The chancellor of Austria is the head of government of Austria, appointed by the president and viewed as the country's de facto chief executive. The chancellor chairs and leads the Cabinet, which also includes the vice-chancellor and the ministers.[1]

Following World War I, the office was established by the Provisional National Assembly on 30 October 1918 and named state chancellor of the Republic of German-Austria, and its first holder, Karl Renner, was appointed by the State Council. After the Allied powers forbade German-Austria to merge with the Weimar Republic,[2] the country formed the federal First Austrian Republic and the office was renamed from state chancellor to federal chancellor. The first federal chancellor was Michael Mayr. Ten chancellors served under the First Republic until Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss created the authoritarian and dictatorial Federal State of Austria.[3] Following Dollfuss's assassination by Austrian National Socialists,[4] Kurt Schuschnigg succeeded him as chancellor and upheld the dictatorship.[5] Schuschnigg was replaced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi caretaker who held the office for two days, until Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany.[6]

Austria under National Socialism lost its original republican system of government and was administered by Reichsstatthalter Arthur Seyss-Inquart (1938–1939), Reichskommissar Josef Bürckel[7] (1939–1940), and Reichsstatthalter Baldur von Schirach[8] (1940–1945). In 1940, the country was renamed Ostmark, completely lost its autonomy, and became a sub-national division of Nazi Germany.[9][10] After the liberation of Vienna and the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945, Austria restored its republican form of government.[11] However, Austria remained under allied occupation until 1955[12] and thus the country's sovereignty was ultimately still held by the Allied Control Council.

Since the institution of the republic, the People's Party and the Social Democratic Party have largely dominated Austrian politics; the People's Party (and its predecessor, the Christian Social Party) have led nineteen cabinets and served as a junior partner in eight, while the Social Democratic Party (formerly the Social Democratic Workers' Party) has led eleven and served as a junior partner in five. There have been eight parties that never held the chancellorship but participated in coalition cabinets: the Greater German People's Party in five, the Freedom Party and the Landbund in four, the Fatherland Front in two, and the Greens, the Alliance for the Future, the Communist Party and the NEOS in one.

Following a legislative election or in the case of a vacancy, the president conventionally picks the leader of the largest party in Parliament to serve as chancellor, and appoints the remaining members of the Cabinet based on the chancellor's recommendation. If a sitting chancellor dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to exercise the powers and duties of the office, the vice-chancellor becomes acting chancellor. If the vice-chancellor is unavailable, the other members of the Cabinet take over in order of seniority.[13]

Bruno Kreisky was the longest-serving chancellor, with more than thirteen years in office, while Arthur Seyss-Inquart was the shortest-serving chancellor, with two days in office, and Walter Breisky was the shortest-serving acting chancellor, with only one day in office.

Chancellors

Key to parties
Key to historical parties
No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)		Term of officePartyElectedCabinet
coalition		Ref.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1Karl Renner[a][b]
(1870–1950)		30 October 19187 July 1920SDAPÖ1919Renner I–II–III
• SDAPÖ • CS • GDVP		[14][15][16]
2Michael Mayr[c]
(1864–1922)		7 July 192021 June 1921CS1920Mayr I–II
• CS • SDAPÖ		[17]
3Johannes Schober
(1874–1932)		21 June 192126 January 1922IND–Schober I
• CS • GDVP • Technocrats		[18]
–Walter Breisky
(1871–1944)
‡		26 January 192227 January 1922CS–Breisky
• CS • GDVP		[19]
(3)Johannes Schober
(1874–1932)		27 January 192231 May 1922IND–Schober II
• CS • GDVP • Technocrats		[20]
4Ignaz Seipel
(1876–1932)		31 May 192220 November 1924CS1923Seipel I–II–III
• CS • GDVP • Technocrats		[21]
5Rudolf Ramek
(1881–1941)		20 November 192420 October 1926CS–Ramek I–II
• CS • GDVP		[22]
(4)Ignaz Seipel
(1876–1932)		20 October 19264 May 1929CS1927Seipel IV–V
• CS • GDVP • LBd		[21]
6Ernst Streeruwitz
(1874–1952)		4 May 192926 September 1929CS–Streeruwitz
• CS • LBd		[23]
(3)Johannes Schober
(1874–1932)		26 September 192930 September 1930IND–Schober III
• CS		[18]
7Carl Vaugoin
(1873–1949)		30 September 19304 December 1930CS–Vaugoin
• CS		[24]
8Otto Ender
(1875–1960)		4 December 193020 June 1931CS1930Ender
• CS		[25]
9Karl Buresch
(1878–1936)		20 June 193120 May 1932CS–Buresch I–II
• CS • LBd		[26]
10Engelbert Dollfuss
(1892–1934)		20 May 193225 July 1934 †CS–Dollfuss I
• CS • LBd • Heimwehr
20 May 1932 – 1 May 1934

