1. Pamela Rendi-Wagner was born on Joy Pamela Wagner, 7 May 1971 and is an Austrian physician and politician who is the current director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and who previously served as chairwoman of the Social Democratic Party from 2018 to 2023.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner was the first woman to lead the SPO.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner served as minister for health and women from March to December 2017.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner was the SPO's lead candidate in the 2019 election.
In June 2024, Pamela Rendi-Wagner was appointed Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Joy Pamela Rendi-Wagner Wagner was born in Vienna and grew up in the Favoriten district as the daughter of Wolfgang and Christine Wagner, nee Tschabitscher.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner attended the GRG 12 Erlgasse in Meidling and graduated in 1989.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner then studied medicine at the University of Vienna and received her doctorate in 1996.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner specialized clinically in specific prophylaxis and tropical hygiene and received her diploma from the Medical University of Vienna in 2005.
Between 2008 and 2011, Pamela Rendi-Wagner was a guest lecturer at the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University in Israel.
From 2011 to 2017, Pamela Rendi-Wagner took over Section III in the Ministry of Health and was chairwoman of the Office for Safety in Health Care and a member of the Health Commission.
In 2012, Pamela Rendi-Wagner joined the Association of Social Democratic University Graduates, an organization affiliated with the SPO.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner served in the government of Chancellor Christian Kern.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner became a member of the National Council in the election in October; due to the change in government, she left the ministry on 18 December 2017.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner declined to return as an official in the Ministry of Health.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner joined the joint committee as well as the committees for health, environment, economy, and foreign affairs, becoming deputy chair of the health committee.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner stated that she wanted to define the party as modern, progressive, and cosmopolitan, pushing it to "have the courage to provide simple and understandable answers" and stand for equal opportunity and justice.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner sought to provide a sharp contrast with the OVP and FPO without opposing the government dogmatically.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner said that she was "not a fan of the left-right split", and was perceived as seeking to bring the party to the political centre.
On 28 May 2019, Pamela Rendi-Wagner was unanimously confirmed by the SPO executive as the party's top candidate for the 2019 federal election.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner became chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee, and joined the standing subcommittee of the joint committee.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner presented a platform concept titled "New Solidarity for Austria", which sought to the strengthen the welfare state, with a focus on health and care, as well as investments in employment and tax justice.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner called for new elections to be held once the fourth wave had been suppressed.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner was the first SPO-leader to face a leadership election in mid-2023.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner would remain in office until a new party leader and parliamentary group leader had been elected.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner's mother was a kindergarten teacher, her father is professor of social psychology.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner is married to Michael Rendi, a former Austrian ambassador to Israel who was cabinet chief of chancellery minister Thomas Drozda, and has two daughters with him.