Diana Gartsbach

**Diana Alexandra Gartsbach** (née **Hoffschauss**; born 26 April 1981) is a Lungarian politician and lawyer who is the current Mayor of Munbach, serving since 2017. A Social Democrat, Gartsbach has also served in the City Parliament of Munbach since 2013. As mayor, she is also the chair of the Council of Mayors.

Self-identifying as a progressive, Gartsbach has liberal views on LGBT rights, abortion, immigration, and foreign affairs, which have hailed her a "champion of the youth" by the Lungarian media. Upon her election as mayor in 2016, the international media have dubbed her "the most beautiful mayor in the world".

## Early life and family

Gartsbach was born as Diana Alexandra Hoffschauss in the borough of Upper Munbach on 26 April 1981. She is the eldest daughter and middle child of parents Inge (née *Gröklaust*) and Daniel Hoffschauss. She was raised in the Laun neighborhood.

Daniel, a former lawyer, works as a professor of law at King's University. He was awarded with the Professor of the Year Award in 1999, 2008, and 2015. Inge, a former homemaker, is a psychology lecturer at Bertrand Peffraust School. Her parents met in the early-1970s and married in 1975. Gartsbach's siblings include her elder brother, Anton Hoffschauss, born  (1978-12-23) 23 December 1978 (age 45), and her younger sister, Isabella Drachtenbarg (née *Hoffschauss*), born  (1985-07-22) 22 July 1985 (age 38), both of whom work as lawyers.

## Education and early career

Gartsbach began schooling in 1987, attending a local primary school in her neighborhood. She was a high academic achiever, being a member of the gifted and talented program and class president. At her primary school graduation in 1993, Gartsbach was chosen by teachers to give the graduation speech. She then enrolled in secondary school, where she served as treasurer of her class throughout all four years. She graduated as valedictorian in 1997, and received a maximum score of 76 on her *Munbacherisch exam der freitasch*.

After graduating from secondary school, Gartsbach enrolled in Edgar Nussan School, a *gymnasiüm* in the Rochsbarg neighborhood. Gartsbach excelled greatly in her tertiary education, being elected class president. In her final year of *gymnasiüm*, Gartsbach began focusing her coursework on law and politics. Her graduate's thesis was titled Women in Blasmerian Politics and the Female Political Revolution. Gartsbach later graduated from *gymnasiüm* as the second in her class in 2000. She subsequently enrolled in King's University as a law student, and graduated with a law degree in 2005.

After graduating from law school, Gartsbach received a position at her brother's firm, Hoffschauss, Garber, and Associates, where she worked in the constitutional law department. In 2008, she became a partner at the firm and began heading the constitutional law department. She decided to permanently leave the firm in 2012 due to her burgeoning political career.

## Political career

### City Parliament of Munbach

During her maternity leave in 2009, Gartsbach began volunteering with the Munbach chapter of the Social Democratic Party. In 2011, she was elected a trustee of the chapter, and worked there part-time while also maintaining her career as a lawyer. During the 2012 Lungarian state elections, Gartsbach was listed on the Social Democratic Party's nine-person list for the City Parliament of Munbach in Upper Munbach. After the election, the party won enough seats in Upper Munbach for Gartsbach to receive a seat in the city parliament.

As a member of the Munbach parliament, Gartsbach left her career as a lawyer to prioritize politics. She officially took office on 6 January 2013. Gartsbach quickly became an influential member of parliament, and a popular politician amongst Munbacher youth. She was instrumental in the passing of a bill that legalized female toplessness in the city of Munbach, which passed in 2015. She was later reelected to parliament in the 2016 elections.

### Mayor of Munbach

Following the retirement of the former Mayor of Munbach Oswald Glöckener, at the end of the 2013–17 parliamentary session, a mayoral election was announced. Gartsbach was one of the first to declare their candidacy, and instantly emerged as a favorite for the position. Due to the Social Democratic Party's dominance in parliament, her closest competition was considered to be Henrik Blaut of Lower Munbach. She significantly rose in popularity after receiving endorsements from Glöckener and the Prime Minister of Lungary Milo Karpacht. In the mayoral election, Gartsbach was declared the winner, receiving 34 of the 50 votes cast.

Following her election, Gartsbach became the youngest Mayor of Munbach of all-time and the second female. She was inaugurated on 13 January 2017, and took office as mayor on that day. As Mayor of Munbach, she also heads the Council of Mayors. Gartsbach will be up for reelection in 2020, although it is theorized by political pundits that she will run for national parliament.

## Personal life

Gartsbach met her husband, Jonas Gartsbach, while the two were law students at King's University in 2003. They became engaged in 2006, and were married in 2007. After their marriage, they resided in the Schtein neighborhood of Inner Munbach, before moving into the Mayor's Mansion following Gartsbach's election as mayor. They have two children: Tomas and Eleanora, who are fraternal twins.

Gartsbach has expressed her disapproval of the media's attention on her appearance rather than policies or career, stating "I'm a politician, not a beauty queen. While the comments are flattering, I find it borderline offensive that my accomplishments are not being considered more important than my appearance".