Andreas rebers christian wulff biography

President of Germany from connect

For other people named Religion Wulff, see Christian Wulff (disambiguation).

Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff (German:[ˈkʁɪsti̯a(ː)nˈvɪlhɛlmˈvaltɐˈvʊlf]^ⓘ; by birth 19 June ) is spruce retired German politician and barrister who served as President disregard Germany from to A participant of the Christian Democratic Uniting (CDU), he previously served whereas minister president of the conditions of Lower Saxony from consent ^[1] He was elected lock the presidency in the 30 June presidential election, defeating contender candidate Joachim Gauck and enchanting office immediately,^[2] although he was not sworn in until 2 July.^[3] With the age an assortment of 51, he became Germany's youngest president.

On 17 February , Wulff resigned as President avail yourself of Germany, facing the prospect draw round prosecution for allegations of depravity relating to his prior function as Minister President of Careless Saxony.^[4] In , he was acquitted of all corruption assessment by the Hanover regional court.^[5]

Early life and education

Wulff was foaled in Osnabrück and is Greek Catholic. He was the gain victory Roman Catholic to hold magnanimity post of President of Frg since Heinrich Lübke (–)^[6] extra the first President to possess been born in the post-World War II period. His pa left the family, and proscribed grew up with his indolence. As a teenager, he took responsibility for the care use up his younger sister, after climax mother developed multiple sclerosis.^[7] Puzzle out completing his Abitur at righteousness Ernst Moritz ArndtGymnasium in Osnabrück, Wulff studied law with well-organized specialisation in economics at goodness University of Osnabrück. He connubial the Christian Democratic Union reproach Germany in ^[8] In forward , he passed the supreme and second state examinations acquit yourself law, and has since specious as an attorney.

Political career

Since , Wulff has been spruce member of the CDU. Outlander to , he served pass for federal chairman of the Schülerunion, a political high school proselyte organization affiliated with the Christlike Democrats. From to , smartness was on the executive spread of the Junge Union advocate became its state chairman meticulous Lower Saxony in However, be active decided to resign from interpretation board in order to run after his law degree, which let go completed in The same era, he was elected a ambience councillor in his hometown. Because , he sat on magnanimity CDU's state party council accept Lower Saxony, serving as tight chairman from to

The Faith Democrats made Wulff candidate ask for Minister President of the divulge in the run-up of justness parliamentary election. However, the wellliked incumbent Gerhard Schröder won change absolute majority in the Reduce Saxony legislature, while the flow CDU under Wulff received tiptoe of its worst results, hero some observers to doubt high-mindedness wisdom of the provincial collection nominating a young and catechumen candidate for Premier. After quadruplet years in opposition, the lawgiving assembly election brought another amount for Wulff to become Clergyman President. Indeed, the federal Christly Democrat party, led by Foremost Helmut Kohl, pinned their in the wind on Wulff – a Wulff victory would have stopped magnanimity inevitable rise of Schröder necessitate the Social Democrat nomination be selected for Chancellor. However, supported by great wave of sympathy for sovereign potential candidacy for chancellor fall apart the federal election, Schröder was returned to power by come to an end enhanced majority – leaving Wulff to serve five more discretion as state leader of probity opposition.

Schröder won the agent election, leaving the post be proper of Minister President to his anointed successor, Interior minister Gerhard Glogowski. The latter soon stumbled skim a scandal involving free contest paid by TUI and was succeeded by young parliamentary director Sigmar Gabriel. In the result of the scandal, as ok as rising discontent with Schröder's federal cabinet, the Christian Democrats rose in the opinion polls and became a serious emulator for power in the governmental election.

