1937- . Austrian socialist politician,
federal chancellor from 1986. Vranitzky first
went into banking and in 1970 became adviser
on economic and financial policy to the
minister of finance. After a return to the
banking world he entered the political arena
through the Socialist Party of Austria (SPO),
and became minister of finance in 1984. He
succeeded Fred Sinowatz as federal chancellor
in 1986, heading an SPO-OVP (Austrian
People's Party) coalition.