AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: JUSTICE MINISTER BANDION-ORTNER

UNCLAS VIENNA 001788

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/CE

C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PTER AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: JUSTICE MINISTER BANDION-ORTNER


1. (U) The following is a profile of Claudia Bandion-Ortner, who has
been named Justice Minister in the new GOA cabinet.

Experience
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2. (U) Bandion-Ortner was born November 30, 1966 in Graz/Styria.
She grew up in the town of Tamsweg in Salzburg Province, where she
was an honors student at the local high school. Bandion-Ortner
holds a doctorate in law from the University of Graz. Subsequent to
her studies and court internship, she became a judge at a Vienna
criminal court, specializing in economic crime cases. She also
served as employee representative of the judges' association - a
union-like lobbying group for judges within the Justice Ministry.


3. (U) In 1999, Bandion-Ortner gained nationwide attention for
presiding over a high-profile court case dealing with the bankruptcy
of an SPO-affiliated supermarket chain and corruption charges
against its CEO. In 2007, she once again was at the center of
national attention as presiding judge in the jury trial of top
managers of the formerly SPO-owned Austrian bank BAWAG on charges of
embezzlement and accounting fraud.


4. (U) Although nominated by OVP Chairman and Vice Chancellor Josef
Proell on November 24, 2008 to his government team, Bandion-Ortner
quickly stressed that she would work as an independent member in the
new SPO-OVP coalition government and that she was not a member of
any political party. (Due to illness and the need to complete the
verdict on the BAWAG trial, Science Minister Johannes Hahn will
temporarily fill the Justice Minister's slot until Bandion-Ortner
can take over.)

Family/Personal
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5. (U) Bandion-Ortner comes from a family of judges and lawyers.
She married Lower Austrian police investigator Andreas Bandion in

2005. The couple has a 5-year-old son. She has frequently appeared
at society events. She is also known for her comprehensive
collection of stylish eyeglasses, for which she received an award
from the Vienna Optometrists Association in 2008.

Comment: Terrorism, Organized Crime
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6. (SBU) Based on the new GOA program, Bandion-Ortner will be tasked
with implementing a series of legal measures related to organized
crime and terrorism. For example, her ministry will have a key role
in formulating legislation criminalizing "hate speech" and
"participation in terrorism camps." Bandion-Ortner inherits
structural challenges in the Austrian justice system, such as a
shortage of prison space and staff, a rising backlog of unsolved
court cases, and a chronically insufficient number of state
prosecutors. Given Austrians' high sensitivity to data protection
and privacy rights, the new Minister will also have to tread
carefully when authorizing online searches of computers in cases
involving terrorism or organized crime.

GIRARD-DICARLO