Werner Faymann
| Werner Faymann | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 23rd Chancellor of Austria | |
|
In office 2 December 2008 – 9 May 2016 |
|
| President | Heinz Fischer |
| Deputy |
Josef Pröll Michael Spindelegger Reinhold Mitterlehner |
| Preceded by | Alfred Gusenbauer |
| Succeeded by | Reinhold Mitterlehner (Acting) |
| Chairman of the Social Democratic Party | |
|
In office 16 June 2008 – 9 May 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Alfred Gusenbauer |
| Succeeded by | Michael Häupl (Acting) |
| Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology | |
|
In office 11 January 2007 – 23 November 2008 |
|
| Chancellor | Alfred Gusenbauer |
| Preceded by | Hubert Gorbach |
| Succeeded by | Doris Bures |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
4 May 1960 Vienna, Austria |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Martina Ludwig |
| Children | 2 |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Werner Faymann (German: [ˈvɛɐ̯nɐ ˈfaɪman]; born 4 May 1960) is a former Austrian politician who was Chancellor of Austria and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) from 2008 to 2016. On 9 May 2016, Faymann resigned from both positions amid widening criticism within his party.
Werner Faymann was born in Vienna and also went to grammar school there. He enrolled at the University of Vienna (jurisprudence, political science, and history of art) but attended just one lecture there without taking any exams. Instead, he worked as a taxi driver.
In 1981, Faymann became provincial chairman of the Socialist Youth Vienna (Sozialistische Jugend Wien). From 1985 to 1988 Faymann was a consultant to the bank Zentralsparkasse der Gemeinde Wien (now UniCredit Bank Austria AG). The bank at the time was closely linked to the municipal government dominated by the Social Democrats. He left the bank to become director and provincial chairman of the Viennese Tenants' counselling.
Subsequently, Faymann became a member of the Viennese state parliament and municipal council, where he held various positions concerning housing construction and urban renewal.
Faymann was Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology in the Cabinet of Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. Moreover, Gusenbauer appointed him as coalition co-ordinator.
Soon Faymann was seen as the likely successor of Gusenbauer. He never challenged Gusenbauer openly, but the chancellor faced an internal party rebellion in June 2008 and voluntarily relinquished the party leadership. On 16 June 2008 Faymann succeeded Gusenbauer as chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and led the party in the snap legislative elections, held on 28 September 2008.
The election was famously preceded by Faymann and Gusenbauer announcing a shift in the party's position towards the signing of new EU treaties, which they did by writing an open letter to Hans Dichand, the editor of the yellow press medium Kronen Zeitung. At the time, the Kronen Zeitung was the largest newspaper in the country. The letter caused a scandal within the party, as no party committee had been involved in deciding the shift.
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