Thomas Starlinger served as Minister of Defence of Austria and as Adjutant to the Federal President. A career military officer with extensive international experience, including UN and EU missions, he is an expert in defence planning and crisis management, with a particular focus on hybrid threats and European security.

A highly distinguished Austrian general and statesman, Starlinger served as Minister of Defence from 2019 to 2020 in a transitional government, overseeing defence policy and the operational readiness of the Austrian Armed Forces. Prior to his ministerial role, he was Adjutant to the Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, acting as the principal military adviser to the Commander-in-Chief.

His international operational experience includes commanding the multinational Task Force South in Kosovo and serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the EU Training Mission Mali. A graduate of the Theresian Military Academy, Starlinger is widely respected for his contributions to European security debates and remains an influential voice on military diplomacy, crisis management, and the role of neutral states within the evolving European defence framework.