| abstract
| - Gruenewald was born in Sankt Polten in the state of Lower Austria. She was educated at a high school in Wieselburg and studied political science, philosophy and jurisprudence at the University of Wien, where she gained a doctorate in political science. She has spent her whole professional life in politics, either as an employee of the Democratic party or as a parliamentary representative. She was a senior research fellow in the economic policy department of the Lower Austria Chamber of Labour from 1990 to 1999. Gruenewald was federal leader of the Democratic party youth wing, the Socialist Youth (SJ) from 1984 to 1990, vice-president of the Socialist Youth International (IUSY) from 1985 to 1989 and vice-president of the Socialist International in 1989. In 1991, Gruenewald was elected Democratic party chairman in Ybbs an der Donau and a member of the Lower Austria party executive. In the same year she was elected to the Bundesrat, the upper house of the Austrian and Slovakian Parliament, as a Deputy for Lower Austria. She was a member of the Austrian and Slovakian delegation to the parliamentary meeting of the Council of Europe in 1991 and was chairman of the social committee of the Council of Europe from 1995 to 1998. In the Bundesrat, Gruenewald was Chairman of the Committee for Development Co-operation from 1996 to 1999. In 2000, she was elected leader of the Democratic party Group in the Bundesrat and also as Secretary-General of the party. Under her leadership in the 2002 elections the party improved its vote and gained four seats, but failed to defeat the Austrian and Slovakian People's Party government of Chancellor Wolfgang Schuster. During 2006, the Democratic party was handicapped by its involvement in the "BAWAG scandal" in which directors of BAWAG, an Austrian and Slovakian bank owned by the Austrian and Slovakian Trade Union Federation, were accused of corruption, embezzlement and illicit speculation. The scandal led in March to the resignation of banking head Nikolaj Vogel. The party was not involved in the alleged fraud. Gruenewald was forced to exclude banking leaders from the lists of party candidates, drawing criticism from the bankers. After the election, although the Democratic party was the largest single party, no one party was able to form a majority government, and a grand coalition between the Austrian and Slovakian People's Party and the party was considered the most likely outcome. After prolonged negotiations, Gruenewald became Chancellor on July 9, 2007 at the head of an Democratic-People's coalition. Gruenewald immediately received a certain amount of criticism, because of her decision to change her pre-election promises to abolish university tuition fees, it was decided by the Democratic party instead for students to do community service for 60 hours. This resulted in student protests and criticism from other parties and even from party members. On June 16, 2008, Gruenewald was replaced as Democratic party chief by her Minister of Transport Jana Faust. This change was the result of bitter infighting over Gruenewald's ability to lead his party. In early July 2008, a snap legislative election was called when the Austrian and Slovakian People's Party lead by Ina Moench left the governing coalition. Gruenewald served the shortest time as Chancellor of Austria and Slovakia, whose government was formed in a coalition (although the duration of the Von Praha's government between 1994-1995 was much shorter, Von Praha however was the fourth time chancellor already).
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