The minister of the interior (German: Bundesminister für Inneres) is the head and chief executive of the Ministry of the Interior as well as the ultimate authority in matters public security in Austria.
The incumbent minister of the Interior is Gerhard Karner (ÖVP). The minister is appointed by the president on advice of the chancellor.
The Federal Constitutional Law itself expressly designates the minister as the supreme authority in matters of public security (Oberste Sicherheitsbehörde) and places the police directorates immediately beneath the control of the minister. In this capacity, and as a supreme executive organ, the minister bears ultimate responsibly for the direction of law enforcement and the administration of security policy, and cannot be overruled by any other officer or body within the executive branch. The minister is assisted by a secretary general, who administers the day-to-day ministerial operations, and by a director general for public security, who serves as Austria's top career law enforcement officer and superintends most specialized police agencies.
The minister of the interior is the only constitutionally mandated minister position in Austria.