Viktor Oberhauser
Viktor Oberhauser | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait of Viktor Oberhauser | |
| 42nd Chancellor of Werania | |
| In office 14th September 2013 – 10th February 2018 | |
| Monarch | Charlotte II |
| Deputy | Klaus Reimann |
| Preceded by | Emilia Koopmann |
| Succeeded by | Josef Felder |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania | |
| In office 14th September 2013 – 10th February 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Emilia Koopmann |
| Succeeded by | Josef Felder |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Euclean Relations | |
| In office 4th May 2011 – 16th October 2014 | |
| Chancellor | Ellis Koopmann |
| Preceded by | Siegfried Lübeck |
| Succeeded by | Klaus Barchmann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 20, 1962 Weisstadt, Cislania, Werania |
| Political party | Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania |
| Spouse | Annkathrin Hahnen |
| Alma mater | Academy of Weisstadt Gofberg University |
Viktor Oberhauser (born 20th October 1962, aged 62) is a Weranian politician who served as the Chancellor of Werania from September 2013 to February 2018. He was also the leader of the centre-left Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania (SPRO) during that time period and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Euclean Relations from 2011 to 2013.
Oberhauser began his political career working as the chief of staff for Chancellor Wolfgang Löscher, serving in the role from 1992 to 1995. He was elected to the Volkstag in the 1995 election. In the cabinet of Emilia Koopmann from 2011-2014 being considered one of the more able members of the government, being personally popular. After Koopmann presided over successive poor polling and pressure to resign Oberhauser became seen by the SRPO as a more able Chancellor and in October challenged Koopmann for the leadership. He was elected and led the SRPO into the 2015 Weranian federal election, forming a coalition with the SRPO and Modern Centre Party with parliamentary support from the Sotirian Democratic Homeland and Weranic Section of the Workers' International
Oberhauser's government continued fiscal discipline but also saw a raise in the minimum wage and an expansion of the social safety net. Oberhauser also promoted a pro-immigration policy and supported LGBT+ and minority rights. However his government also saw a rise in violent crime which he was harshly criticised for as well as several corruption scandals. Oberhauser was also seen to rely heavily on spin doctors.
In 2018 the SRPO suffered a large defeat in the Herrstag elections with Oberhauser being seen as personally unpopular. In February he unexpectedly announced his resignation after only narrowly surviving a confidence vote in the Volkstag, being succeeded by Cislanian Minister-President Josef Felder. Oberhauser subsequently resigned as from the Volkstag and from politics in general, taking up corporate positions instead.
Oberhauser is noted for being from the reformist wing of the SPRO, being more supportive of "third way" political positions.
Early life
Hylkema was born in 1962 in the city of Weisstadt to a middle-class Catholic family, with his father Konrad working as a diplomat and his mother Angela a secondary school teacher. He initially studied History at the Imperial Academy of Weisstadt from 1980, but dropped out in 1982 studying political science at Gofberg University. He graduated with a masters in the subject in 1987.
Political career
After graduation Oberhauser joined the Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania (SPRO) and worked as a correspondent for the right-wing tabloid the Morgenpost. In 1990 he left the Morgenpost to work for the SPRO in its campaign office during the 1991 general election. Following the election Oberhauser was appointed to work for SPRO leader and Chancellor Wolfgang Löscher, becoming Löscher's Deputy Chief Communications Officer in 1992. In his role as communications officer Oberhauser brought connections with right-wing tabloids that he had cultivated during his three years at the Daily Herald, leading to the government to adopt a more right-wing tone as its popularity sank in the face of a reinvigorated National Consolidation Party. Oberhauser was seen in this period as being "indispensable" in persuading the left-wing of the SPRO to approve of several privatisations and budget cuts undertaken during the Löscher government.
Volkstag member
In 1995 the government narrowly secured re-election but when into coalition with the socialist Weranic Section of the Workers' International and the progressive Greens. Oberhauser was elected as a Volkstag member in this election but his links with right-wing tabloids meant he was deemed unsuitable to continue working for the press office as the government took on a more left-wing tone. Oberhauser's voting record however was that of a fairly standard centre-left politician within the SRPO. Oberhauser was seen to strongly support Chancellor Löscher and in 1997 was appointed an under-secretary for defence within the government, although he was not a full cabinet member. Oberhauser resigned from the role following the governing coalitions defeat in the 1999 federal election.
Following the defeat Oberhauser supported the leadership campaign of Lothar Holzmeister to become SRPO chairman. Holzmeister was the former finance minister and a controversial personality in the SRPO due to his strongly economically liberal stances; Oberahauser however supported Holzmeister to retain stability in the SRPO which was wracked with infighting after the end of 16 years in government.