Sebastian Kurz

Sebastian Kurz
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
16 December 2013
Chancellor Werner Faymann
Reinhold Mitterlehner (Acting)
Christian Kern
Preceded by Michael Spindelegger
Personal details
Born (1986-08-27) 27 August 1986
Vienna, Austria
Political party Austrian People's Party
Alma mater University of Vienna

Sebastian Kurz (born 27 August 1986) is an Austrian politician, who has been Austria's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Integration since 2013. He had been described as the youngest Minister for Foreign Affairs and integration throughout the world and European history, at an age of 27.[1] He is a member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP).

Early life and education

Kurz was born in Vienna and brought up in the city district of Meidling, where he still lives. He entered the Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Erlgasse in 1996 and after his final exam in 2004 Kurz completed the obligatory military service. In 2011, he decided to suspend his law studies at the University of Vienna and to pursue his political career instead.[2]

Political career

In 2009 Kurz was elected chairman of the youth branch of the Austrian People's Party. Between 2010 and 2011 he was member of Vienna's city council, where he focused on generational fairness and ensuring pensions.[3] In April 2011 Kurz was appointed to the newly created post of State Secretary for Integration (part of the Ministry of the Interior).

In the 2013 general election, Kurz was elected as a member of parliament. He won the most direct votes of any member of parliament in the election.[4]

Foreign Minister of Austria, 2013–present

In December 2013, Kurz became Austria's Foreign Minister, whose portfolio was at his request widened to include Social integration. At the time of his swearing-in Kurz was Austria's youngest government minister since the foundation of the republic and the youngest foreign minister in the European Union and the world.

His first trip abroad took Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz to Croatia, marking the continuous Austrian support for an EU-membership of the Southeast Europe.[5]

In February 2014, Sebastian Kurz hosted the first of Negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the nuclear program of Iran in Vienna, strengthening Austria’s position as place of dialogue. The negotiations were successfully concluded on 14 July 2015, when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed by Iran, the P5+1 and the European Union). Following the signature Sebastian Kurz said he was pleased with the outcome of the talks with Iran and expressed his hope that “the Vienna Agreement will act as catalyst towards the global nuclear disarmament ambitions”.[6]

During his first year in office, Kurz chaired the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe until May 2014.[7] In late 2014, he succeeded Radosław Sikorski as co-chair of the European People’s Party (EPP) Foreign Ministers Meeting, alongside Elmar Brok.[8]

In November 2014, Sebastian Kurz was appointed to lead the European People's Party Foreign Affairs Ministers together with Elmar Brok, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee in the EP.[9]

In 2015, Sebastian Kurz proposed a new Islamgesetz (Islam Law) illegalizing foreign funding of mosques and paying salaries of imams, and regulating the version of the Koran that may be used in Austria.[10] It however also gives Muslims additional rights, such as the rights to halal food and pastoral care in the military. Sebastian Kurz said the changes were intended to "clearly combat" the influence of radical Islam in Austria.[11] The law was passed by the Austrian parliament in February 2015.

In May, as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Sebastian Kurz invited 30 Ministers of Foreign Affairs, among them Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian colleague Andrii Deshchytsia, to Vienna in order to negotiate solutions to end the Ukrainian crisis in Vienna.[12]

In the course of the European migrant crisis, Sebastian Kurz called for a more effective control of the EU external borders [13] and presented a 50-Point-Plan towards integration with special focus on the areas language and education, labour and job market, rule of law and values.[14]

As part of the Humanitarian Initiative, Kurz hosted the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in late 2014.[15] Following his proposal, Vienna later hosted the negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for the nuclear program of Iran in 2015.

Other activities

Political positions

Amid the Turkish government purge against members of its own civil and military service in reaction to a failed coup d'état in July 2016, Kurz summoned Turkey's ambassador to explain Ankara's links to demonstrations of thousands of people in Austria in support of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Austria swears in EU's youngest foreign minister Sebastian Kurz". BBC News. 16 December 2013.
  2. ↑ New(ish) faces at the FAC European Voice, January 21, 2014.
  3. ↑ Michael Shields (December 17, 2013), Kurz, 27, puts fresh face on Austrian foreign policy Reuters.
  4. ↑ Michael Shields (December 17, 2013), Kurz, 27, puts fresh face on Austrian foreign policy Reuters.
  5. ↑ "Youngest Ever Foreign Minister Starts With Croatia Visit". Croatiaweek. December 20, 2013.
  6. ↑ bmeia.gv.at/en/the-ministry/press/announcements/2015/07/kurz-vienna-agreement-with-iran-is-important-for-global-peace-and-security "Kurz: Vienna Agreement with Iran is important for global peace and security" Check |url= value (help). Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. July 14, 2015.
  7. ↑ “The Council of Europe appeal to Russia to engage dialogue with Ukraine should be heard", says Austrian Foreign Minister Kurz Council of Europe, press release of 7 April 2014.
  8. ↑ Austrian Minister Sebastian Kurz appointed to lead EPP Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting together with Elmar Brok, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee in the EP European People’s Party, press release of 17 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Austrian Minister Sebastian Kurz appointed to lead EPP Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting together with Elmar Brok, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee in the EP". MEP Elmar Brok. November 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ Muslims in this country allowed only German language Qurans, Reuters, February 28, 2015 – via India Today
  11. ↑ Elahe Izadi (February 26, 2015), "Austria is taking controversial steps to tighten a 100-year-old 'Law on Islam'", The Washington Post
  12. ↑ "124th Session of the Committee of Ministers (Vienna, 5-6 May 2014) Composition of Delegations". Council of Europe. May 5, 2014.
  13. ↑ "EU refugee policy helps people smugglers, says Austria". Financial Times. November 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ "50 points towards successful integration". Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. November 19, 2015.
  15. ↑ Fredrik Dahl (December 8, 2014), U.S., UK face nuclear disarmament pressure at Vienna meeting Reuters.
  16. ↑ New-constitution of Advisory Council on Development Policy: Make development cooperation a concern of the broad public Austrian Development Agency, press release of 18 February 2015.
  17. ↑ Board of Trustees General Settlement Fund for Victims of National Socialism.
  18. ↑ Shadia Nasralla (July 21, 2016), Austria summons Turkish ambassador over pro-Erdogan demonstrations Reuters.
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Political offices
Preceded by
Michael Spindelegger		 Minister of Foreign Affairs
2013–present 		Incumbent
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