Othmar Karas

Othmar Karas

Othmar Karas (born 24 December 1957 in Ybbs an der Donau, Lower Austria) is an Austrian politician and Member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Austrian People's Party, vice-chair of the EPP-ED group, and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.

He is also a substitute for the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, a member of the delegation for relations with Japan, a substitute for the delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China, and a member of the temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007–2013.

He is married to Dr. Christa Waldheim-Karas, daughter of Kurt Waldheim and Elisabeth Waldheim.

Career

• Mag. phil. (1996)
• Master of European and International Business Law (MBL), University of St. Gallen (1997)
• Manager in the banking and insurance sector (since 1981)
• Assistant Secretary-General of Bundesländer Versicherung (currently on leave of absence)
• Federal president of the Union of Students (1976–1979)
• Political adviser to the ÖVP (1979–1980)
• First Vice-Chairman of the Austrian Federal Youth Association (1980–1990)
• Federal Chairman of the Young ÖVP (1981–1990)
• Member of the national executive of the ÖVP (1981–1991)
• Secretary-General of the ÖVP (1995–1999)
• President of the Austrian Aid Organisation (since 1998)
• First Vice-President of Hilfswerk Austria (since 1998)
• Vice-President of the Young European Christian-Democrats (EUJCD) (1981–1990)
• Member of the EPP Bureau and Council (since 1995)
• Member of the steering committee of the European Democratic Union (EDU) (since 1995)
• Member of the board of the Austrian Association of Graduates
• Member of the Land and federal executives of the Austrian Workers' and Employees' Association (ÖAAB)
• Member of the Nationalrat (1983–1990)
• Member of the European Parliament (since 1999)
• Vice-President of the Political Academy
• Vice-President of the Friedrich Funder Institute

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Othmar Karas.

• Official website (in German)
• European Parliament biography
• Declaration of financial interests (in German; PDF file)