Norbert Steger
Norbert Steger ( born March 6, 1944 in Vienna) is an Austrian lawyer and former politician ( FPÖ). Steger was 1980-1986 federal party leader of the Freedom Party and from 1983 to 1987 Austrian Vice Chancellor and Minister of Commerce.
Political career
His political career began Norbert Steger in 1965, then in the University Singers shaft bards to Vienna (DS ) is active, as vice chairman of the ring Freiheitlicher students ( RFS). Five years later he was a founding member of the " Attersee circle " within the FPÖ. The aim of this association was to give more weight to the liberal wing of the Liberal Party against the German national.
1977 Steger chairman of the FPÖ Vienna, 1980 federal party leader and vice president of Liberal International. As the successor of Graz Mayor Alexander Götz at the party leadership Steger tried to bring the FPÖ from the right corner and make it politically acceptable. He succeeded in 1983: After Chancellor Bruno Kreisky (SPO ) had resigned due to the loss of an absolute majority, took the SPÖ coalition negotiations with the FPÖ, with 4.98% - had just remained still in the National Council - its weakest ever achieved result.
Member of the Government
This led to the formation of Austria's first red - blue coalition and the first government of the FPÖ in the history of the Second Republic. Steger was vice chancellor under the new Chancellor Fred Sinowatz, his party turned three ministers in the federal government Sinowatz.
Under Norbert Steger - who belonged to the economic liberal wing - the Freedom Party tried to get rid of the "basement Nazis " (quote Steger ) to obtain a more liberal image and thus to be attractive to new voters.
In 1986, Jörg Haider, Steger's intra-party rival and then FPÖ party chairman country of Kärnten, at the party conference in Innsbruck in a crucial vote the federal presidency. Chancellor Franz Vranitzky subsequently announced to the coalition. It elections were held, after which a grand coalition between the SPÖ and the ÖVP was formed.
Other activities
After the end of his political career, Steger devoted until his retirement in his legal profession. His firm specialized in company law (in particular incorporations ), real estate and real estate law, bankruptcy law, corporate restructuring, international law and business law.
Since 2010 Steger is a member of the ORF Trustees for the FPÖ.
Others
His daughter Petra Steger (* 1987) has been sitting in 2013 for the Freedom Party in the National Council.