Karl Nehammer

A (party) soldier leaves the chancellor’s office

Karl Nehammer with his wife Kathi: He liked the chancellor's office - so did she ...

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

Karl Nehammer is retiring. Without any real opponents in the party, the lost duel against FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl and the coalition negotiations with the SPÖ and NEOS were his undoing. This marks the end of a more than classic party career ...

Actually, most people in the party have nothing against the outgoing ÖVP leader, which was a good political life insurance policy for him. He is regarded as friendly and sociable, even well-liked by other parties. Step by step, he had worked his way up in the People's Party, and when the Greens did him the favor of kicking Sebastian Kurz out of the government in 2021, the chancellorship became available for Nehammer after the interregnum with Alexander Schallenberg.

He, who had previously headed the Ministry of the Interior, essentially governed solidly. He led the government with the Greens to its regular end, even if some in his party would have been only too happy to flee, cooperation in the coalition became increasingly difficult. The power technician left his internal party rivals cold: former Finance Minister Magnus Brunner moved to Brussels, former Constitution Minister Karoline Edstadler ultimately turned her back on top politics - but could now return as his successor after Nehammer's departure.

A (party) soldier in the chancellor's office
Nehammer was a professional soldier, and the amateur boxer marched through his career at a correspondingly brisk pace. Politically, the Viennese was socialized in the tightly organized Lower Austrian People's Party, later becoming Secretary General of the ÖAAB and then the ÖVP. Sebastian Kurz's election success in 2019 was achieved in this role. His reward was the Ministry of the Interior, where he liked to draw attention to himself with martial images - keyword Flex - especially during the coronavirus period.

Johanna Mikl-Leitner was one of Karl Nehammer's "inventors".

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

Nehammer came into government under Kurz, but was never part of the inner core, like Elisabeth Köstinger, for example.

(Bild: Starpix/ Alexander TUMA)

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

In any case, his rhetoric sometimes got a bit out of hand, for example when he recommended burgers as a cheap meal to party friends and the video was leaked. Things also became a little critical in the Cobra affair, when officials caused an accident after a drink at Nehammer's home. Essentially, however, the VP chairman acted fairly harmlessly until the election year 2024, which was not exactly edifying for the ÖVP.

About the person

• Karl Nehammer, born on October 18, 1972 in Vienna, married to Kathi, two children
• Secretary General of the ÖAAB from 2016 to 2018, Member of the National Council from 2017 to 2020, Secretary General of the ÖVP from 2018 to 2020
• Minister of the Interior from January 2020
• Federal Chancellor since December 2021, ÖVP leader since May 2022

He liked being chancellor
Nehammer will probably miss the office. The outgoing VP leader likes to explain, you could also say he lectures passionately. Meetings at international level were always a pleasure for him. Nehammer even traveled to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin as a peacemaker. Just a few days ago, he received Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for a New Year's concert, probably his last guest as Chancellor.

On the other hand, Nehammer also discussed in his podcast the restrictions that such an office meant for himself and his family, wife Kathi and two children. In this respect at least, Karl Nehammer's life is likely to change for the better in the coming weeks, no matter where his path takes him. There should certainly be more time for his family and dog.