Ulrike Lunacek (German pronunciation: [ʔʊlˈriːkə ˈluːnatʃɛk]] born 26 May 1957) is an Austrian politician who served as State Secretary for Cultural Affairs in the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in 2020.

In 2017, Lunacek was the Greens' top candidate for the Austrian general election, in which the party suffered a historic defeat and failed to win a single seat in parliament for the first time since 1983.

Afterwards Lunacek was editor of the magazine "Südwind" and press officer of the Austrian Information Service for Development Politics (ÖIE).

From 1999 to 2009, Lunacek was a member of parliament and the Green group's spokeswoman on foreign and development policy as well as equality for lesbians, gays and transgender persons.

[8] In 2011, European Voice reported that Lunacek, encouraged by aides to Catherine Ashton, had applied to become head of the EEAS’s office in Kosovo, but was then told that, as a non-diplomat, she was not eligible.

[13] Lunacek briefly served as State Secretary for Cultural Affairs in the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in early 2020.

In May 2020, she quit under pressure from theatre directors and performers over a lack of urgency in reopening cultural venues even as a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria had been eased.

After some controversy, the European Parliament instead passed a modified version which declared sexual education a competence of the member states.

[16] Lunacek called the opponents of the report “right-wing bigots”[6] stating the groups were against “women’s right to a safe and healthy reproductive and sexual life”.