The head of the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN), Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, will step down from his position at the end of the year, eleven months before the end of his term. In a statement sent to APA, “personal reasons” were cited. Haijawi-Pirchner will, however, continue to work in the Interior Ministry in the field of state security.
Specifically, he will lead the project for the planned evaluation of the State Security and Intelligence Service Act and of the DSN itself. The ministry said the aim is to safeguard proven structures and make the best possible use of potential improvements.
The decision to resign early was not easy, Haijawi-Pirchner said in his statement. He described the post as a particularly responsible and honorable task, which he had always performed with respect for people. In the nearly four years since the directorate was established, many important steps had been taken, “allowing us today to look at a confidential, reliable, and networked constitutional protection service.”
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ) praised Haijawi-Pirchner’s work in a press release. Through his tireless efforts, he had built up the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence and shaped it into what it is today—an internationally recognized and effective organization for combating extremism and terrorism, wrote the minister. His state secretary added that rebuilding the DSN from scratch as part of a reform was a considerable task that Haijawi-Pirchner accomplished excellently.
The DSN’s record under his leadership includes around 900 house searches, 670 of them in the area of right-wing extremism. A total of 275 people were arrested, including 162 for right-wing extremism and 67 Islamists. Karner assured that the directorate will continue to act decisively against all forms of extremism.
After Haijawi-Pirchner’s departure, his deputy Sylvia Mayer will take over the management of the directorate on an interim basis. The permanent appointment will be determined through the usual selection procedure, including candidate hearings.
Haijawi-Pirchner had taken over as head of the authority in autumn 2021. Before that, he was head of the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office. His deputies at the start of his term, David Blum and Michael Lohnegger, also ended their terms early. Lohnegger became head of the Styrian State Criminal Police Office in 2024, while Blum moved to the private sector at the beginning of 2023.
