Thomas Klestil

Thomas Klestil (4 November 1932 – 6 July 2004) was an Austrian diplomat and politician. He was elected Federal President of Austria (Bundespräsident) in 1992 (on 56.9 % of the popular vote) and was re-elected to the position in 1998. His second—and final—term of office was due to end on 8 July 2004, but his death two days prior to his retirement from office cut his term short.

Presidency

After being nominated by the conservative Austrian People's Party to run for Federal President, he succeeded Kurt Waldheim on 8 July 1992. However, in the course of his two terms of office, Klestil's alienation from his own party became increasingly obvious, so much so that there was open antagonism between Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and Klestil when, in 2000, the latter had to swear in the newly formed coalition government with Jörg Haider's Austrian Freedom Party. Klestil, who during his election campaign had vowed to be an "active" president, repeatedly criticized the Austrian government and, in an interview with a Swiss daily given in 2003, stated that, theoretically speaking, it was in his power to dismiss the government any time he found it necessary to do so. As a matter of fact the Austrian Constitution does give far-reaching powers to the Federal President, but these had never been exercised by any of Klestil's predecessors.

Related Topics:
Austrian People's Party - Kurt Waldheim - 8 July - 1992 - Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel - 2000 - Jörg Haider - Austrian Freedom Party - Swiss - Daily - 2003

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Thomas Klestil, who had three grown-up children by his first marriage, divorced his wife of many years shortly after his successful election campaign of 1992 and subsequently, in 1998, married work colleague Margot Löffler, the woman he allegedly was already having an affair with at the time of his election. In 1996 he was taken seriously ill but recovered.

Related Topics:
Divorce - 1992 - 1998 - 1996

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On 5 July 2004, three days before he was to leave office, he suffered a heart attack or heart failure, probably caused by his longtime lung problems and was left in critical condition. He died on 6 July at 23:33 local time at the AKH (Allgemeines Krankenhaus - General Hospital) in Vienna from multiple organ failure. On 9 July 2004 he was interred in the presidential crypt at Vienna's Central Cemetery (Zentralfriedhof).

Related Topics:
5 July - 2004 - Heart attack - Heart failure - 6 July - Multiple organ failure - 9 July - Zentralfriedhof

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