Otto von Hößlin

Otto von Hößlin
44th Chancellor of Werania
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 June 2019
Monarch	Charlotte II
Deputy	Käthe Schickdanze
Preceded by	Viktor Oberhauser
Leader of the National Consolidation Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 August 2015
Preceded by	Günter Schaefer
Minister of Defence
In office 24 June 2008 – 4 May 2011
Prime Minister	Rasa Šimonytė Dietrich Wittmann
Preceded by	Volkhardt Köhler
Succeeded by	Peter Schulz
Minister of Health Services
In office 17 April 2004 – 24 June 2008
Prime Minister	Rasa Šimonytė
Preceded by	Hans Furstenfeld
Succeeded by	Reiner Weitzmann
Minister of Industrial Strategy and Employment
In office 18 March 1999 – 17 April 2004
Prime Minister	Rasa Šimonytė
Preceded by	Karlheinz Brötzmann
Succeeded by	Josef Anschütz
Personal details
Born	(1952-06-24) 24 June 1952 Gothberg, Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken, Werania
Political party	National Consolidation Party
Spouse	Julia Neumark
Alma mater	Imperial Academy of Weisstadt

Otto von Hößlin (born (1952-06-24)24 June 1952, aged 67) is a Weranian politician who is currently the Chancellor of Werania. The leader of the National Consolidation Party since 2015 von Hösslin previously served in several ministerial roles including in Industrial Strategy and Employment (1999-2004) Health (2004-2008) and Defence (2008-2011).

Prior to entering politics von Hösslin worked as a corporate lawyer representing Retenbank and ÖE Holdings (the state-owned oil company in Werania) before being elected to parliament at the 1991 general election for the NKP. In 1999 he entered the cabinet of Rasa Šimonytė as the Minister of Industrial Strategy and Employment. He served in the role until 2004 when he became Health Minister and in 2008 Defence Minister. When the NKP lost government in 2011 von Hösslin ran for the NKP leadership representing the national conservative wing of the party but he was defeated by Günter Schaefer who represented the moderate, neoliberal wing.

In 2015 von Hösslin became NKP leader where he steered the party to the right, supporting more right-wing populist policies. This led to a rise in support for the NKP which led to the NKP to become the largest party in the 2019 election. He subsequently formed a government with the Democratic Alternative party

Von Hößlin is seen to be a national conservative in his party, supporting economic nationalism and social conservatism. He describes himself as a "Sotirian democrat".

Early life

Otto von Hößlin was born on the 24 June, 1952 in the city of Gothberg in Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken. Von Hößlin was the second child and first son of Ludwig von Hößlin, a jurist who came from a minor noble family. His mother, Karin Berta von Neumann, came from the much more prominent von Neumann family with his great-grandfather Andreas von Neumann having served as the president of the Volkstag during the 1890's for the Conservative Party. His family have been described as conservative and Catholic with a "provincial mindset".

Education

Von Hößlin was educated at the Saint Thomas Preparatory School, an all-boys private school located in rural Cislania, for his primary education. His secondary education was also at an all-boys private school, the Sternberger Gymnasium graduating with his abitur in 1970. He attended the Imperial Academy of Weisstadt studying a bachelors degree in law from 1970 onwards after passing the entrance exam that year.

Von Hößlin graduated from university in 1974 and worked as an apprentice (Rechtsanwaltsanwärter) for the Jungmann Law Firm based in Gofberg from 1974-1977. After completing an apprenticeship and spending ten months working as a clerk in at a local court von Hößlin became eligible to take a law exam in 1978 which he passed, enabling him to be officially employed as a lawyer (Rechtsanwalt).

Business career

Von Hößlin with ÖE Holdings CEO Markus Stücklen in 1984.

Following his graduation as a lawyer von Hößlin worked in a corporate capacity for the Weranian banking group Rentenbank from 1978 to 1982. He left Rentenbank in 1982 to work for ÖE Holdings, the state owned oil corporation in Werania.

Whilst working for ÖE Holdings von Hößlin successfully defended the group against several lawsuits put forward by various groups that sought to legally oppose various oil projects set up across rural Werania. In a television interview in 1985 von Hößlin accused environmentalist groups in Werania of trying to seek attention rather then positively contribute to society.

In 1986 he was assigned to ÖE Holdings foreign division and worked variously in Zorasan, Nuxica and Cassier. In 1991 he announced that he would be resigning from the company in order to run for a seat in the Volkstag for the National Consolidation Party.

Political career

Von Hößlin had joined the National Consolidation Party (NKP) in 1971 whilst still at university after seeing NKP minister and future chancellor Johannes Zollitsch speak at a political rally. He applied to become a candidate in the 1984 and 1987 elections in his native Gothberg but lost pre-selection each time. In 1991 as part of NKP leader Edmund Blaurock's reforms greater emphasis on candidate selection was given to younger people in the private sector; von Hößlin was as such approved to run in a safe rural seat in Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken. At the 1991 election von Hößlin was one of the 58 new NKP Volkstag members.