Karl Nehammer
Karl Nehammer is an Austrian politician who is the 32nd and current chancellor of Austria since 6 December 2021. A member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), he previously was Minister of the Interior from 2020 to 2021, general secretary of the ÖVP from 2018 to 2020, as well as a member of the National Council from 2017 to 2020. Nehammer assumed the chancellorship as the successor of Alexander Schallenberg, who resigned to return as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Some of the key events about Karl Nehammer
- 1996Joined the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and began political career
- 2007Became Deputy Mayor of Lower Austria's capital, Sankt Pölten
- 2016Appointed as General Secretary of the Austrian People's Party
- 2018Became Federal Minister of the Interior in the second Kurz government
- 2020Led Austria's response to the Vienna terror attack as Interior Minister
- 2020Appointed as Federal Minister for European and International Affairs
- 2020Faced criticism for the government's handling of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
- 2021Became Chancellor of Austria, succeeding Alexander Schallenberg
- 2021Oversaw controversial lockdowns and vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to public protests
- 2021Criticized for attending a party shortly after announcing new COVID-19 restrictions
- 2022Made official visits to several countries as Chancellor, including Israel and the United Arab Emirates
- 2022Oversaw Austria's support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion
- 2022Faced backlash for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the Ukraine conflict
- 2022Received criticism for Austria's initial reluctance to support sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine
- 2022Faced controversy over comments suggesting Ukraine should not join NATO
- 2022Criticized for Austria's continued reliance on Russian gas despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
- 2023Hosted the Europa-Forum Wachau, promoting European integration and cooperation
- 2023Faced opposition for supporting the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area
- 2023Criticized for Austria's neutral stance and reluctance to provide military aid to Ukraine
- 2023Faced backlash for suggesting that the EU should finance border fences to prevent illegal migration
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