Editing Heinz Fischer (section)

===First term as president===
In January 2004 Fischer announced that he would run for president to succeed [[Thomas Klestil]].  He was [[2004 Austrian presidential election|elected]] on 25 April 2004 as the candidate of the opposition [[Social Democratic Party of Austria|Social Democratic Party]]. He polled 52.4 per cent of the votes to defeat [[Benita Ferrero-Waldner]], then foreign minister in the ruling conservative coalition led by the [[Austrian People's Party|People's Party]].

Fischer was sworn in on 8 July 2004 and took over office from the college of presidents of the National Council, who had acted for the president following Klestil's death on 6 July.