Norbert Hofer

Norbert Hofer
Hofer in 2019
Third President of the National Council
In office
23 October 2019 – 23 October 2024
PresidentWolfgang Sobotka
Preceded byAnneliese Kitzmüller
Succeeded byDoris Bures
In office
29 October 2013 – 18 December 2017
Preceded byMartin Graf
Succeeded byAnneliese Kitzmüller
Chair of the Freedom Party
In office
14 September 2019 – 1 June 2021
Preceded byHeinz-Christian Strache
Succeeded byHerbert Kickl
Minister of Transport, Innovation
and Technology
In office
18 December 2017 – 22 May 2019
ChancellorSebastian Kurz
Preceded byJörg Leichtfried
Succeeded byValerie Hackl
Member of the National Council
In office
23 October 2019 – 24 October 2024
Nominated byHimself
AffiliationFreedom Party
In office
24 May 2019 – 22 October 2019
Constituency1 – Burgenland
In office
28 October 2008 – 18 December 2017
Constituency1 – Burgenland
In office
30 October 2006 – 27 October 2008
Nominated byHeinz-Christian Strache
AffiliationFreedom Party
Personal details
Born
Norbert Gerwald Hofer

(1971-03-02) 2 March 1971 (age 53)
Vorau, Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, Styria, Austria
Political partyFreedom Party
SpouseVerena Malus
Children4
WebsiteParliament website

Norbert Gerwald Hofer (Austrian German: [ˈnɔrbɛrt ˈhoːfɐ]; born 2 March 1971) is an Austrian politician who was the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from June 2019 to June 2021. He previously served as minister of transport, innovation, and technology from 2017 to 2019 under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Hofer served as third president of the National Council from 2013 to 2017. He was his party's candidate in the 2016 presidential election. Hofer won the first round, receiving 35.1%, but was defeated by The Greens' candidate Alexander Van der Bellen, 53.8% against 46.2%, in the final runoff (an earlier runoff was invalidated).

He later served as Minister for Transport in the first Kurz government from 2017 to 2019. He became Leader of the Freedom Party in September 2019, after holding the office in an acting capacity from May to September 2019.

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