Kurt Beck
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Incumbent
Assumed office  2006
Preceded by	Matthias Platzeck
Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate
Incumbent
Assumed office  1994
Preceded by	Rudolf Scharping
Born	February 5, 1949 (1949-02-05) (age 59) Bad Bergzabern, Germany
Nationality	German
Political party	SPD

Kurt Beck (born February 5, 1949) is a German politician (SPD), serving as the Minister President of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) since 1994 and as President of the Bundesrat in 2000/01. On May 14, 2006, he succeeded Matthias Platzeck as chairman of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD). SPD redirects here. ... Open seat redirects here. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Matthias Platzeck, born 29 December 1953 in Potsdam, is a German politician. ... A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries, and is alternative for prime minister or first minister. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... Open seat redirects here. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Rudolf Scharping, 2001 Rudolf Scharping (December 2, 1947 in Niederelbert) is a German politician (SPD). ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bad Bergzabern is a town and a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... SPD redirects here. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... Social Democratic Party of Germany Spectral Power Density ... A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries, and is alternative for prime minister or first minister. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat (German: Bundesratspräsident) is the bodys chairperson or speaker. ... The Bundesrat (federal council) is the representation of the 16 Federal States (Länder) of Germany at the federal level. ... is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Matthias Platzeck, born 29 December 1953 in Potsdam, is a German politician. ... SPD redirects here. ...

Biography

Beck was born in Bad Bergzabern, Palatinate, to the bricklayer Oskar Beck and his wife Johanna. Both his parents had their roots in the town Kapsweyer in southern Rhenish Palatinate. He grew up in Steinfeld. Bad Bergzabern is a town and a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... The Palatinate (German: Pfalz), historically also Rhenish Palatinate (German: Rheinpfalz), is a region in south-western Germany. ...

From 1963 to 1968, he became an electrician. After passing his military duty in 1968 and 1969, he graduated from an evening school in 1972. Since then, he went on as an employee representative on works councils. Works councils are shop-floor organizations representing workers, which function as local/firm-level complements to national labor negotiations. ...

Before his political career, he was also active in the beer brewing business (Beck's). Becks is a brand of the brewery Brauerei Beck & Co KG in the north German city of Bremen. ...

Beck is Catholic. He lives with his wife, Roswitha, whom he married in 1968, in Steinfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate. They have one son.

Political career

Kurt Beck and Johannes Rau at the East Asia Institute in 2000.

After joining the SPD in 1972, mainly because of the Party's programme as well as the personality of Willy Brandt, Beck became chairman of the SPD of Rhineland Palatinate in 1993 and deputy chairman of the federal party in 2003. He served in this function up to May 14, 2006, when Matthias Platzeck had to resign for medical reasons and Beck was officially elected as chairman of the SPD with the approval of 95 % of the delegates^[1]. Image File history File links Description: Kurt Beck and Johannes Rau Source: own photography Date: February 1999 Author: --Immanuel Giel 12:13, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC) Other versions: none File links The following pages link to this file: East Asia Institute Kurt Beck ... Image File history File links Description: Kurt Beck and Johannes Rau Source: own photography Date: February 1999 Author: --Immanuel Giel 12:13, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC) Other versions: none File links The following pages link to this file: East Asia Institute Kurt Beck ... Johannes Rau (January 16, 1931, Wuppertal – January 27, 2006, Berlin) was a German politician of the SPD. He was the eighth President of the Federal Republic of Germany from July 1, 1999 until June 30, 2004 and prime minister of North Rhine Westfalia from 1978 to 1998. ... the East Asia Institute at the Rhine River logo: nine peonies Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate The East Asia Institute (German: Ostasieninstitut) founded in 1989, as part of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences. ... SPD redirects here. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Oz character, see Willy Brandt (Oz). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Matthias Platzeck, born 29 December 1953 in Potsdam, is a German politician. ...

In local affairs, Beck is active since 1974, when he was first elected a member of the Kreistag. From 1989 to 1994, he was mayor of his hometown Steinfeld. Since 1979, he is a directly-elected member of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. In it, he served as the speaker for social affairs of the Parliamentary group of the SPD from 1982 to 1985 and as a member of the governing body of the group from 1985 to 1993, when he was elected chairman. A Landtag (Diet) is a representative assembly or parliament in German speaking countries with some legislative authority. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... Parliamentary group and parliamentary party are terms used to refer to the representation of a political party or electoral fusion of parties in a legislative assembly such as a parliament or in a city council. ...

