Peer Steinbrück
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Peer Steinbrück | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Minister-President Heide Simonis | | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Uwe Thomas | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Horst Günter Bülck | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | University of Kiel | 10 January 1947||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation |
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Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Allegiance | Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Branch/service | Bundeswehr | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Years of service | 1968–1970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank | Leutnant | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Unit | Army (Heer) / Panzergrenadierbrigade 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Peer Steinbrück (born 10 January 1947) is a German politician who was the
A graduate of the
After the 2005 federal election, which resulted in a Grand Coalition government under the leadership of new Chancellor Angela Merkel of the CDU, Steinbrück was appointed Minister of Finance. In this position, Steinbrück was charged with reducing Germany's budget deficit, curbing public debt, and introducing changes in the taxation system.[5] In the 2009 federal election, SPD chancellor-candidate Frank-Walter Steinmeier included Steinbrück as a member of his shadow cabinet.
In 2012, the National Assembly of the SPD elected Steinbrück as the chancellor-candidate of the SPD for the
Early life and education
Steinbrück was born in
Career
Early career, 1974–2002
After graduation Steinbrück worked for several German ministries and, from 1978 to 1981, in the office of
In 1993, he became the State Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. He then returned to North Rhine-Westphalia, where he became the Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure in 1998 and Finance Minister in 2000.
Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia, 2002–2005
From 2002 to 2005 Steinbrück served as the eighth
In December 2002, Steinbrück accompanied
In 2003, Steinbrück and
In the
Federal Minister of Finance, 2005–2009
After the
From 2005, Steinbrück also served as deputy chairman of the SPD. Ahead of the 2009 elections, German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier included Steinbrück in his shadow cabinet of 10 women and eight men for the Social Democrats’ campaign to unseat incumbent Angela Merkel as chancellor.[12]
In a joint article in the Financial Times on 14 December 2010, Steinbrück and Steinmeier proposed to solve the European debt crisis with "a combination of a haircut for debt holders, debt guarantees for stable countries and the limited introduction of European-wide bonds in the medium term, accompanied by more aligned fiscal policies."[13] In February 2011, Steinmeier proposed Steinbrück as a candidate to lead the European Central Bank.[14]
Candidate for Federal Chancellor, 2012–2013
On 9 December 2012 an extraordinary National Assembly of the SPD elected Steinbrück, with 93.45 percent of the votes, as candidate for Federal Chancellor, to run in the 2013 federal elections against Angela Merkel. Sigmar Gabriel, the party's chairman at the time, who had also been considered a possible candidate, said the leadership had agreed to nominate Steinbrück after Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the party's parliamentary leader, withdrew from the contest.[15]
During his election campaign, Steinbrück promised to introduce
On foreign policy issues, Steinbrück criticized Merkel for not joining Germany's allies in their military efforts against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Also, he promised he would radically curtail German arms exports to countries such as Saudi Arabia.[20]
In three stages from mid-May 2013, Steinbrück announced the twelve members of his
Although Steinbrück soon won the endorsement of former Chancellors
On 22 September, Steinbrück's Social Democrats won 25.7 percent, while Merkel's CDU and its Bavarian sister party CSU together won 41.5 percent of the vote.[24] Following the elections, Steinbrück was part of the SPD delegation to hold exploratory talks with the CDU/CSU on forming a coalition government.[25]
Member of the Bundestag, 2013–2016
As member of parliament, Steinbrück served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and as chairman of the German-American Parliamentary Friendship Group from 2013 until 2016.
In March 2015, Steinbrück joined the Agency for Modernization of Ukraine, an initiative led by
In September 2015, Steinbrück announced that he would not stand in the 2017 federal elections.[27] He vacated his Bundestag seat in the end of September 2016.[28]
In 2018, he wrote a book titled Das Elend der Sozial-demokratie. Anmerkungen eines Genossen., which explored the reasons why the SPD always lost elections from an insider's perspective.[29]
Political positions
Economic policy
Steinbrück has been a prominent speaker for the SPD, especially on economic matters.
