Vice-Chancellor of Austria

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In Austrian politics, the Vice-Chancellor (Vizekanzler) is a member of the federal government acting as a deputy to the Federal Chancellor.

Art. 69(2) of the Constitution of Austria states:

The Vice-Chancellor stands in for the Federal Chancellor in his complete field of functions. If both Federal Chancellor and Vice Chancellor are hindered, the Federal President appoints a member of the government to represent the Federal Chancellor.

In practice, the Vice-Chancellor is normally the leading member of the junior party within the current coalition government, frequently the party chairman. If only one party is represented in the government, the Vice Chancellor is often the Chancellor's presumed successor.

List of Vice-Chancellors of Austria

Vice-Chancellors of the First Austrian Republic

(1918-1938, here including the austro-fascist period from 1934-1938)
Name Assumption of office End of office period Party
Jodok Fink March 15, 1919 April 26, 1920 CS
Ferdinand Hanusch July 7, 1920 October 22, 1920 SDAPÖ
Eduard Heinl October 22, 1920 November 20, 1920 CS
Walter Breisky November 20, 1920 May 30, 1922
Felix Frank May 31, 1922 November 20, 1924 GDVP
Leopold Waber November 20, 1924 October 20, 1926 GDVP
Franz Dinghofer October 20, 1926 May 19, 1927 GDVP
Karl Hartleb May 19, 1927 May 4, 1929 Landbund
Vinzenz Schumy May 4, 1929 September 26, 1929 Landbund
Carl Vaugoin September 26, 1929 September 30, 1930 CS
Richard Schmitz September 30, 1930 December 4, 1930 CS
Johann Schober December 4, 1930 January 29, 1932
Franz Winkler January 29, 1932 September 21, 1933 Landbund
Emil Fey September 21, 1933 May 1, 1934 Heimatblock
Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg May 1, 1934 May 14, 1936 Heimatblock
Eduard Baar-Baarenfels May 14, 1936 November 3, 1936 Heimatblock
Ludwig Hülgerth November 3, 1936 March 11, 1938 VF
Edmund Glaise-Horstenau March 11, 1938 March 13, 1938 NSDAP

Vice-Chancellors of the Second Austrian Republic

(since 1945)
Name Assumption of office End of office period Party
Adolf Schärf December 20, 1945 May 22, 1957 SPÖ
Bruno Pittermann May 22, 1957 April 19, 1966 SPÖ
Fritz Bock April 19, 1966 January 19, 1968 ÖVP
Hermann Withalm January 19, 1968 April 21, 1970 ÖVP
Rudolf Häuser April 21, 1970 September 30, 1976 SPÖ
Hannes Androsch October 1, 1976 January 20, 1981 SPÖ
Fred Sinowatz January 20, 1981 May 24, 1983 SPÖ
Norbert Steger May 24, 1983 January 21, 1987 FPÖ
Alois Mock January 21, 1987 April 24, 1989 ÖVP
Josef Riegler April 24, 1989 July 2, 1991 ÖVP
Erhard Busek July 2, 1991 May 4, 1995 ÖVP
Wolfgang Schüssel May 4, 1995 February 4, 2000 ÖVP
Susanne Riess-Passer February 4, 2000 February 28, 2003 FPÖ
Herbert Haupt February 28, 2003 October 21, 2003 FPÖ
Hubert Gorbach October 21, 2003 January 11, 2007 FPÖ / BZÖ
Wilhelm Molterer January 11, 2007 2 December 2008 ÖVP
Josef Pröll 2 December 2008 21 April 2011 ÖVP
Michael Spindelegger 21 April 2011 present ÖVP