27 Facts About Norbert Hofer

Norbert Hofer previously served as minister of transport, innovation, and technology from 2017 to 2019 under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Norbert Hofer was his party's candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

Norbert Hofer later served as Minister for Transport in the first Kurz government from 2017 to 2019.

Norbert Hofer became Leader of the Freedom Party in September 2019, after holding the office in an acting capacity from May to September 2019.

Norbert Hofer stepped down as party leader in 2021 after losing a power struggle with Herbert Kickl.

Norbert Hofer was born in Vorau, Austria, the son of a local Austrian People's Party councillor and electric power station director.

Norbert Hofer was raised in a middle-class family in Pinkafeld, Burgenland.

Norbert Hofer finished secondary school at the HTBLA Eisenstadt with specialization in aeronautics.

Norbert Hofer worked his way up the ranks of the Freedom Party of Austria and became a close advisor to Heinz-Christian Strache, who took over the leadership of the Freedom Party from Jorg Haider in 2005.

From 1996 to 2007, Norbert Hofer was provincial party secretary of the FPO in Burgenland and, from 1997 to 2007, council member of the City of Eisenstadt.

From 2008 to 2012, Norbert Hofer served as vice president for Burgenland of the Osterreichischer Zivilinvalidenverband.

Norbert Hofer was energy and environmental speaker from 2006 to 2015, as well as FPO spokesman for the disabled in the National Council.

Norbert Hofer became Third President of Austria's National Council on 29 October 2013.

Norbert Hofer placed close second in a neck-and-neck race with Alexander Van der Bellen, the former Green Party spokesman.

Norbert Hofer ran on his promise of "putting Austria first" and received the highest number of votes in the first round with 35.1 percent, putting him in a runoff.

Norbert Hofer benefited from the recent migrant crisis, where around 90,000 migrants applied for asylum in Austria, straining the country's resources and public empathy.

Norbert Hofer campaigned to dissolve Parliament in order to call new elections.

Norbert Hofer conceded soon after the first exit polls were reported, posting on Facebook: "I congratulate Alexander Van der Bellen for his success and ask all Austrians to pull together and work together" and added that he "would have liked to look after Austria" and confirmed his intention to run again in 2022.

Norbert Hofer was chosen to lead the Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology.

Norbert Hofer serves on the board of directors of Eurosolar Austria, has served on the boards of Mapjet AG and International Sky Services AG and was executive chairman of PAF private trust.

In February 2015, Norbert Hofer proposed that South Tyrol, an autonomous German-speaking province administered by Italy and formerly part of Austria-Hungary, should be absorbed into Austria.

In 2016, Norbert Hofer stated that he would want Austria to hold a referendum on its membership of the European Union if the European Parliament were to assume more powers or if Turkey acceded to the bloc.

Norbert Hofer stated that the Quran was more dangerous than COVID-19 during a speech held at a 2020 campaign event.

Norbert Hofer was raised as a Catholic but converted to Protestantism; his wife and children are Catholic.

Norbert Hofer is an honorary member of the conservative school fraternity Marko-Germania zu Pinkafeld and an honorary knight of the Order of St George.

Norbert Hofer engaged in six months of rehabilitation, moving from a wheelchair to the use of a cane to walk.

Norbert Hofer is a gun enthusiast and carries a Glock handgun.