July 6, 2004
Thomas Klestil
Thomas Klestil, the president of Austria, died on July 6 of multiple organ failure. He was 71.
Born in Vienna, Klestil studied economics at the College of World Trade. After earning a doctorate in commercial sciences, he took a civil service job with the Austrian Federal Chancellery. During the 1960s, Klestil worked as an attaché at the Austrian Embassy in Washington and established the Austrian General Consulate in Los Angeles.
Klestil was appointed ambassador to the United Nations in 1978; he was named the Austrian ambassador to the United States four years later. Called back to Vienna in 1987, he next became the Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, the highest-ranking diplomat in the Foreign Ministry.
In 1992, Klestil received the Austrian People's Party's nomination for the federal presidency and won the election with 56.9 percent of the vote. His first term in office was dedicated to strengthening Austria's ties with Central and Eastern Europe. In an effort to bolster relations with these countries, he organized the 1996 "European Economic Summit" in Salzburg, a gathering that granted political representatives from Central and Eastern Europe access to internationally acclaimed economic leaders. Austria joined the European Union in 1995.
On the domestic front, Klestil focused on civil rights and environmental issues. He also spoke out against Austria's Nazi complicity during World War II, and traveled to Israel to express his sympathy for Holocaust victims. The popular leader was re-elected in 1998 and dedicated his second term in office to improving global trade relations. Barred by the country's constitution from seeking a third term, Klestil's presidency was scheduled to end on July 8.
Posted on July 6, 2004 10:59 PM