Alexander Schallenberg is an Austrian diplomat, lawyer by training and politician. He served for nearly six years as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria from 2019 to 2025. In 2021 he also served for a brief period of time as Chancellor of Austria as successor to Sebastian Kurz (October-December 2021). In January 2025 he was again appointed Chancellor after the resignation of Karl Nehammer. Until the formation of the new Austrian government in March 2025 Schallenberg served both as Chancellor and as Foreign Minister of Austria. During his years in government Schallenberg positioned Austria as a country with a clear pro-European orientation arguing for a targeted and pragmatic strengthening of the EU integration. He strongly advocated for a strategic neighbourhood policy of the EU gradually integrating the countries of the Western Balkans as well as Ukraine and Moldova into the European Union. In this context he initiated the “Group of Friends of the Western Balkans” which includes 7 EU-Member States and the “Central-5” bringing together all CEE neighbours of Austria. Schallenberg paid special attention to the strengthening of the transatlantic ties both under the administrations of Trump I and Biden receiving the then Secretaries of State Mike Pompeo and Tony Blinken in Vienna. During his tenure he strongly promoted the strategic partnership between Austria and Israel while maintaining the traditional close relations with the Arab world, in particular with the Gulf States. During his diplomatic career Schallenberg worked as Legal Counsellor for Austria to the European Union in Brussels from 2000 to 2005 before moving to Vienna as political spokesman for the Foreign Ministers from 2005 to 2013. In 2013 Schallenberg became director for strategic foreign policy planning in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Subsequently he was appointed General Director of the European Department of the Foreign Ministry. In 2018 Schallenberg moved to the Federal Chancellery where he took over as General Director for government coordination including EU affairs. Since leaving government, Mr. Schallenberg has focused on international strategy and advisory work. He advises international companies through his consultancy on geopolitical and regulatory challenges. In addition, he is actively engaged in several international think tanks, including his role as Chairman of the newly established Europe’s Futures Initiative in Vienna.