Sebastian Kurz
Sebastian Kurz (German: [ze?bast?i?a:n ?k?rt?s]; born 27 August 1986) has been chancellor of Austria since January 2020, a position he previously held from December 2017 to May 2019. Kurz has also been chairman of the Austrian People\'s Party since May 2017.
Kurz was born and raised in Meidling, Vienna. He acquired his Matura in 2004 at the GRG 12 Erlgasse and subsequently completed mandatory military service in 2005. Kurz attended the faculty of law at the University of Vienna, and left before graduating to focus on his political career. He entered politics by joining the Young People\'s Party (JVP) in 2003. Five years later he assumed his first political office there as chairman of the JVP for Vienna. In 2010, Kurz successfully ran for the Viennese State Diet and thereby obtained his first governmental post. Following a reshuffle of the First Faymann cabinet in 2011, Kurz was nominated and appointed state secretary of the Interior Ministry for social integration. After the 2013 legislative election, Kurz became foreign minister of Austria and remained the country\'s top diplomat until December 2017. His youth and political tenor have been credited with revitalizing the traditional conservative movement in Austria, and to a larger extent, in Europe. Opponents have, however, denounced him as uncooperative and hasty, particularly with respect to his signature issues: immigration and social politics. Aged 34, Kurz is the second youngest head of government in the world, and first elected to the post aged 31, the youngest chancellor in Austrian history.