Dollfuss II
• VF
1 May 1934 – 25 July 1934		[27]
VF
–Prince
Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg
(1899–1956)
‡		25 July 193429 July 1934VF–Dollfuss II
• VF		[28]
11Kurt Schuschnigg
(1897–1977)		29 July 193411 March 1938VF–Schuschnigg I–II–III–IV–V
• VF		[29]
12Arthur Seyss-Inquart
(1892–1946)		11 March 193813 March 1938NSDAP–Seyss-Inquart
• NSDAP		[30][31]
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938 to 27 April 1945
(1)Karl Renner[d]
(1870–1950)		27 April 194520 December 1945SPÖ–Renner IV
• SPÖ • ÖVP • KPÖ		[32][33][34]
13Leopold Figl
(1902–1965)		20 December 19452 April 1953ÖVP1945Figl I–II–III
• ÖVP • SPÖ		[35]
1949
14Julius Raab
(1891–1964)		2 April 195311 April 1961ÖVP1953Raab I–II–III–IV
• ÖVP • SPÖ		[36]
1956
1959
15Alfons Gorbach
(1898–1972)		11 April 19612 April 1964ÖVP1962Gorbach I–II
• ÖVP • SPÖ		[37]
16Josef Klaus
(1910–2001)		2 April 196421 April 1970ÖVP–Klaus I
• ÖVP • SPÖ		[38]
1966Klaus II
• ÖVP
17Bruno Kreisky
(1911–1990)		21 April 197024 May 1983SPÖ1970Kreisky I–II–III–IV
• SPÖ		[39]
1971
1975
1979
18Fred Sinowatz
(1929–2008)		24 May 198316 June 1986SPÖ1983Sinowatz
• SPÖ • FPÖ		[40]
19Franz Vranitzky
(born 1937)		16 June 198628 January 1997SPÖ1986Vranitzky I–II
• SPÖ • FPÖ		[41]
1990Vranitzky III–IV–V
• SPÖ • ÖVP
1994
1995
20Viktor Klima
(born 1947)		28 January 19974 February 2000SPÖ–Klima
• SPÖ • ÖVP		[42]
21Wolfgang Schüssel
(born 1945)		4 February 200011 January 2007ÖVP1999Schüssel I
• ÖVP • FPÖ
4 February 2000 – 3 April 2005

Schüssel II
• ÖVP • BZÖ
3 April 2005 – 11 January 2007		[43]
2002
22Alfred Gusenbauer
(born 1960)		11 January 20072 December 2008SPÖ2006Gusenbauer
• SPÖ • ÖVP		[44]
23Werner Faymann
(born 1960)		2 December 20089 May 2016SPÖ2008Faymann I–II
• SPÖ • ÖVP		[45]
2013
–Reinhold Mitterlehner
(born 1955)
‡		9 May 201617 May 2016ÖVP–Faymann II
• SPÖ • ÖVP		[46][47]
24Christian Kern
(born 1966)		17 May 201618 December 2017SPÖ–Kern
• SPÖ • ÖVP		[48]
25Sebastian Kurz
(born 1986)		18 December 201728 May 2019ÖVP2017Kurz I
• ÖVP • FPÖ
18 December 2017 – 22 May 2019

• ÖVP
22 May 2019 – 28 May 2019		[49]
–Hartwig Löger
(born 1965)
‡		28 May 20193 June 2019ÖVP–Kurz I
• ÖVP		[50][51]
26Brigitte Bierlein
(1949–2024)		3 June 20197 January 2020IND–Bierlein
• Technocrats		[52][53]
(25)Sebastian Kurz
(born 1986)		7 January 202011 October 2021ÖVP2019Kurz II
• ÖVP • Greens		[54]
27Alexander Schallenberg
(born 1969)		11 October 20216 December 2021ÖVP–Schallenberg
• ÖVP • Greens		[55]
28Karl Nehammer
(born 1972)		6 December 202110 January 2025ÖVP–Nehammer
• ÖVP • Greens		[56]
–Alexander Schallenberg
(born 1969)
‡		10 January 20253 March 2025ÖVP–Nehammer
• ÖVP • Greens		[57]
29Christian Stocker
(born 1960)		3 March 2025IncumbentÖVP2024Stocker
• ÖVP • SPÖ • NEOS		[58]

Longest-serving chancellors

The following table lists all chancellors of the Second Republic (since 1945) ranked by their length of tenure, with the incumbent chancellor's tenure automatically updating daily.

