Diplomatic SOCIETY features numerous guest contributors in every issue, addressing current topics in politics, society, business, and culture.
Martin Eichtinger has been Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna since August 2025. Prior to this, he served, among other positions, as Austrian Ambassador to Italy (2024–2025), the United Kingdom (2015–2018), Romania and Moldova (2007–2010). He also acted as Special Representative and Coordinator for Neighborhood Policy and the Foreign Policy Dimension of the Danube Region at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (2023–2024), was a Member of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria (2018–2023), Head of the Cultural Policy Section at the Ministry (2010–2015), Secretary General of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labour (2006–2007), and Chief of Cabinet at the same ministry (2003–2007). In his guest article, he writes about a “Coalition of Democratic-Minded Nations” and advocates closer cooperation among like-minded states.
Maria Rauch-Kallat, after more than 20 years in a wide range of political positions—including several terms as Federal Minister, Member of Parliament, and Secretary General of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP)—is now the owner of mrkConsult and mrk diversity management GmbH. Her areas of expertise include strategic consulting and communication, corporate crisis management, executive coaching, and public affairs. She is an academic business consultant and educator. In addition to numerous public functions in NGOs, she serves as President of Club alpha and the Mentory Club. For Diplomatic SOCIETY, she has contributed an article on women in politics and leadership positions.
Emil Brix is a diplomat and historian. Until August 2025, he served as Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna – Vienna School of International Studies. He joined the diplomatic service in 1982, and his final postings as ambassador took him to the United Kingdom (2010–2015) and the Russian Federation (2015–2017). Since 2024, he has also been President of the Austrian Research Association. In his latest contribution, he discusses how the European Union can continue to develop in a positive direction.
Robert Stoppacher began his career in 1979 in the news department of ORF Radio. From 1986 to 1996, he worked in the domestic political editorial department. After returning from Brussels, where he served as ORF foreign correspondent from 1996 to 1997, he became Head of the Domestic Political Editorial Department of ORF Radio’s Current Affairs Division in 1997. From 1998 to April 2002, Stoppacher was Editor-in-Chief of TV News and Executive Producer of “Zeit im Bild 1.” Between 2002 and February 2003, he oversaw the program “Newsflash” as part of the planning editorial team. He subsequently became Head of the ORF Parliamentary Editorial Department (“Hohes Haus,” “Live from Parliament”). For this issue, he interviewed Austria’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism, Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, for Diplomatic SOCIETY magazine.
Anna Zeitlinger is Head of the Russian & CIS Desk at LANSKY, GANZGER, GOETH & Partner Attorneys at Law GmbH. She specializes in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, the law of the Russian Federation and the CIS, as well as international litigation and arbitration. One of her key areas of expertise is advising Eastern European investors entering Western European markets. For this issue, she examines the free trade agreement involving India.
Stefan Liebing is Honorary Consul of Cameroon in Hamburg, Managing Director of the Conjuncta Group, and served as Chairman of the German-African Business Association from 2012 to 2023. He also teaches as an Honorary Professor of International Trade at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences. In the current issue of Diplomatic SOCIETY, he takes a critical look at Europe’s approach to the countries of its neighboring continent and emphasizes that Africa will not wait for Europe.
Arian Faal is a foreign policy analyst with many years of experience as a guest lecturer at the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt and at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. He has written more than 5,000 articles on Iran, the Middle East, China, and geopolitics. He worked for 15 years at Wiener Zeitung and five years at the Austrian Press Agency (APA), and served as private secretary to former Austrian Federal President Rudolf Kirchschläger from 1998 to 2000. In recognition of his services to the Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt, he was awarded the Golden Academy Ring. In this issue, he writes about Oman’s role as a mediator in the Middle East.