During a 2007 visit to Washington for meetings with the Treasury secretary,
Steinbrück predicted in 2008, in the wake of
During his time as German Finance Minister, Steinbrück repeatedly accused the United Kingdom of pandering to the
In a 2010 interview on German television, it appeared that Steinbrück, who had adopted a very critical stance of the shadow banking system, attributed characteristics of the private equity industry to hedge funds.[40]
In 2012, Steinbrück tabled a plan for sweeping financial regulation that he intended to be a main plank of his election platform. It included compelling banks to finance a €200 billion rescue fund, and splitting investment from retail banking.[41]
European integration
At the 2006 meetings of the
Other activities
Corporate boards
- Borussia Dortmund, Member of the Supervisory Board
- ING Group, Advisor to the Board of Directors of ING-DiBa
- ThyssenKrupp, Member of the Supervisory Board (2010–2012)[43][44]
- KfW, Member of the supervisory board (2006–2009)
Non-profit organizations
- Berlin Palace–Humboldtforum Foundation, deputy chairman of the Board of Trustees
- Deutsche Nationalstiftung, Member of the Senate[45]
- Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation, chairman[46]
- Helmut and Loki Schmidt Foundation, deputy chairman
- ZEIT-Stiftung, member of the Board of Trustees
- IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (IG BCE), member
Controversy
Steinbrück has been labelled by the media as a sharp-witted political pugilist whose frank opinions have occasionally attracted controversy.[47]
Business activities
As soon as he was nominated as the Social Democrat's challenger to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the 2013 federal elections, Steinbrueck announced he would quit the board of steel conglomerate ThyssenKrupp and all outside work, though not an unpaid seat on soccer club Borussia Dortmund's board where he saw no conflict of interest.[7] His decision prompted a slew of criticism of his high earnings outside the Bundestag from Merkel's center-right coalition but also from the SPD's left wing and from anti-graft campaigners. The seat on ThyssenKrupp's board and all but four of the other 85 appointments and engagements listed for the time between 2009 and 2012 were in excess of 560,000 euros.[7]
Later in his campaign, Steinbrück canceled a speech at
Namibia trip in 2007
In April 2007, when Germany held the presidencies of both the European Union and the G7, Steinbrück was criticized for going on holiday with his family in Namibia instead of attending a meeting of G7 finance ministers in Washington and for refusing the offer of other G7 members to succeed Gordon Brown as chair of the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC).[49]
Diplomatic tensions with Switzerland and Liechtenstein
As finance minister, Steinbrück criticized Germany's neighbours in a row over tax havens.[50]
In the wake of German investigations against the
His criticism of the Swiss banking secrecy caused some tensions between Germany and Switzerland.[54] The German ambassador to Bern was summoned to the foreign ministry to hear Switzerland's official reaction to what Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey described as Steinbrück's "contemptuous and aggressive" comments.[55]
Comments on Italian election results
On 26 February 2013 Steinbrück said he was "appalled that two clowns have won" Italy's 24–25 February election. The vote was actually inconclusive with no party garnering a majority in parliament, although the anti-establishment party of commentator and comedian Beppe Grillo surged to about one fourth of valid votes. In reaction, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano cancelled a dinner in Berlin with Steinbrück, who was German opposition's chancellor candidate.[56][57]
NSA spying
In May 2021, Danish state broadcaster DR reported that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) used a partnership with the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (FE) to spy on Steinbrück and other senior officials in Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.[58]
Recognition
- 2011 – University of Düsseldorf, Honorary Doctorate
- 2011 – Steinbrück was awarded the Mercator Visiting Professorship for Political Management at the Universität Essen-Duisburg's NRW School of Governance[59]
Personal life
Steinbrück's wife, Gertrud (born 1950), is a former biology and politics teacher at a high school in Bonn. They have three children.[18]
References
- ^ Melissa Eddy: Merkel's Former Finance Minister to Run Against Her. nytimes.com. Retrieved 22 September 2012
- ^ a b Moulson, Geir (28 September 2012). "Peer Steinbrueck, Former Finance Minister, To Challenge German Chancellor Angela Merkel In 2013". The Huffington Post. AP. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ a b Bernstein, Richard (23 November 2005). "Merkel Takes Office in Germany and Announces Coalition Cabinet". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
- ^ a b see de:Kabinett Steinbrück
- ^ New York Times.
- ^ a b c Steinbrück admits to over a million euros in lecture fees Deutsche Welle, 30 October 2012.
- ^ a b c Stephen Brown (5 October 2012), Merkel's challenger rebuffs criticism of high earnings Reuters.
- ^ Merkel romps to victory but faces tough coalition choices Reuters.
- Spiegel Online.
- ^ Wolfgang Dick (27 September 2013), http://www.dw.de/merkel-challenger-bids-farewell-to-politics/a-17102302 Merkel challenger bids farewell to politics] Deutsche Welle.
- ^ Michael Nienaber (30 April 2016), Germany's Schaeuble in favor of lower income tax: newspaper Reuters.
- ^ Bertrand Benoit (30 July 2009), Lagging SPD starts campaign Financial Times.
- ^ Peer Steinbrück and Frank-Walter Steinmeier (14 December 2010), Germany must lead fightback Financial Times.