RankChancellorLength of tenure(s)Timespan(s)Party
1Bruno Kreisky131970–1983SPÖ
2Franz Vranitzky101986–1997SPÖ
3Julius Raab81953–1961ÖVP
4Werner Faymann72008–2016SPÖ
5Leopold Figl71945–1953ÖVP
6Wolfgang Schüssel62000–2007ÖVP
7Josef Klaus61964–1970ÖVP
8Sebastian Kurz3 years, 75 days
1 year, 161 days + 1 year, 277 days		2017–2019
2020–2021		ÖVP
9Karl Nehammer32021–2025ÖVP
10Fred Sinowatz31983–1986SPÖ
11Viktor Klima31997–2000SPÖ
12Alfons Gorbach21961–1964ÖVP
13Alfred Gusenbauer12007–2008SPÖ
14Christian Kern12016–2017SPÖ
15Christian Stocker12025–presentÖVP
16Karl Renner01945SPÖ
17Brigitte Bierlein02019–2020IND
18Alexander Schallenberg02021ÖVP

Chancellors by party

The following table summarizes chancellors of the Second Republic grouped by political party.

PartyTotal time in officeNumber of
chancellors		Chancellors
SPÖ
Social Democratic Party		41 years, 130 days8Karl Renner, Bruno Kreisky, Fred Sinowatz, Franz Vranitzky, Viktor Klima, Alfred Gusenbauer, Werner Faymann, Christian Kern
ÖVP
Austrian People's Party		39
(+ ongoing, incl. Stocker)		9Leopold Figl, Julius Raab, Alfons Gorbach, Josef Klaus, Wolfgang Schüssel, Sebastian Kurz, Alexander Schallenberg, Karl Nehammer, Christian Stocker
IND
Independent		218 days1Brigitte Bierlein

Notes:

  • Green indicates the party of the current incumbent chancellor
  • Bold name indicates the current incumbent chancellor
  • ÖVP total time includes the ongoing tenure of Christian Stocker
  • If Stocker remains chancellor until October 2028, the ÖVP will surpass the SPÖ in total time in office

The following table shows age-related data for all chancellors of the Second Republic, with living chancellors' ages automatically updating.

ChancellorBornAge at start
of chancellorship		Age at end
of chancellorship		Post-chancellorship
timespan		DiedLifespan
Karl Renner14 December 187074
27 April 1945		75
20 December 1945		531 December 195080
Leopold Figl2 October 190243
20 December 1945		50
2 April 1953		129 May 196562
Julius Raab29 November 189161
2 April 1953		69
11 April 1961		28 January 196472
Alfons Gorbach2 September 189862
11 April 1961		65
2 April 1964		831 July 197273
Josef Klaus15 August 191053
2 April 1964		59
21 April 1970		3125 July 200190
Bruno Kreisky22 January 191159
21 April 1970		72
24 May 1983		729 July 199079
Fred Sinowatz5 February 192954
24 May 1983		57
16 June 1986		2211 August 200879
Franz Vranitzky4 October 193748
16 June 1986		59
28 January 1997		29—89
Viktor Klima4 June 194749
28 January 1997		52
4 February 2000		26—79
Wolfgang Schüssel7 June 194554
4 February 2000		61
11 January 2007		19—81
Alfred Gusenbauer8 February 196046
11 January 2007		48
2 December 2008		17—66
Werner Faymann4 May 196048
2 December 2008		56
9 May 2016		10—66
Christian Kern4 January 196650
17 May 2016		51
18 December 2017		8—60
Sebastian Kurz
(1st term)		27 August 198631
18 December 2017		32
28 May 2019		0—40
Brigitte Bierlein25 June 194969
3 June 2019		70
7 January 2020		43 June 202474
Sebastian Kurz
(2nd term)		27 August 198633
7 January 2020		35
11 October 2021		5—40
Alexander Schallenberg20 June 196952
11 October 2021		52
6 December 2021		4—57
Karl Nehammer18 October 197249
6 December 2021		52
10 January 2025		1—54
Christian Stocker20 March 196064
3 March 2025		Incumbent66

Notes:

  • Light green indicates living former chancellors
  • Green indicates the current incumbent chancellor
  • Sebastian Kurz served two non-consecutive terms; both are shown separately
  • Living chancellors' post-chancellorship timespan and lifespan automatically update daily

Graphical representation

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of the Chancellors of Austria since 1945. They are listed in order of first assuming office.

The following chart shows chancellors by their age (living chancellors in green), with the years of their time in office in color.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Renner initially served as State Chancellor of the Republic of German-Austria until 21 October 1919, and thereafter as State Chancellor of the Republic of Austria.
  2. ^ The chancellor is appointed by the president of Austria. However, since the office of president was only established in 1920, Renner was instead appointed by the State Council.
  3. ^ Office renamed from "State Chancellor" to "Federal Chancellor" on 10 November 1920.
  4. ^ After the Red Army freed Vienna from the Nazi regime, Renner formed a cabinet under Soviet rule. The cabinet was accepted by the Soviets on 27 April 1945 and recognized by all states of Austria as well as the Allied Control Council in September 1945.

References

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