Ursula Plassnik
Template:Short description Template:BLP sources Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder Ursula Plassnik (Template:IPA; born 23 May 1956) is an Austrian diplomat and politician. She was Foreign Minister of Austria between October 2004 and December 2008. She has served as the Austrian ambassador to Switzerland from 2016 to 2021.
Early life and career
Plassnik is from the Austrian state of Carinthia and grew up in a social democratic family. She was born in Klagenfurt on 23 May 1956.<ref name=wleaks>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1971 to 1972 she was an exchange student at the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia, United States. She received a law degree from the University of Vienna in 1978 and a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced European Studies (equivalent to a master's degree) from the College of Europe in Bruges, where she studied 1979–1980 (Salvador de Madariaga promotion). Subsequently, she worked in different positions in the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs until 1997. Until that time she was considered to be politically neutral or even social-democratic.
On 1 July 1997 she was chosen by Wolfgang Schüssel, who was Austrian vice-chancellor at that time, to become his cabinet chief. In 2000 she refused an offer to work for the Council of Europe, in order to stay in Austria and help Wolfgang Schüssel when he became Austrian Chancellor in a coalition government with the Austrian Freedom Party. She is considered to be a close friend and confidante to Schüssel.
She remained cabinet chief in Schüssel's government until 15 January 2004, when she became Austria's ambassador to Switzerland. Recently, Ursula Plassnik's application for the position as secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been vetoed by Turkey, because of her opposition to that country's bid to join the European Union.<ref>Turkish OSCE veto causes a stir Austrian Independent 6 June 2011</ref> Her successor in July 2021 as ambassador is Austria career diplomat Maria Rotheiser-Scotti.
Foreign Minister of Austria, 2004–2008
Plassnik was appointed Foreign Minister on 18 October 2004, and sworn in on 20 October succeeding Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who resigned to become a European commissioner. She joined the Austrian People's Party after receiving the offer to become foreign minister. On 2 December 2008 she was succeeded by Michael Spindelegger.
Plassnik voiced concern over the 2006 Lebanon War. She called for an immediate end to hostilities in Lebanon.<ref>Austrian Foreign Min: End Lebanon-Israel Conflict Now Template:Webarchive, Easy Bourse</ref>
Other activities
- European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Member of the Council<ref>Members of the Council European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).</ref>
- Foreign Policy and United Nations Association of Austria (UNA-AUSTRIA), Member of the Board<ref>Team Template:Webarchive Foreign Policy and United Nations Association of Austria (UNA-AUSTRIA).</ref>
- Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), Member of the Strategic Committee<ref>Strategic Committee Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).</ref>
- Trilateral Commission, Member of the Executive Committee<ref>Leadership Trilateral Commission.</ref>
Personal life
Plassnik has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Dr. Georg Posch, who became secretary general of the Austrian Parliament. Her second marriage was to Swiss diplomat Gérard Stoudmann. She stands out in public due to her height, at Template:Convert tall.
At Plassnik's initiative, the conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim gave his long-awaited first performance in Egypt at the Cairo Opera House and conducted the Cairo Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in April 2009. Barenboim had planned to make his Egyptian debut in January 2009 as part of a world tour with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Arab-Israeli group he founded with the writer Edward Said. But that concert was canceled out of concern for the performers' safety because of fighting in Gaza.<ref>Dave Itzkoff (8 April 2009), Barenboim Will Perform in Egypt New York Times.</ref>
References
External links
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Template:Foreign Ministers of Austria Template:Cabinet Gusenbauer
- 1956 births
- Ambassadors of Austria to France
- Ambassadors of Austria to Switzerland
- Permanent delegates of Austria to UNESCO
- Austrian women diplomats
- Austrian Lutherans
- Women government ministers of Austria
- College of Europe alumni
- Female foreign ministers
- Ministers of foreign affairs of Austria
- Living people
- Politicians from Klagenfurt
- 20th-century Austrian women politicians
- 20th-century Austrian politicians
- 21st-century Austrian women politicians
- 21st-century Austrian politicians
- Women ambassadors of Austria
- Foxcroft School alumni
- Diplomats from Klagenfurt