Susanne Riess-Passer
Susanne Riess ( born Riess, until the divorce in 2011 Riess -Passer ), (born 3 January 1961 in Braunau am Inn ) is a former Austrian politician (FPÖ ).
She attended elementary school Mattighofen 1967-1971, 1971-1979, the modern language school in Salzburg and then completed a degree in law at the University of Innsbruck ( Dr. iur. ) 1979-1984.
She was under Federal Chancellor from 2000 to the early parliamentary elections of him in 2002 Vice- Chancellor and Federal Minister for Public Performance and Sport.
In the course of forming a government in 2000, she was also chairwoman of the federal party FPÖ and Jörg Haider's successor thus, after it had been since 1996 managing federal party chairwoman. As such, they had already earned the reputation of being strictly loyal to Haider and enforce its will in the party, which they also came to her nickname " King Cobra ". Therefore, their position as party chairwoman was initially purely formally considered by many to be the real power and still suspected at Haider.
After a serious falling out with her political mentor Haider (see Knittelfelder coup ) they finally came - as well as the club chairman of the Freedom Party in the National Council, Peter Thaler west, and the Finance Minister Karl- Heinz Grasser - of all functions back. Until the re- formation of a government they remained until 2003 Vice Chancellor provisionally and subsequently dropped out of politics.
Since 2004, Susanne Riess is Director General of the Austrian Wüstenrot Group and Deputy Chairman of the Federal Theatre Holding. From July 2004 to June 2012, Ms. Riess Board member of private IHAG Zurich AG., . In addition, Susanne Riess, among others, with Alfred Gusenbauer, also on the advisory board of Signa Holding operates.
Awards
- 2002: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- 2003: Grand Gold Medal with Ribbon for Services to the Republic of Austria