On October 26, 1994, Kurt Beck was elected Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate, succeeding Rudolf Scharping. He was re-elected three times, in 1996, 2001 and 2006. As prime minister he is known for his centrist approach, which is also apparent from the choice of his coalition partner (the liberal FDP instead of the left-wing Green Party, with which the SPD has recently allied itself). In this point, he follows the policy of Scharping. In March 2006, Beck's SPD gained an absolute majority in the state elections; Beck offered to continue the coalition but since the FDP declined, the SPD formed a government without a partner. After Edmund Stoiber resigned in 2007, Beck is the senior Minister President in Germany. is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... A minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries, and is alternative for prime minister or first minister. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... Rudolf Scharping, 2001 Rudolf Scharping (December 2, 1947 in Niederelbert) is a German politician (SPD). ... The Free Democratic Party (German: Freie Demokratische Partei; FDP) is a liberal political party in Germany. ... The Alliance 90/The Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), the German Green party, is a political party in Germany whose regional predecessors were founded in the late 1970s as part of the new social movements. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edmund Stoiber in Würzburg Edmund Stoiber [IPA: ˈɛtmʊnt ˈʃtɔʏbɐ] (born September 28, 1941) is a German politician, currently minister-president of the state of Bavaria and chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

In 2000 and 2001, Beck was President of the Bundesrat, one of his duties as Minister President. In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat (German: Bundesratspräsident) is the bodys chairperson or speaker. ... The Bundesrat (federal council) is the representation of the 16 Federal States (Länder) of Germany at the federal level. ...

According to public opinion polls, Beck's possibilities of becoming Bundeskanzler, should he run for this office, are very limited. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung^[2], only 16% of the Germans would elect him in the hypothetical case of a direct voting against Angela Merkel. Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor) is the formal title in German for: The head of the German federal government: Chancellor of Germany The head of the Austrian federal government: Chancellor of Austria A Swiss federal government official: List of Federal Chancellors of Switzerland The female version of the title is Bundeskanzlerin. ... The Süddeutsche Zeitung is one of the largest German newspapers. ...   (IPA: ) (born Angela Dorothea Kasner, 17 July 1954, in Hamburg, Germany), is the Chancellor of Germany. ...

Controversies

Henrico Frank

In the end of 2006, Beck recommended to Henrico Frank, an unemployed construction worker from Wiesbaden, to wash himself and shave, so he can get a job ^[3]. Following a media controversy about Becks behaviour, Frank declined all jobs offered to him by the state chamber. Later, he was hired as a Punk Rock-expert for iMusic TV^[4]. Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

Afghanistan

In April 2007, Beck proposed a peace conference in Afghanistan with the inclusion of "Moderate Taliban"^[5]. The Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, thus accused him of being naive. He compared the idea of "Moderate Taliban" to distinguishing between Moderate and Radical Right-wing extremists in Rhineland-Palatinate.^[6] The German public mostly ignored the affair. The Taliban (Pashto: - , also anglicised as Taleban) are a Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement[2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance and NATO countries. ... Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta is the current foreign minister of Afghanistan. ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ...

Web

• Interview with the BILD, Part One, German
• Interview with the BILD, Part Two, German

References

This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of February 11, 2008. is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

1. ^ Kurt Beck valgt til formand for tyske socialdemokrater
2. ^ SPD-Chef Beck im Tief Viele SPD-Wähler bevorzugen Merkel - Deutschland - sueddeutsche.de
3. ^ Why Germany Needs Fewer Economists, More Stylists | NEWS | Deutsche Welle | 15.12.2006
4. ^ Arbeitsloser Beck-Kritiker: Henrico Frank hat einen Job - Wirtschaft - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
5. ^ Taliban-Äußerungen: Afghanistans Außenminister hält Beck Ahnungslosigkeit vor - Politik - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten
6. ^ Afghan Top Diplomat Rejects German Call for Talks With Taliban | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 05.04.2007

v • d • e Chairmen of the Social Democratic Party of Germany SPD (1890-1933) Paul Singer/Alwin Gerisch · August Bebel/Paul Singer · August Bebel/Hugo Haase · Hugo Haase/Friedrich Ebert · Friedrich Ebert · Friedrich Ebert/Philipp Scheidemann · Otto Wels/Herman Müller · Arthur Crispien/Otto Wels/Herman Müller · Arthur Crispien/Otto Wels · Arthur Crispien/Otto Wels/Hans Vogel SPD-in-exile (SoPaDe) (1933-1945) Otto Wels/Hans Vogel · Hans Vogel SPD (since 1946) Kurt Schumacher · Erich Ollenhauer · Willy Brandt · Hans-Jochen Vogel · Björn Engholm · Johannes Rau · Rudolf Scharping · Oskar Lafontaine · Gerhard Schröder · Franz Müntefering · Matthias Platzeck · Kurt Beck