- ^ Erik Kirschbaum (13 February 2011), Steinbrueck says not interested in ECB's top job Reuters.
- ^ New York Times.
- ^ Erik Kirschbaum (8 August 2013), Merkel challenger vows to rein in banks, hike taxes on wealthy Reuters.
- ^ Noah Barkin (20 March 2014), Germany's Russian rethink: How Merkel lost faith in Putin Reuters.
- ^ a b c Profile: Peer Steinbruck Al Jazeera, 16 September 2013.
- ^ Tony Czuczka, Rainer Buergin and Patrick Donahue (22 September 2013), Merkel Asks for Third Term as Steinbrueck Seeks Election Upset Bloomberg News.
- Spiegel Online.
- ^ Peer Steinbrück’s "competence team": the signal is political change, pure and simple! DB Research, German Policy Watch, 11 June 2013.
- ^ Stephen Brown and Noah Barkin (22 September 2013), Merkel romps to victory but faces tough coalition choices Reuters.
- ^ a b c Joseph de Weck (30 January 2013), Steinbrueck Hits Reset in German Election Campaign After Gaffes Bloomberg News.
- ^ Merkel's conservatives win German vote Al Jazeera, 23 September 2013.
- ^ Patrick Donahue and Arne Delfs (30 September 2013), Germany Sets Coalition Talks Date as Weeks of Bartering Loom Bloomberg News.
- ^ The Agency for Modernisation of Ukraine presented at the ‘Ukraine Tomorrow’ International Forum British Ukrainian Society, press release of 3 March 2015.
- ^ Daniel Friedrich Sturm (11 September 2015), Steinbrücks Abgang ist eine Zäsur für die SPD Die Welt.
- ^ spiegel.de: "Dies war der letzte Ton aus meinem Jagdhorn" (report about his valedictory)
- ^ "Buch von Peer Steinbrück: Ganz große Brocken". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 14 March 2018.
- New York Times.
- ^ Stefan Theil (6 December 2008), Peer Steinbrück on the Global Economic Crisis Newsweek.
- ^ "German ridicule for UK policies". BBC News. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
- Spiegel Online.
- New York Times.
- ^ Huw Jones (15 July 2009), Progress in battle over EU hedge fund law Reuters.
- ^ Madeline Chambers (4 September 2009), No sense in G20 limiting bank size: German finance minister Reuters.
- ^ James Vicini and Dave Graham (20 September 2009), Obama wants G20 to discuss rethink of global economy Reuters.
- ^ Gernot Heller (25 September 2009), German finmin lauds G20 pact on bank bonuses Reuters.
- ^ Bertrand Benoit (12 September 2009), Steinbrück calls for global finance tax Financial Times.
- ^ "Broadcast of interview on Beckmann". ARD (broadcaster). Retrieved 19 February 2011.
- ^ Quentin Peel (28 September 2012), Steinbrück chosen to challenge Merkel Financial Times.
- ^ Germany Opposes Single Voice for Euro Countries at IMF Deutsche Welle, 16 September 2006.
- ^ Nico Fried and Klaus Ott (8 January 2013), Aufsichtsrats-Protokoll bei Thyssen-Krupp: Steinbrück versprach "politische Unterstützung" Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ^ Corporate governance statement 2011/2012 ThyssenKrupp.
- ^ Senate Deutsche Nationalstiftung.
- ^ Board of Trustees Archived 15 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation.
- ^ Chris Bryant (9 December 2012), Steinbrück attacks Merkel’s Europe stance Financial Times.
- ^ Michael Steen (19 September 2013), Peer Steinbrück moves to mobilise SPD voters for Germany election Financial Times.
- Spiegel Online, 11 April 2007.
- New York Times.
- ^ Bertrand Benoit and Vanessa Houlder (6 March 2008), Revenge on Vaduz Financial Times.
- ^ Germany wants Switzerland on a tax haven "black list" International Herald Tribune, 21 October 2008.
- ^ Stephen Brown (10 April 2013), Straight-talking Steinbrueck struggles to debunk Merkel "cult" Reuters.
- Spiegel Online. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
- swissinfo, 1 April 2009.
- ^ "Italy president snubs German candidate over clown gaffe". Reuters. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
- ^ "Steinbrück Raises Ire of German Clowns". Spiegel.de. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
- ^ U.S. spied on Merkel and other Europeans through Danish cables - broadcaster DR Reuters, 31 May 2021.
- ^ Kalscheur, Annette (21 June 2011). "Peer Steinbrück "ist ein ziemlicher Segen" | NRZ.de | Duisburg". www.nrz.de. Retrieved 24 May 2018.