The Founding Committee

On 2 May 2003, the Founding Committee for the Austrian Convention met for the first time and gave thus the go-ahead for an extensive reform of the Austrian administration.

The Founding Committee consisted of:

Federal Chancellor Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel – Austrian People’s Party

the former Vice-Chancellor Mag. Herbert Haupt – Austrian Freedom Party

the President of the National Council Univ.Prof. Dr. Andreas Khol – Austrian People’s Party

the Second President of the National Council Univ.Prof. Dr. Heinz Fischer – Social-Democratic Party

the Third President of the National Council Dipl.Ing. Thomas Prinzhorn – Austrian Freedom Party

the former President of the Federal Council Prof. Herwig Hösele Austrian People’s Party

Provincial Governor DDr. Herwig van Staa – Austrian People’s Party – as representative of the Provincial Governors’ Conference

the First President of the Upper Austrian Provincial Parliament Angela Orthner – Austrian People’s Party – as representative of the Conference of the Presidents of the Provincial Parliaments

Mayor Dr. Michael Häupl – Social-Democratic Party – as President of the Austrian Association of Cities and Towns

Mayor Helmut Mödlhammer – Austrian People’s Party – as President of the Austrian Association of Municipalities

Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer – leader of the Social-Democratic Party

Univ.Prof. Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen – leader of the Green Party

In its meeting, the Founding Committee appointed Dr. Franz Fiedler, the President of the Austrian Court of Audit, as chairman of the Austrian Convention and decided on the members of the Praesidium and the further members of the Austrian Convention. They also defined the tasks of the Convention. In a subsequent meeting of the Founding Committee on 3 June 2003, the 18 members of the ‘expert pool’ were nominated. Nine of them were chosen as ‘virilists’ by the Praesidium on 16 June 2003.