THE ISLAND OF THE BLESSED
THE ISLAND OF THE BLESSED
A republican history lesson
Ferdinand Lacina, Former Federal Minister of Finance.
Moderation
Wolfgang Maderthaner, Historian, Association for the History of the Labour Movement
In 1970, something happens in Austria that was previously unimaginable for many. A socialist becomes Federal Chancellor. An intellectual, an emigrant, a Jew, a convinced Austrian. A man who wanted to modernise and aerate the country, a "red man" with political visions whose name would shape the entire decade: Bruno Kreisky.
The 70s are formative and unforgettable for our country. They were years of new beginnings, progress, full employment and a time of incredible sporting success. „An island of the blessed“, says the Pope in Rome. Golden years - with the downsides of a consumerist and affluent society - are coming to the country.
Ferdinand Lacina studied at the University of World Trade and graduated in 1965 with a degree in business administration. In 1973, he became head of the economics department at the Vienna Chamber of Labour and in 1980 became head of Bruno Kreisky's cabinet. From 1982 to 1984, he was State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery with responsibility for economic issues, among other things. As Minister for Public Economy and Transport (1984-86), he was also concerned with the crisis of nationalised companies. In 1986, Lacina became Finance Minister under Franz Vranitzky, and after his resignation in 1995, he was General Director of GiroCredit Bank AG der Sparkassen until 1997.
The recording of this event is available on the YOUTUBE channel of the Kreisky Forum retrievable.