New Members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board
On 1 July 2013 the new members of the Austrian Ombudsman Board (AOB) took office. Günther Kräuter, Gertrude Brinek and Peter Fichtenbauer were elected by the Austrian National Council for the term of office from July 2013 to June 2019. For Gertrude Brinek it is already the second term of office. In its inaugural meeting the new AOB appointed Günther Kräuter as Secretary General of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI).
The AOB consists of three members who work together in a collegial way. They are elected for a term of six years by the Austrian Parliament (National Council) and can be re-elected once. The ombudspersons are sworn in by the Federal President. The members of the AOB are guaranteed independence when performing their duties: They cannot be voted out, recalled or removed from office. The members of the AOB must be eligible to the National Council and must have knowledge in the fields of the organisation and functioning of administration. As the AOB also monitors and controls the compliance with human rights standards, the members must have relevant knowledge in this area as well.
Günther Kräuter obtained a doctorate in law. After various positions in public administration, Günther Kräuter was Member of the Austrian Parliament (National Council) from 1991 to 2013. As parliamentary party spokesperson of the committee on the court of audit and chairman of his parliamentary party in enquiry committees Günther Kräuter was intensively involved in parliamentary control tasks. As deputy chairman of the committee on constitutional matters he additionally promoted citizens’, freedom and human rights.
Gertrude Brinek obtained a doctorate in education, psychology, and art history. After teaching at Viennese elementary and secondary schools she moved her professional focus to the University of Vienna in 1983, where she ultimately was working as assistant professor at the Institute of Educational Science. Gertrude Brinek was a Member of the Austrian Parliament (National Council) from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1994 to 2008, where she focused on science and education policy. Since July 2008 Getrude Brinek is member of the AOB and was re-elected for a second term in 2013.
Peter Fichtenbauer obtained a degree in law. Since 1975 Peter Fichtenbauer has been practicing as a self-employed lawyer. From 2006 to 2013 Peter Fichtenbauer was a Member of the Austrian Parliament (National Council) and Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Freedom Party of Austria. In 2006 Fichtenbauer was a member of the Foundation Council of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation.