Elke Kahr
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elke Kahr | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kahr in 2021 | |
| Mayor of Graz | |
| Assumed office 17 November 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Siegfried Nagl |
| City Councillor of Graz | |
| In office 2005 – 17 November 2021 | |
| Vice-Mayor of Graz | |
| In office 16 June 2016 – 4 April 2017 | |
| Member of the Gemeinderat of Graz | |
| Assumed office 1993 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elke Kahr 2 November 1961 |
| Party | Communist Party of Austria |
Elke Kahr (German: [ˈɛlkɛ kaː(ɐ̯)]; born 2 November 1961) is an Austrian politician of the Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) who has been serving as mayor of Graz, the second-largest city in Austria, since 2021.[1][2] She was previously a city councillor in the municipal government since 2005. Between June 2016 and April 2017, she served as vice mayor of the city.[3][4]
Kahr was born in Graz in 1961. Her biological father was a student from Iran.[5] She was adopted at three years of age and grew up in a working-class district. After finishing elementary and secondary school, she attended the commercial school in Grazbachgasse. After working at the Oesterreichische Kontrollbank, she attended the evening business academy, which she graduated in 1984 with the Matura.[6] Kahr has lived in a partnership with the former KPÖ state party chairman Franz Stephan Parteder since 1988. The couple has a son.[3]
Political career
Kahr joined the Communist Party in 1983. From 1985, she was employed in the KPÖ district management in Graz. She was elected to the city council in 1993, and since 1998 she has chaired the KPÖ council group. In 2003–4 she was deputy federal chairwoman of the KPÖ. She was campaign manager for the party in the 2005 Styrian state election, which saw the KPÖ become the third-largest party and win seats in the Landtag for the first time in 35 years.[6][7]
After the 2005 state election, popular local KPÖ leader Ernest Kaltenegger left the city council to focus on state politics. Kahr succeeded him as the face of the Graz KPÖ, and replaced him as councillor for housing, a position she held until 2017. The 2008 municipal election saw the party lose 6 of their 12 seats and slide to fourth place. However, it recovered in the following years and, under Kahr's leadership, became the second-largest party in Graz with 20% of the vote in the 2012 election, an unprecedented result.[8][9]
After the resignation of vice mayor Martina Schröck of the Social Democratic Party of Austria in 2016, Kahr was elected as her successor. She was confirmed by the Landtag with 38 of 46 votes.[10] Kahr again headed the KPÖ list in the 2017 local election and maintained her party's performance at around 20%. After the election, she lost her housing portfolio and was instead appointed councillor for transport.[11]
2021 municipal election
Kahr led the KPÖ for a third time in the 2021 Graz local election. Despite opinion polling suggesting a victory for the ruling Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the KPÖ became the largest party with 28.8% of votes and 15 seats, making Kahr the most likely candidate for mayor of the city.[6][11][12]
After the election, the KPÖ entered into discussions with the Greens and SPÖ.[13] The three parties agreed to form a coalition government, with the KPÖ holding three city councillors and the Greens one, while the SPÖ take over a number of committees in the city council.[14] Kahr was elected mayor by the Gemeinderat on 17 November, winning 28 out of 46 votes. She became the first female mayor of Graz and first communist mayor of an Austrian city.[1]