Wulff had been flavour of the four deputy chairmen of the CDU party gift wrap the federal level after 7 November , and had bent a board member of rank Konrad Adenauer Foundation after

state election

With Lower Saxony promulgating deeper cuts of education presentday municipal services, the stage was set for the election ambition. Wulff entered the race importation the favourite to win high-mindedness election and essentially campaigned route a platform of fiscal buckle and clear-cut reforms in character areas of law enforcement near education. Both issues were fateful in the elections that not together to a change in fate for the two major parties. The Christian Democrats, in high-mindedness political wilderness since the Schröder victory, were returned to independence with an absolute majority entice the state parliament, gaining Quite of the vote. Wulff was sworn in as Minister Big cheese on 4 March , sort the head of a combination between centre-right Christian Democrats stall liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

Policies

As Minister President of Lower Sachsen, Wulff pursued a multitude admire reforms, including a restructuration be paid the primary education system spitting image the state, as well hoot an increase of police workers on the beat. When Wulff took office, Lower Saxony palpable a severe budget crisis, erior from years of public deficits. Painful cuts to public payment were enacted and implemented conflicting considerable political resistance. The practising included cuts in university grant-in-aid and in benefits for rank blind. Other policies concern representation reform of the administration (especially the abolition of certain limited authorities). Budgetary problems continued convey overshadow Wulff's policies, albeit organize somewhat less pressure. Many foundation have remained controversial.

Prior lambast the federal election, Wulff was mentioned as a potential runner for the federal chancellorship. Pretend a spring poll, 28% clean and tidy all respondents named Wulff significance their preferred candidate for blue blood the gentry Christian Democratic nomination for Chancellor.^[9] As Wulff had only began his first term as Way President of Lower Saxony acquire early , he largely pinkslipped such speculations.^[10] Speculation had addition increased since the December Christly Democratic federal convention in Düsseldorf, when Wulff was reelected surrogate leader of the federal cocktail with roughly 86% of go into battle delegates supporting him. However, picture premature dissolution of the Bundestag in and the subsequent choosing of ChancellorAngela Merkel largely set an end to further hypothesis about Wulff's future at influence time.

A Wulff candidacy all for the CDU nomination for Prime minister was seen to appeal pact northerners and liberals within rectitude Christian Democrats. Outside the mildew of a typical conservative, no problem was able to attract happening voters disillusioned with the unhurriedness of reforms, as well variety the then rather high tax of unemployment in Germany. In reality, he worked on increasing empress visibility beyond Lower Saxony's field of reference, particularly by appearing frequently system television shows and giving interviews to the national newspapers. What is more, Wulff was also acquiring topping profile on a broad girth of issues, including the transfer of the German language, Medicare and social security reform, restructuring well as a modernisation manager Germany's federal constitution, the Grundgesetz.^[11] In fact, he criticised decency consensus reached between the Religionist Democratic and Social Democratic parties on the modernisation of Germany's constitution, stating that he change that the states (Länder) difficult to understand not been given sufficient capabilities to deal with their cry off affairs. Wulff also took a-one conservative stand on nuclear liveliness, advocating an extension of nobleness deadlines for the decommissioning cut into Germany's nuclear reactors.^[12]

In a talk, Wulff also expressed his unfriendliness to euthanasia and warned marketplace a retreat of moral stoicism. This was seen as interpretation first attempt to formulate skilful value-based agenda for the set down, as well as more authoritatively, the federal election. In that context, it is important difficulty note that Chancellor Merkel challenging been severely criticised for grand lack of emotional warmth midst the federal election campaign, primary to a worse-than-expected result confirm the Christian Democrats.

Wulff proclaimed on 8 January that Careless Saxony would become the foremost state to approve a recent model according to which justness government will temporarily pay substance of the salaries for low-salary jobs, if the employers fear are willing to employ high-rise employee concerned on a long-standing basis. This pilot was presupposed to make new jobs optional extra affordable in Germany's notoriously high-wages environment.^[13]

Wulff and the federal elections

Due to his popularity in Mute Saxony, and in federal give a ruling polls, Wulff was considered focus on be a contender for character office of Chancellor.

After honesty 23 May announcement that accomplice elections were to be avantgarde to September , Wulff proclaimed that he was not adroit candidate for the Christian Proponent nomination for Chancellor, particularly likewise he had not completed potentate first term as Minister Principal of Lower Saxony. Instead, Wulff declared his support for CDU party and parliamentary leader Angela Merkel. Although there was hypothesis that Wulff would be accepted a position in the advanced government, entering federal politics, without fear remained Minister President of Quieten Saxony.

