Appointment fixed

Minister Kocher becomes head of the National Bank

Economics Minister Martin Kocher becomes head of the National Bank.

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

It is now fixed: Minister of Labor and Economic Affairs Martin Kocher will fill the position of National Bank Governor that will become vacant next year. Major General Peter Vorhofer will be quickly appointed as crisis coordinator by the turquoise-green government. 

The personnel package will be decided by circular resolution in the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, according to government circles on Tuesday evening.

Political wrangling
The first step towards resolving the political wrangling over the appointments was taken last week when the coalition agreed on the nomination of Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) as Austrian EU Commissioner.

Now comes the important appointment to the National Bank's Board of Directors: as expected, Kocher will succeed OeNB Governor Robert Holzmann in September 2025, while Edeltraud Stiftinger will become Deputy Governor from December 1, 2024. Josef Meichenitsch is also set to join the Board of Directors next year, while Thomas Steiner is to remain on the Board.

New appointments in the judiciary
Major General Peter Vorhofer will be the new Chief Crisis Coordinator. This government advisor was appointed as part of the Crisis Security Act adopted in 2023. Vorhofer is to provide strategic advice to the Federal Government in the Federal Chancellery.

The government is proposing Nikolaus Bachler to the Federal President for appointment as President of the Senate of the Administrative Court (VwGH). Andreas Kumin will remain a judge at the European Court of Justice (ECJ). No decision was made on the appointment to the Executive Board of the Financial Market Authority. The WKÖ Deputy Secretary General Mariana Kühnel was considered the favorite, but the Greens rejected her according to media reports.

The deadlock over appointments to the Council of Instruction in the Ministry of Justice was also resolved, as the term of office of several members or deputy members had already expired at the beginning of 2023. Michael Danek and Kurt Schmoller were appointed as members as well as other substitute members.

Nine vacant judgeships at the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) will also be filled. The Association of Judges had recently pushed for the pending appointments.