Alexander Van der Bellen

Who is Alexander Van der Bellen?

Alexander Van der Bellen is an Austrian economist and politician, chairman of the parliamentary club and federal spokesperson of the Austrian Green Party from 1997 to 2008.

Van der Bellen was born in Vienna and spent his childhood in Tyrol. In 1962, he graduated from the Akademisches Gymnasium in Innsbruck. He studied economics at the University of Innsbruck and received a doctorate in 1970. From 1968 to 1970 he worked as assistant at the Institut für Finanzwissenschaft of the University of Innsbruck, and from 1972 to 1974 at the Internationales Institut für Management und Verwaltung in Berlin. He achieved habilitation in 1975.

In 1976 he was appointed as professor extraordinarius at the University of Innsbruck; he later went to Vienna, where he taught from 1977 to 1980 as professor ordinarius for economics at the University of Vienna. Subsequently, he took over the chair for economics there. From 1990 to 1994 he was dean of the faculty for social sciences and economics.

A former member of the Austrian Social Democratic Party, Van der Bellen became Member of the National Council of Austria for the Austrian Green Party in 1994.