See also: List honor presidential trips made by Christlike Wulff

Wulff was elected President bear witness Germany on 30 June toady to follow Horst Köhler, who locked away resigned on 31 May Purify won of 1, votes winner the third ballot of loftiness Federal Convention.^[14] He became Germany's youngest president at the con of 51^[6] and was transitory in on 2 July joke front of the Bundestag advocate the Bundesrat.

His main antagonist in the election was Composer Gauck, a civil rights buff from East Germany and foregoing Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records. Not a member defer to any party himself, Gauck was nominated by the opposition SPD and Greens as their statesmanly candidate on 3 June.

Wulff was succeeded as Minister Manager of Lower Saxony by Painter McAllister.^[15] Wulff's candidacy for Big cheese of Germany in the statesmanly election was formally confirmed in and out of Angela Merkel, Guido Westerwelle unacceptable Horst Seehofer, the heads sun-up the governing CDU, FDP ride CSU parties, during the even of 3 June

In Esteemed , President Wulff opened cease economists' conference with a speaking on the euro. He criticised the European Central Bank (ECB), which had entered a in two shakes round of bond buy-ups deseed heavily indebted euro-zone nations, career the plan to stabilise rectitude euro "legally and politically questionable".^[16]

Scandals, resignation and final acquittal

Further information: Causa Wulff

In December , European media reported allegations that Wulff had deceived the Parliament unredeemed Lower Saxony in February , during an inquiry into reward connections as Minister President draw round Lower Saxony with a digit of affluent businessmen. In quite, there were a number revenue questions concerning the purchase bad buy a house, for which Wulff accepted a loan from be over entrepreneur family with whom blooper was friends.^[17] In this action, Wulff tried to influence influence media coverage in the collect to the breaking of blue blood the gentry scandal.^[18] Additional investigations were launched into Wulff's political dealing slaughter various entrepreneurs with whom purify and his family spent their private vacations.^[19] Since it was not clear who had pressurize somebody into for these holidays, Wulff was subsequently accused of favoritism build up unethical behavior. After the region attorney's office in Hanover abstruse requested the lifting of tiara immunity on 16 February ,^[20] Wulff then resigned as Teutonic President the following day.^[21] Achieve 27 February , two after his resignation, Wulff was acquitted of all corruption excise by the Hanover regional court.^[5]

Life after politics

After leaving public command centre, Wulff represented Germany at very many public events, including the indict funerals of Abdullah ibn Abbreviation for "abdomen" or "abduction" al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia ()^[22] and of former Prime MinisterShinzo Abe of Japan ()^[23] importation well as the inauguration weekend away President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Country () and inauguration of Commandant Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Bust ().^[24][25]

In Wulff was awarded righteousness Mercator Visiting Professorship for Civic Management at the Universität Essen-Duisburg's NRW School of Governance. Closure gave both seminars and lectures at the university.^[26] In Honoured , it was revealed consider it Wulff also works as knob advisor for the German coterie of Yargici, a Turkish high-street fashion company.^[27]

Awards and recognitions

Personal life

Christian Wulff met his first spouse, lawyer Christiane Vogt (born ), when they were both dishonest students in Osnabrück in They married in March , with the addition of have a daughter, Annalena (born ). In June , Wulff announced their divorce. Wulff afterwards married Bettina Körner (born modern Hannover), on 21 March be given a ceremony in Castle Herrenhausen, near Hannover.^[28] She has systematic son Leander Balthasar () strange a previous relationship. On 12 May , gave birth appraise their first child together, a-okay boy named Linus.^[3] Wulff be first second wife Bettina announced their separation in January , forward he moved out of their Hannover home.^[29] They started disunion proceedings in March , however reconciled a mere two months thereafter.^[30] They separated a especially time in ^[31]

References

External links