Career
Before that, she was Minister of the Interior. On 27 June 2008, it was announced by her party that she was to be appointed as the new Interior Minister in the Gusenbauer cabinet, following Günther Platter, who became the new Governor of Tyrol. During her career as Interior Minister, she became known as a hardliner, especially when it came to immigration and asylum policies, earning her the unofficial title of an Austrian "Iron Lady".
Doctor of Law, Linz University (1979)
Magistra rerum socialium oeconomicarumque, Linz University (1982)
Municipal councillor in Attnang-Puchheim (1986–1990)
State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (1990–1994)
Ombudsman (Volksanwältin) (2007–2008)
Federal Minister of the Interior (2008-2011)
Federal Minister of Finance (2011—2013).