AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: ECONOMICS MINISTER

UNCLAS VIENNA 001833

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS)

DEPT FOR EUR/CE
USDOC FOR 4212/MAC/EUR/OWE/PDACHER

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO PGOV PREL ECON ENRG AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA'S NEW CABINET: ECONOMICS MINISTER
REINHOLD MITTERLEHNER

REF: a) VIENNA 1772, b) VIENNA 1819


1. (U) The following is a profile of new GoA Economics
Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner, a member of the
conservative People's Party (OVP).

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


2. (U) This is the first ministerial appointment for
Mitterlehner, sworn in December 2 as Austria's new
Economics Minister (his title may change as ministry
portfolios are finalized). He has a solid background in
commerce and economics from previous functions.


3. (U) Mitterlehner was born on December 10, 1955, in the
Upper Austrian village of Helfenberg. He studied law at
the Johannes Kepler University in Linz from 1974-1980
and holds a doctorate degree. After a brief court
clerkship in Linz in 1980, he served in various
functions at the Upper Austrian Economic Chamber (1980-
1992) including as head of marketing. Mitterlehner
managed the OVP Wirtschaftsbund (a business outreach
organization) from 1992 to 2000. Concurrently, he was
City Councilman in the village of Ahorn (Upper Austria)
from 1991 to 1997. From 2000 to 2008, Mitterlehner was
deputy secretary general of the Austrian Federal
Economic Chamber and Member of Parliament, where from
2001 he was also head of Parliament's Economic
Committee. Since 2002, he has served as OVP party
manager for the Rohrbach district (Upper Austria).

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


4. (U) Mitterlehner follows in the footsteps of Martin
Bartenstein, who headed the ministry for a decade and
was one of the longest serving senior OVP politicians.
Like Bartenstein, Mitterlehner is pro-business and an
advocate for market mechanisms. He opposes government
support for industries in trouble and advocates instead
structural reforms. Mitterlehner is pragmatic, though:
in view of the current economic downturn, he opposes
privatization and other reforms which are likely to be
politically untenable.


5. (U) Mitterlehner supports the Austrian "social
partnership" system of negotiations between business and
labor associations, but will lose the labor portfolio
(which the Economics Ministry won in 2000). The
Ministry will gain family and youth issues, which State
Secretary Christine Marek will handle.


6. (U) Mitterlehner's ministry is also responsible for
energy issues, making him a key player. Ref B details
Austria's renewed focus on energy security including
early indications that Mitterlehner will be active on
the energy front.

PERSONAL
--------------


6. (U) Mitterlehner is married (wife Anna Maria) and has
three daughters, including one from a previous
relationship. He enjoys cycling, tennis, soccer, and
stamp collecting.

GIRARD-DICARLO