sebastian Kurz (German:[zeˈbasti̯a(ː)nˈkʊrts]; born 27 August 1986) is an Austrian former politician who served twice as the chancellor of Austria, initially from December 2017 to May 2019 and then a second time from January 2020 to October 2021. On 23 February 2024, Kurz received an eight-month suspended sentence after being convicted of perjury by a court in Vienna over his involvement in a parliamentary inquiry.[1]
Kurz was born and raised in Meidling, Vienna. He entered politics by joining the Young People's Party (JVP) in 2003 and rose through the ranks there over the following years. As a result of a cabinet reshuffle in 2011, Kurz received his first government mandate as state secretary responsible for socially integrating refugees. After the 2013 legislative election, Kurz became the country's foreign minister and remained its top diplomat until December 2017.
In May 2017, Kurz succeeded ÖVP chairman Reinhold Mitterlehner and ran as chancellor candidate of his party in the 2017 legislative election. He campaigned on modernizing the Austrian political and bureaucratic apparatus as well as handling the social and immigration issues the country was facing after the European refugee crisis. His perceived reformist approach, rhetorical skills and youth were cited as the prime reasons for his landslide victory. Kurz was subsequently charged with forming his first cabinet. He opted for a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). During his first chancellorship, Kurz was credited with mostly following through on his campaign pledges, but his leadership style was widely criticised as uncooperative and hasty. Several political scandals, culminating with the Ibiza affair in 2019, ended the ÖVP–FPÖ coalition. As a result of him no longer commanding the support of Parliament, Kurz and his Cabinet were ousted.
Following the 2019 snap election, he returned to power and formed a coalition with the environmentalist Green Party this time. Kurz and his second cabinet were inaugurated in January 2020. Their agenda, however, was swiftly put in limbo by the surging COVID-19 pandemic. His response to the pandemic included lockdowns and curfews. An investigation into the Ibiza affair by a parliamentary subcommittee, an unstable Cabinet plagued by resignations, and ultimately a corruption inquiry, forced Kurz to resign the chancellorship in October 2021. However, remaining party chair and parliamentary leader allowed him to retain control over government affairs, and thus he came to be known as "shadow chancellor". Two months later, Kurz quit politics entirely and started working as a global strategist for Peter Thiel.
Kurz was the youngest chancellor in Austrian history as well as the youngest head of government in the world for about four years. His youth and political tenor were credited with revitalizing the traditional conservative movement in Austria, and to a larger extent in Europe.
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SebastianKurz (German: [zeˈbasti̯a(ː)n ˈkʊrts]; born 27 August 1986) is an Austrian former politician who served twice as the chancellor of Austria, initially...
corruption probe targeting Chancellor SebastianKurz and his "inner circle". Prosecutors alleged that, in 2016, Kurz paid bribes to news outlets to publish...
lost a motion of no confidence in parliament, before ÖVP Chancellor SebastianKurz was replaced by non-partisan Brigitte Bierlein on an interim basis....
position in the second government of SebastianKurz, before briefly serving as Chancellor of Austria as Kurz's successor from 11 October to 6 December...
SebastianKurz resigned as chancellor in the wake of a corruption investigation and was succeeded by Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. Kurz remained...
in May by the latter party's new leader SebastianKurz. The ÖVP took a strong lead in opinion polls after Kurz's confirmation as leader, and emerged as...
who was sworn in on 6 December 2021 following the resignations of SebastianKurz and Alexander Schallenberg, of the same party, as party leader and Chancellor...
Greens, which was sworn in with Kurz as chancellor on 7 January 2020. On 11 October 2021, Chancellor SebastianKurz resigned, after pressure triggered...
manager Rob Kurz (born 1985), American basketball player Robert Kurz (philosopher) (1943–2012), German philosopher and publicist SebastianKurz (born 1986)...
Kurz government may refer to two government cabinets in Austria: the First Kurz government (2017–2019) the Second Kurz government (2020–2021) This disambiguation...
been serving as Minister of Defense in the government of Chancellor SebastianKurz since January 2020. From 2011 to 2020, she worked as the General Manager...
announcement of an early election. In a no-confidence vote on 27 May, SebastianKurz was voted out of office as Austrian chancellor by Parliament, and on...
The Second Kurz government (German: Zweite Bundesregierung Kurz or Kurz II for short) was the 33rd Government of Austria. Led by SebastianKurz as chancellor...
euractiv.com. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2021. "Bundeskanzler SebastianKurz". bundeskanzleramt.gv.at (in German). Archived from the original on...
in which the ÖVP emerged as the strongest party, the president asked SebastianKurz to form a new coalition government. Van der Bellen, formerly a leader...
outlets to a bare minimum. This prompted criticism from Chancellor SebastianKurz, who condemned "any restriction of freedom of the press". Kickl stated...
and pastoral care in the military. The minister for Foreign Affairs, SebastianKurz, said the changes were intended to "clearly combat" the influence of...
Constitution at the Austrian Chancellery in the governments of Chancellors SebastianKurz, Alexander Schallenberg and Karl Nehammer since 2020. A member of the...
Culture, the Civil Service and Sport in the governments of chancellors SebastianKurz, Alexander Schallenberg, and Karl Nehammer since 7 January 2020. Kogler...
Faymann Reinhold Mitterlehner Christian Kern SebastianKurz Hartwig Löger Brigitte Bierlein SebastianKurz Alexander Schallenberg Karl Nehammer Italics...
October 2017's snap general election, Kern's SPÖ got defeated by SebastianKurz' ÖVP. Kurz decided to form a coalition with the FPÖ. From December 2017 Kern...
undisclosed amount. Masdar garnered laurels from Austria's ex-chancellor SebastianKurz who has been working for the company since 2022. With Austrian Verbund...
1% Publication date with Alexander Schallenberg as frontrunner with SebastianKurz as frontrunner KPÖ 4% Fieldwork presented in survey as "KW21" (Kalenderwoche...
member for the post of Foreign Minister of Austria in the government of SebastianKurz. Kneissl is the third woman to hold this function. Her nomination might...
Assumed office 26 January 2017 Chancellor Christian Kern SebastianKurz Brigitte Bierlein SebastianKurz Alexander Schallenberg Karl Nehammer Preceded by Heinz...
Foreign Minister of Andorra Gilbert Saboya meeting Austrian foreign minister SebastianKurz at the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2014...
Global Information
Austria
Austrian Armed Forces