Bruno Kreisky

Bruno Kreisky (January 22, 1911—July 29, 1990) was an Austrian politician. Kreisky served as Chancellor of Austria from 1970 to 1983 and was the first Jew to hold that position.

Political views and programs

In office, Kreisky and his close ally, Justice Minister Christian Broda, pursued a policy of liberal reform, in a country which had a tradition of conservative Catholicism. He reformed Austria's family law and its prisons, and he decriminalised abortion and homosexuality. Nevertheless he sought to bridge the gap between the Catholic Church and the Austrian Socialist movement and found a willing collaborator in the then Archbishop of Vienna, Franz Cardinal König. Kreisky promised to reduce the mandatory military service from nine to six months. After the election the military service was reduced to eight months (if it is done at once or six months plus eight weeks later on). Furthermore, during Kreisky's premiership employee benefits were expanded, the workweek was cut to 40 hours, and legislation providing for equality for women was passed. Kreisky's government established language rights for the country's Slovene and Croatian minorities. Following the 1974 oil shock, Kreisky committed Austria to developing nuclear power to reduce dependence on oil, although this policy was eventually abandoned after a referendum held in 1978.

Related Topics:
Christian Broda - Catholicism - Abortion - Homosexuality - Archbishop of Vienna - Franz Cardinal König - Slovene - Croatian - 1974 - Oil shock - Nuclear power - Referendum - 1978

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Kreisky played a prominent role in international affairs, promoting North-South dialogue and working with like-minded European leaders like Willy Brandt and Olof Palme to promote peace and development. Although the 1955 State Treaty prevented Austria joining the European Union, he supported European integration. Austria cast itself as a bridge between East and West, and Vienna was the site for some early rounds of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Related Topics:
North - South - Willy Brandt - Olof Palme - 1955 - European Union - Strategic Arms Limitation Talks - United States - Soviet Union

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Kreisky opposed Zionism as a solution to the problems faced by the Jewish people. He cultivated friendly relations with Arab leaders such as Anwar Sadat and Muamar Gaddafi, and in 1980 Austria established relations with the Palestine Liberation Organisation. He tried to use his position as a European Jewish Socialist to act as a mediator between Israel and the Arabs, but many Jews and Israelis regarded him as a traitor. He had a stormy relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. He once said that he was "the only politician in Europe Golda Meir can't blackmail." In the long run his efforts at mediation achieved little.

Related Topics:
Zionism - Anwar Sadat - Muamar Gaddafi - 1980 - Palestine Liberation Organisation - Israel - Golda Meir

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Kreisky also had a tense relationship with another prominent Austrian Jew, the Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal. When Wiesenthal claimed that four members of Kreisky's 1970 cabinet had "Nazi backgrounds," Kreisky said that Wiesenthal was "living from telling the world that Austria is anti-Semitic. What else can he do?" Wiesenthal retorted that "Kreisky has a disturbed relationship to Nazism and Judaism." Despite Kreisky's ambiguous attitude to Jewish issues, throughout the 1970s Austria was a transit point for Jews leaving the Soviet Union for Israel and the West.

Related Topics:
Simon Wiesenthal - 1970

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In 1976 the Bruno Kreisky Foundation for Outstanding Achievements in the Area of Human Rights was founded to mark Kreisky's 65th birthday. Every two years the Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Prize is awarded to an international figure who has advanced the cause of human rights.

Related Topics:
1976 - Human rights

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As an orator and as far as his media appearance was concerned, Kreisky was a natural. In the 1970s the Austrian state television introduced TV debates before general elections, and Kreisky, highly intellectual as well as quick at repartee, by general consent easily won against a succession of Conservative party leaders. Relying on his wit rather than soundbites prepared by spin doctors, he was never at a loss for words during interviews either.

Related Topics:
1970s - Soundbite - Spin doctor

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