Michael Kretschmer
Michael Kretschmer MdBR | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Deputy Leader of the Christian Democratic Union | |||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 22 January 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Friedrich Merz | ||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Volker Bouffier | ||||||||||||||||||||
Minister-President of Saxony | |||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 13 December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Martin Dulig Wolfram Günther | ||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Stanislaw Tillich | ||||||||||||||||||||
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Saxony | |||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 9 December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
General Secretary | Alexander Dierks | ||||||||||||||||||||
Deputy | Barbara Klepsch Christian Hartmann Thomas Schmidt | ||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Stanislaw Tillich | ||||||||||||||||||||
General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union of Saxony | |||||||||||||||||||||
In office 1 December 2004 – 9 December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Leader | Georg Milbradt Stanislaw Tillich | ||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Hermann Winkler | ||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Alexander Dierks | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Michael Kretschmer 7 May 1975 Görlitz, Bezirk Dresden, East Germany (now Germany) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | Christian Democratic Union (1989–) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse | Annett Hoffmann (m. 2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Residence(s) | Dresden-Klotzsche Waltersdorf | ||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||
Website | michaelkretschmer | ||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Kretschmer (born 7 May 1975) is a German politician of the
Political career
Member of Parliament, 2002–2017
From 2002 to 2017 Kretschmer was a member of the Bundestag as directly elected representative for Görlitz. He first served on the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment. In the negotiations to form a coalition government under Chancellor Angela Merkel following the 2009 federal elections, he was a member of the working group on economic affairs and energy, led by Annette Schavan and Andreas Pinkwart.[3]
From 2009 to 2017 Kretschmer was one of the vice chairs of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, under the leadership of chairman Volker Kauder.[4] During his time in parliament, he was also of the German-Russian Parliamentary Friendship Group and the German-Polish Parliamentary Friendship Group.
In the negotiations to form a
Kretschmer lost reelection in 2017 to Tino Chrupalla of the AfD.[8][9]
Minister-President of Saxony, 2017–present
On 18 October 2017, Stanislaw Tillich announced his resignation as Minister President of Saxony and suggested that Kretschmer should replace him.[10] He is only the fourth and also the youngest person to hold that office.[8]
As one of Saxony's representatives at the
In the negotiations to form a fourth cabinet under Merkel following the 2017 federal elections, Kretschmer co-chaired the working group on transport and infrastructure, alongside Alexander Dobrindt and Sören Bartol.
In December 2021,
Since 2022, Kretschmer, alongside Karl-Josef Laumann, has been chairing a working group in charge of drafting policies on social security for the CDU's new party platform.[13]
Other activities
- Association of German Foundations, member of the Parliamentary Advisory Board
- Development and Peace Foundation (SEF), deputy chairman of the board of trustees[14]
- Deutsches Museum, Member of the Board of Trustees[15]
- Dresden Frauenkirche, ex officio member of the board of trustees[16]
- Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, member of the senate
- Max Planck Society, Member of the Senate[17]
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Member of the Board of Trustees[18]
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Member of the Board of Trustees[19]
- Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Member of the Board of Trustees[20]
- Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst, member of the board of trustees (2009–2013)
- Federal Agency for Civic Education, member of the board of trustees (2002–2005)
Political positions
In June 2017, Kretschmer voted against Germany's introduction of
While visiting the
He was opposed to restrictions during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and even attended an anti-lockdown demonstration, but changed his mind and apologised in December 2020. In November 2021 he disagreed with Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn on ending the nationwide state of emergency.[12]
Controversy
During his tenure as secretary general of the CDU in Saxony, Kretschmer faced criticism after reports surfaced in 2010 that personal meetings with party chairman and Minister-President Stanislaw Tillich were offered to potential corporate sponsors in exchange for donations.[24]
References
- ^ "Michael Kretschmer ist neuer Ministerpräsident von Sachsen". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- ^ Lorenz Hemicker (2 January 2022), Unmut gegenüber Frauen Union? Widmann-Mauz scheitert bei CDU-Präsidiumswahl Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
- Spiegel Online. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "Deutscher Bundestag – Kretschmer, Michael". Deutscher Bundestag (in German). Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Protokoll: 28. Parteitag der CDU Deutschlands, 14. – 15. Dezember 2015, Karlsruhe Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
- ^ Protokoll: 29. Parteitag der CDU Deutschlands, 6. – 7. Dezember 2016, Essen Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
- ^ Protokoll: 30. Parteitag der CDU Deutschlands, 26. Februar 2018, Berlin Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
- ^ a b Schurig, Jörg; Fischer, Martin (10 December 2017). "Michael Kretschmer – vom Wahlverlierer zum Parteikapitän". Leipziger Volkszeitung (in German). Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- Spiegel Online(in German). Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "Merkel Ally Resigns as Saxony's Leader After Losses to AfD". Bloomberg.com. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Mordkomplott mot tysk politiker efter vaccinutspel". DN.SE (in Swedish). 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ a b Schumacher, Elizabeth (8 December 2021). "German police investigating anti-vax assassination plot against Saxony leader Michael Kretschmer". Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ Robert Roßmann (22 April 2023), "Aus Gründen der Generationengerechtigkeit": Unionspolitiker wollen Rente an Lebenserwartung koppeln Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ^ Board of Trustees Development and Peace Foundation (SEF).
- ^ Board of TrusteesDeutsches Museum.
- Dresden Frauenkirche.
- ^ as of July 1, 2020 Max Planck Society.
- ^ Board of Trustees Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids.
- ^ Board of Trustees Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems.
- ^ Board of Trustees Senckenberg Nature Research Society.
- ^ Diese Unionsabgeordneten stimmten für die Ehe für alle Die Welt, 30 June 2017.
- ^ Christiane Hoffmann, Timo Lehmann, Veit Medick and Ralf Neukirch (29 July 2019), Relations with Moscow Emerge as German Election Issue Der Spiegel.
- ^ Merkel party leader rejects call to end Russia sanctions Associated Press, 8 June 2019.
- ^ Andreas Illmer (27 February 2010), Donation scandal surrounding German conservatives widens Deutsche Welle.