Vilimsky's mother was a nurse and raised him together with his stepfather,an insurance broker,in the Vienna district of Favoriten. He never met his biological father,and was 16 years old when his mother died. After lower school,he attended a commercial academy and graduated there. He then studied economics and dropped out. From 1988 to 1990 he attended a university course in public relations at the University of Vienna.[2]
Early political career
After completing his university course,Vilimsky worked in various positions as a press officer. First,he worked for the Road Safety Board for a year,then from 1991 Vilimsky was press officer in the FPÖNational Council club. In 1995,the then FPÖregional party chairman Rainer Pawkowicz brought him into the club of the FPÖstate parliament and municipal council faction in Vienna City Hall. There he met his future mentor and friend Heinz-Christian Strache. After Strache was elected as Vienna FPÖchairman in March 2004,Harald Vilimsky became regional party secretary of the Vienna FPÖand became key to many of the party's election programmes.[3][4]
Federal Council and National Council member
From November 2005,Vilimsky was a member of the Federal Council and thus the first new federal political representative of the FPÖafter the split between the FPÖand the BZÖ. After the 2006 Austrian legislative election,Vilimsky would be placed 3rd on the FPÖVienna list and 20th on the FPÖnational list,and was elected to the National Council.[5][6]
In December 2008,Vilimsky caused a stir with a controversial self-experiment,in which a journalist also took part. In the presence of an emergency doctor,he allowed prison guards to shoot him with an electric shock gun,which is used in prisons to temporarily incapacitate aggressive prisoners. This was to convince the public that the device,according to Vilimsky,is harmless.[8]
In 2009,Vilimsky commented on Operation Cast Lead and called "the silence of the Western community of states regarding Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip embarrassing." They were "lobby organizations of the Israelis" and condemned "the death toll on a civilian population differently,namely not at all,when it comes from Israel."[9]
In the 2014 European elections,Vilimsky was presented as joint top candidate for the FPÖwith Andreas Mölzer. After Mölzer quit due to remarks he had made,[12] Vilimsky would be the sole top candidate. Under Vilimsky,the FPÖwould gain 2 seats in the European parliament and become the third largest Austrian delegation to the European Parliament.[13]
In July 2018,Vilimsky caused a stir when he accused EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of alcoholism. Juncker was seen staggering and weak on his feet at the NATO summit on 11 and 12 July 2018. Vilimsky and other European right-wing populist politicians (including those from the German AfD ) accused him of being drunk and called for Juncker's immediate resignation. According to Vilimsky,Juncker was making Europe "a laughing stock" with this behaviour.[17] In the 2019 European elections,the FPÖwould fall to three seats as Vilimsky was re-elected.
During the campaign for the 2024 European elections,Vilimsky would refer to President Van der Bellen as Lena Schilling's "green sugar daddy".[20][21] As lead candidate,Vilimsky would lead the FPÖto win its first ever nationwide election in Austria,with 25.4% of the vote and 6 seats in the European parliament.[22]
Following the 2024 European elections,as most of the ID member parties moved to join the new Patriots for Europe group (with the main exception of the Czech SPD,which would join the ESN group),Vilimsky would lead the FPÖdelegation to join the Patriots for Europe.[23] Vilimsky would become one of the vice-presidents of the Patriots group.[24]
In January 2025,Vilimsky argued that it would be a good thing to leave the WHO.[28] A month later,he called for the reduction of the European Commission from 27 members to 18 members,while criticizing the Commission's regulatory policy.[29]
Committees and Delegations
10th European Parliament
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Delegation for relations with the United States
9th European Parliament
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport
Delegation for relations with the United States
8th European Parliament
Committee on Civil Liberties,Justice and Home Affairs
Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee
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