What will give Sebastian Kurs the next stage of life? There was no official answer to this question on Thursday – the outgoing ÖVP boss himself announced that a “new task” awaits him next year.

Since then, there has been a lot of speculation in the political bubble about what it might be. The two-time former chancellor is expected to be drawn to Silicon Valley. Google, Netflix, Facebook, Co. Kurz has been in contact with managers for years at, and only last summer was a guest at the Elite “Yellowstone Retreat” in Montana at the invitation of the former Google CEO. Kurz has also arrived as a guest on the Facebook group – At the invitation of another former politician: Nick Clegg, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain, is the main lobbyist there.

A recent private trip by Kurs led to similar speculations: In early November, the club chairman left for IrelandMany technology giants have their European headquarters.

Rudas joins Tech Group

Kurz may not be the first Austrian politician to dock with a tech company: Laura Rudas, former SPA managing director, for example, who worked at the data giant Palantir in Palo Alto after leaving politics.

If Kurs wants more time to think about where his path will lead in the future, he has a few options: As he is barred from serving as club chairman, he is in principle entitled to six consecutive months of salary payment. At a cost of about 11,000 euros. He has to apply for it himself. The guesswork is that he will not use it.

Career of Chancellors a. D

Kurz will not be the first former chancellor to turn to lucrative jobs after retiring from politics.

First and foremost was Alfred Gusenbauer (61, SPÖ). He served as Federal Chancellor from 2007 to 2008, then as an entrepreneur, lobbyist, and chairman of the Supervisory Board of Strabag SE, and owns two companies owned by real estate entrepreneur Rene Benco (Signa Prime Selection AG, Signa Development Selection AG) and Kudos. A.G. Gussenbauer has been a lobbyist for dictators in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. As an entrepreneur he built an international company network. Guzenbauer’s actions are undisputed, even within his own ranks.

Werner Feyman (61, SPÖ) walks in his footsteps to some extentBecame Chancellor, succeeding Gusenbauer. After leaving Ballhausplatz in 2016, Faymann became an entrepreneur, founding a company focused on real estate projects and communication activities, supporting clients at home and abroad and owning shares in two subsidiaries, including Imfarr Beteiligungs GmbH. Well connected in the construction sector. He also advises the Weiner Statistic Insurance Association.

Short-term Chancellor Christian Kane (55, SPÖ) Coming from business – he was the CEO of ÖBB – he went back there without being voted on: he is a member of the Supervisory Board of the Russian State Railways and President of the European China Business Council from 2019.

Former chiefs of the ÖVP with good relations

Unlike the former chancellors of the SPÖ, who were more privately interested, the ÖVP appointed two vice-chancellors in large alliances and appointed international organizations. Michael Spindeleger (61), head of ICMPD Migration Center since 2016; Also runs a consulting firm; Wilhelm Molter (66) Has been a pensioner since the summer; He was previously Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and President of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), established in the wake of the 2008/2009 financial crisis.

Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (77, SPD) applies to German neighbors As a “comrade of the bosses”: a consultant, a member of the supervisory board, and a loyalist to Putin, he holds a highly controversial position as chairman of Nordstream AG’s supervisory board – and still holds the reins.