Gerhard Schröder
Encyclopedia of Political Information.
Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder (born April 7, 1944) is a German politician and the current Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor and head of government) of Germany.
Schröder was born in Mossenberg, in the county of Lippe-Detmold (today North Rhine-Westphalia). When not in Berlin, the capital of Germany, he lives in Hanover.
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Political carrier
He joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands: SPD) in 1963.
He became Bundeskanzler on October 27, 1998 after having won elections in Lower Saxony for the third time in March that year and being Ministerpräsident there since 1990. In the general elections on September 22, 2002, his term was extended by four years, thanks to the victory of his governing Red-Green coalition.
Since the resignation of Oskar Lafontaine from his office as SPD chairman in March, 1999, Schröder has held that office as well. In February, 2004, he resigned as chairman of the SPD to concentrate on the reform processes in Germany as chancellor. Successor as chairman is Franz Müntefering. There are speculations that the historical SPD low in opinion polls is one reason for his resignation as chairman.
Positions on foreign politics
Along with French President Jacques Chirac, Schröder spoke out strongly against the war on Iraq during 2003, and denied any military assistance. His opposition has given rise to political discomforts between the USA and Germany, as Germany was considered one of America's most important and intimate allies since the end of World War II. Schröder's opposition to the war had multiple reasons, one of which was that the German constitution prohibited entering a war as an aggressor.
Personal life
Schröder is known for his carrier from proletarian background to being a successful lawyer, as well as a politican.
He has been married four times:
- Eva Schubach, married 1968, divorced 1972
- Anne Taschenmacher, married 1972, divorced 1984
- Hiltrud Hampel, married 1984, divorced 1997
- Doris Köpf, married 1997
See also
External Links
| Preceded by: Helmut Kohl |
Chancellors of Germany |
There is another Gerhard Schröder, who was a member of the CDU party and minister of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Defense in the 1950s and 1960s. See Gerhard Schröder, CDU.
