Maria Fekter

Maria Theresia Fekter is an Austrian politician (ÖVP) and was the Austrian Minister of Finance between 2011 and 2013. Before that, she was Minister of the Interior.^[1][2]

Maria Fekter
Minister of Finance
In office 21 April 2011 – 16 December 2013
Chancellor	Werner Faymann
Preceded by	Josef Pröll
Succeeded by	Michael Spindelegger
Minister of the Interior
In office 1 July 2008 – 21 April 2011
Chancellor	Alfred Gusenbauer Werner Faymann
Preceded by	Wilhelm Molterer (Acting)
Succeeded by	Johanna Mikl-Leitner
Personal details
Born	(1956-02-01) 1 February 1956 (age 69) Attnang-Puchheim, Austria
Political party	People's Party
Alma mater	Johannes Kepler University Linz

On 27 June 2008, it was announced by her party that she was to be appointed as the new Interior Minister in the Gusenbauer cabinet, following Günther Platter, who became the new Governor of Tyrol.^[3] During her career as Interior Minister, she became known as a hardliner, especially when it came to immigration and asylum policies, earning her the unofficial title of an Austrian "Iron Lady".^[4][5] Because her family made a fortune producing gravel Fekter is often referred to as "Schottermitzi"^{[6] [a]}

Early life and career

Fekter attended the Sisters of the Cross gymnasium in Gmunden then attended the grammar school Kreuzschwestern Gmunden.^[7] She obtained her Matura in 1975 from the commercial academy in Vöcklabruck.^[7] Afterward, she studied law, graduating from Johannes Kepler University Linz as a Doctor of Law in 1979.^[7] She then went on to obtain her Magistra rerum socialium oeconomicarumque from her alma mater in 1982.^[8] After graduating she worked in her parents' gravel pit and carrying business, becoming a managing partner in 1986.^[8]

In 1986 she became a municipal councillor in Attnang-Puchheim, which she did until 1990.^[9] From 1990 to 1994 she was State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and later a Member of the National Council (Parliament) from 1994 to 2007.^[7] During this time she was a Member of the executive committee (Präsidium) of the Österreichischer Wirtschaftsbund from 1990 to 1995, and again since 2008.^[7] From 2007 to 2008 she was a Ombudsman (Volksanwältin) of Austria, before becoming Federal Minister of the Interior from 2008 to 2011.^[7] Afterward, she served as Minister of Finance from 2011 to 2013.^[5]

Other activities

• Salzburg Festival, member of the board of trustees (since 2013)^[10]
• African Development Bank, member of the board of governors (2011–2013)^[11]

Notes

1. The nickname roughly translates to "Gravel Mary"; 'Mitzi' is the colloquial nickname form of Mary in Viennese dialect