Complete reorganization

National Bank leadership almost fixed: top job for ministers

The contracts of the National Bank directors actually run until next year, but the government wants to quickly install their confidants before the elections. There is a tug-of-war between the governing parties and the General Council over the deputy governor position in particular.

The decision is due to be made the week after next: On June 24, the 14-member General Council of the National Bank, chaired by Chamber of Commerce President Mahrer, will propose the four-member governing body to be appointed by the federal government.

There has been a fierce tug-of-war over these four people for weeks, not only between the two governing parties, who have agreed to the joint appointment in a side letter, but also within ÖVP circles.

Kocher as governor
The appointment of Martin Kocher, Minister of Labor and economic researcher, as Governor of the National Bank is as good as fixed. Although his public application has not only triggered applause in the discreet General Council, his professional competence is undisputed.

Minister of Labor and economic researcher Martin Kocher(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

The other names
The two other men for the management position are Thomas Steiner, previously Head of the Human Resources Department and already a member of the Board of Directors, who is considered to belong to the ÖVP, and Josef Meichenitsch, head of a sub-department of the large bank supervisory authority and, as a confidant of Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler, the Green candidate: they are to become or remain directors, and theoretically the deputy governor position would also be possible.

One of the decisive factors is who will be in charge of banking supervision - up to now, it has been the responsibility of the deputy governor.

A woman on the shortlist
However, not everyone on the General Council likes the two men on offer. Edeltraud Stiftinger, an experienced manager, currently head of Austria Wirtschaftsservice and now the fourth candidate, would be the more logical choice.

Non-renewal causes a stir
The obvious non-renewal of the previous director and bourgeois economic expert Gottfried Haber, who was once considered as ÖVP finance minister, is extremely remarkable. A lack of loyalty to ÖVP wishes is cited internally as a possible reason. It is also questionable whether he will be able to take over as head of the Financial Market Authority (FMA), as has been rumored. Mariana Kühnel, Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, is being considered for this position.