v • d • e Presidents of the Bundesrat (Federal Council) Karl Arnold • Hans Ehard • Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf • Reinhold Maier • Georg August Zinn • Peter Altmeier • Kai-Uwe von Hassel • Kurt Sieveking • Willy Brandt • Wilhelm Kaisen • Franz-Josef Röder • Franz Meyers • Hans Ehard • Kurt Georg Kiesinger • Georg Diederichs • Georg August Zinn • Peter Altmeier • Helmut Lemke • Klaus Schütz • Herbert Weichmann • Franz-Josef Röder • Hans Koschnick • Heinz Kühn • Alfons Goppel • Hans Filbinger • Alfred Kubel • Albert Osswald • Bernhard Vogel • Gerhard Stoltenberg • Dietrich Stobbe • Hans-Ulrich Klose • Werner Zeyer • Hans Koschnick • Johannes Rau • Franz Josef Strauss • Lothar Späth • Ernst Albrecht • Holger Börner • Walter Wallmann • Bernhard Vogel • Björn Engholm • Walter Momper • Henning Voscherau • Alfred Gomolka • Berndt Seite • Oskar Lafontaine • Klaus Wedemeier • Johannes Rau • Edmund Stoiber • Erwin Teufel • Gerhard Schröder • Hans Eichel • Roland Koch • Kurt Biedenkopf • Kurt Beck • Klaus Wowereit • Wolfgang Böhmer • Dieter Althaus • Matthias Platzeck • Peter Harry Carstensen • Harald Ringstorff Rudolf Scharping, 2001 Rudolf Scharping (December 2, 1947 in Niederelbert) is a German politician (SPD). ... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... Matthias Platzeck, born 29 December 1953 in Potsdam, is a German politician. ... SPD redirects here. ... SPD redirects here. ... Paul Singer is a billionaire of Elliott Associates. ... August Ferdinand Bebel (February 22, 1840 – March 18, 1913) was a German social democrat and one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. ... Paul Singer is a billionaire of Elliott Associates. ... August Ferdinand Bebel (February 22, 1840 – March 18, 1913) was a German social democrat and one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. ... Hugo Haase (September 29, 1863 - November 7, 1919) was a German politician, jurist, and pacifist. ... Hugo Haase (September 29, 1863 - November 7, 1919) was a German politician, jurist, and pacifist. ... This is not the Friedrich Ebert involved in the founding of the GDR, but rather his father. ... This is not the Friedrich Ebert involved in the founding of the GDR, but rather his father. ... This is not the Friedrich Ebert involved in the founding of the GDR, but rather his father. ... Philipp Scheidemann (26 July 1865 – 29 November 1939) was a German Social Democratic politician, who proclaimed the Republic on 9 November 1918, and who became the first Chancellor of the Weimar Republic. ... Otto Wels (September 15, 1873 - September 16, 1939) was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1919 and a member of parliament from 1920 to 1930. ... For other Hermann Müllers: see Hermann Müller. ... Otto Wels (September 15, 1873 - September 16, 1939) was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1919 and a member of parliament from 1920 to 1930. ... For other Hermann Müllers: see Hermann Müller. ... Otto Wels (September 15, 1873 - September 16, 1939) was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1919 and a member of parliament from 1920 to 1930. ... Otto Wels (September 15, 1873 - September 16, 1939) was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1919 and a member of parliament from 1920 to 1930. ... Hans Vogel (February 16, 1881 - October 6, 1945) was a German politician and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany until 1933. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Sopade (also called SoPaDe) was the name of the exile organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). ... Otto Wels (September 15, 1873 - September 16, 1939) was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1919 and a member of parliament from 1920 to 1930. ... Hans Vogel (February 16, 1881 - October 6, 1945) was a German politician and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany until 1933. ... Hans Vogel (February 16, 1881 - October 6, 1945) was a German politician and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany until 1933. ... Dr Kurt Schumacher (13 October 1895 - 20 August 1952), was the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the early years of the German Federal Republic. ... Erich Ollenhauer (March 27, 1901 – December 14, 1963) was the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1952-1963. ... For the Oz character, see Willy Brandt (Oz). ... Hans-Jochen Vogel (born February 3, 1926) is a German politician. ... Björn Engholm (November 9, 1939) is a German SPD politician. ... Johannes Rau (January 16, 1931, Wuppertal – January 27, 2006, Berlin) was a German politician of the SPD. He was the eighth President of the Federal Republic of Germany from July 1, 1999 until June 30, 2004 and prime minister of North Rhine Westfalia from 1978 to 1998. ... Rudolf Scharping, 2001 Rudolf Scharping (December 2, 1947 in Niederelbert) is a German politician (SPD). ... Oskar Lafontaine (born September 16, 1943 in Saarlouis-Roden) is a left-wing German politician and a leading member of the Left Party. ...   [] (born April 7, 1944), German politician, was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. ... Franz Müntefering, 2005. ... Matthias Platzeck, born 29 December 1953 in Potsdam, is a German politician. ... In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat (German: Bundesratspräsident) is the bodys chairperson or speaker. ... The Bundesrat (federal council) is the representation of the 16 Federal States (Länder) of Germany at the federal level. ... Karl Arnold (March 21, 1901 – June 29, 1958) was a German politician. ... Hans Ehard (born 10 November 1887 in Bamberg; died 18 October 1980 in Munich) was a German lawyer and politician, a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party. ... Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf was First Minister of Lower Saxony from 1946 to 1955 and from 1959 to 1961. ... Thomas Dehler (October 16, 1889 in Schorndorf – August 19, 1971 in Stuttgart) was a German politician and the leader of FDP 1957–1960. ... Kai-Uwe von Hassel (b. ... For the Oz character, see Willy Brandt (Oz). ... Hans Ehard (born 10 November 1887 in Bamberg; died 18 October 1980 in Munich) was a German lawyer and politician, a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party. ... Kurt Georg Kiesinger (April 6, 1904–March 9, 1988) was a conservative German politician and Chancellor of West Germany from 1 December 1966 until 21 October 1969. ... Klaus Schütz was a German politician and former Mayor of Berlin from 1967 to 1977, serving as President of the Bundesrat in 1967/68. ... Alfons Goppel (October 1, 1905 - December 24, 1991) was a German politician of the CSU party. ... Dr. Hans Karl Filbinger (born September 15, 1913 in Mannheim died April 1, 2007) was a conservative German politician (CDU). ... Alfred Kubel (25 May 1909, Braunschweig – 22 May 1999, Bad Pyrmont) was a German socialist politician. ... Gerhard Stoltenberg (September 29, 1928 - November 23, 2001) was a German politician (CDU) and minister in the cabinets of Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger and Helmut Kohl. ... Dietrich Stobbe was a German politician. ... Hans-Ulrich Klose (born June 14th, 1937 in Breslau) is a German politician from the SPD and is now [2007] member of the German Federal Diet (Bundestag). ... Johannes Rau (January 16, 1931, Wuppertal – January 27, 2006, Berlin) was a German politician of the SPD. He was the eighth President of the Federal Republic of Germany from July 1, 1999 until June 30, 2004 and prime minister of North Rhine Westfalia from 1978 to 1998. ... Dr h. ... Lothar Späth (born 16 November 1937 in Sigmaringen) is a German politician of the CDU. From 30 August 1978 to 13 January 1991 he was minister-president of Baden-Württemberg. ... Holger Börner (born February 7, 1931) is a German politician of the SPD. He was prime minister of Hesse from 1976 until 1987. ... Walter Wallmann (born 1932) was a German politician. ... Björn Engholm (November 9, 1939) is a German SPD politician. ... Walter Momper (born February 21, 1945 in Sulingen (near Bremen), Niedersachsen) is a German politician and former Mayor of Berlin. ... Henning Voscherau (born August 13, 1941 in Hamburg) is a German notary and Social Democratic politician. ... Alfred Gomolka (born 21 July 1942 in Wrocław) is a German politician and Member of the European Parliament for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. ... Oskar Lafontaine (born September 16, 1943 in Saarlouis-Roden) is a left-wing German politician and a leading member of the Left Party. ... Johannes Rau (January 16, 1931, Wuppertal – January 27, 2006, Berlin) was a German politician of the SPD. He was the eighth President of the Federal Republic of Germany from July 1, 1999 until June 30, 2004 and prime minister of North Rhine Westfalia from 1978 to 1998. ... Edmund Stoiber in Würzburg Edmund Stoiber [IPA: ˈɛtmÊŠnt ˈʃtɔʏbɐ] (born September 28, 1941) is a German politician, currently minister-president of the state of Bavaria and chairman of the Christian Social Union (CSU). ... Erwin Teufel (born September 4, 1939 in Rottweil) is a German politician of the CDU; he was minister-president of Baden-Württemberg from 1991 to 2005. ...   [] (born April 7, 1944), German politician, was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. ... Hans Eichel (left) with Laurent Fabius Hans Eichel (born December 24, 1941) is a German politician (SPD), was Minister of Finance from 1999-2005. ... Roland Koch Roland Koch (born March 24, 1958 in Frankfurt am Main) is a German politician. ... Prof. ... Klaus Wowereit Klaus Wowereit (born October 1, 1953 in Berlin) is a German politician, member of the SPD (Social Democratic Party), and mayor of Berlin since the 2001 state elections. ... Prof. ... Dieter Althaus (born in Heiligenstadt, Thuringia, on June 29, 1958) is a German politician (CDU). ... Matthias Platzeck, born 29 December 1953 in Potsdam, is a German politician. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Dr. Harald Ringstorff (born September 25, 1939 in Wittenburg) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and minister-president of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. ...

v • d • e Ministers-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Wilhelm Boden · Peter Altmeier · Helmut Kohl · Bernhard Vogel · Carl-Ludwig Wagner · Rudolf Scharping · Kurt Beck