Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08VIENNA1789
2008-12-04 13:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:  

AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: VICE CHANCELLOR/FINANCE MINISTER

Tags:  PGOV PREL EFIN AU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8480
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVI #1789 3391322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041322Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1625
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS VIENNA 001789 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EFIN AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: VICE CHANCELLOR/FINANCE MINISTER
JOSEF PROELL

Ref: Vienna 1772

UNCLAS VIENNA 001789

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EFIN AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: VICE CHANCELLOR/FINANCE MINISTER
JOSEF PROELL

Ref: Vienna 1772


1. (U) The following is a profile of Josef Proell, head of the
conservative People's Party (OVP),who has been named Vice
Chancellor and Finance Minister in the new GOA cabinet.

Experience
--------------


2. (U) Proell, who served as Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and
Environment in the Gusenbauer government, was sworn in December 2 as
Austria's new Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister. He was elected
OVP Chairman at a November 28 convention (reftel).


3. (U) Proell was born September 14, 1968 in the Lower Austrian city
of Stockerau. He studied agricultural economics at the University
of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna from
1987-1993 and holds a master's degree. For the next five years,
Proell served in the regional Chamber of Agriculture in the province
of Lower Austria, and subsequently (1998 - 2000) as economic policy
specialist at the Austrian Farmers' Federation. He also worked
concurrently as a staffer for OVP European parliamentarian Agnes
Schierhuber. From 1999 to 2003, Proell was director of the Vienna
chapter of the Austrian Farmers' Federation, and from 2000 to 2001
he was chief of staff for then Agriculture Minister Wilhelm
Molterer. Proell served as Agriculture Minister from 2003 to 2008.
On Nov 28, 2008, Proell succeeded Molterer as OVP Chairman.

Political/Economic Views
--------------


4. (U) As the nephew of influential Lower Austrian OVP Governor
Erwin Proell, Proell has consistently enjoyed the support of the
OVP's strongest provincial organization. This backing has been a
decisive factor in winning broad OVP grass roots approval for his
new role as party chairman, as well as for his decision to forge a
coalition with the SPO - a move not welcomed by all OVP party
leaders. As Chairman, Proell is expected to move the OVP in a
somewhat more liberal direction on social/cultural issues. He is
said to be influenced by the centrist policies of Swedish PM John
Fredrik Reinfeldt. Judging from the government agenda, Proell as
Finance Minister will have a leading role in implementing key
government measures designed to counter the effects of the global
financial crisis in Austria, including swift tax reform and two
economic stimulus packages.


5. (SBU) Proell has a strong economic background and is
ideologically nimble, reflected in his ability to appeal both to
farmers (having risen through the conservative-dominated Farmers'
Association) and to centrist defenders of the welfare state. He
supports the Doha trade round, but from the perspective of a
defender of Austria's small agriculturalists. As Minister for
Forestry, Environment, and Water, he carried forward Austria's
ambitious climate goals while drawing the ire of environmentalists
for eschewing stronger measures to meet those goals. In that job,
Proell also embraced Austria's longtime anti-nuclear stance by
criticizing the Czech Republic over its controversial Temelin
nuclear power station.

Family
--------------


6. (U) Proell is married and has three children.

GIRARD-DICARLO