Dirk Niebel
Encyclopedia
Dirk Niebel is a German
politician. He is since 2009 Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development. From 2005 to 2009, he was secretary general of the FDP
.
. After his Fachhochschulreife
(college entrance qualification) in 1983, Niebel lived for one year in a Kibbutz
in Israel
. Later he served for eight years as an airborne infantry officer in the Bundeswehr
in Calw
. As of February 2007, he is Hauptmann
of the reserve. He then studied at the German College of Public Administration in Mannheim
and finished his studies in 1993 as Diplom-Verwaltungswirt (similar to a Master of Public Administration
degree). From 1993 to 1998, he worked at an employment bureau in Sinsheim
, a part of the Federal Employment Office of Heidelberg
.
Niebel is married and has three sons.
In 1977, Niebel joined the Junge Union
, and in 1979, the CDU
. He left both in 1981.
In 1990, he joined the FDP
and was co-founder of the Heidelberg
division of the Junge Liberale
. Since 2003, Niebel has been a member of the Federal Board of the FDP and of the curatorship of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
. On May 5, 2005, the Federal Board elected him secretary general of the FDP with 92.4 % of the votes.
Niebel has been a member of the Bundestag
since 1998. From 2002 to 2005, he was chairman of the State group of Baden-Württemberg
in the parliamentary group of the FDP. Since 1998, he has been the speaker of the parliamentary group on Labor Policy. In addition to this, Niebel has been a member of the group of German-Israeli parliament members since 1998.
From 2000 till 2010, Niebel has been vice president of the Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft (German Israeli Society).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
politician. He is since 2009 Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development. From 2005 to 2009, he was secretary general of the FDP
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
.
Background
Niebel was born in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. After his Fachhochschulreife
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
(college entrance qualification) in 1983, Niebel lived for one year in a Kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Later he served for eight years as an airborne infantry officer in the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
in Calw
Calw
Calw is a municipality in the middle of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany, capital of the district Calw. It is located in the northern Black Forest.-History:...
. As of February 2007, he is Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
of the reserve. He then studied at the German College of Public Administration in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and finished his studies in 1993 as Diplom-Verwaltungswirt (similar to a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
degree). From 1993 to 1998, he worked at an employment bureau in Sinsheim
Sinsheim
Sinsheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the Rhine Neckar Area of the state Baden-Württemberg about 22 kilometers southeast of Heidelberg and about 28 kilometers northwest of Heilbronn in the district Rhein-Neckar. It consists of a city center and 11 suburbs with a total population of 35,605...
, a part of the Federal Employment Office of Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
.
Niebel is married and has three sons.
Political career
Junge Union
The Junge Union Deutschlands or JU is the jointyouth organisation of the two conservative German political parties CDU and CSU...
, and in 1979, the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
. He left both in 1981.
In 1990, he joined the FDP
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
and was co-founder of the Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
division of the Junge Liberale
Young Liberals (Germany)
The Young Liberals , are a political youth organization in Germany. It is the financially and organisationally independent youth wing of the Free Democratic Party . The JuLis have about 11,500 members, making it the third largest youth organisation in Germany.-Political Profile:The current policy...
. Since 2003, Niebel has been a member of the Federal Board of the FDP and of the curatorship of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
Friedrich Naumann Foundation
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation is a German foundation for liberal politics, related to the Free Democratic Party. Established in 1958 by Theodor Heuss, the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany, it promotes individual freedom and liberalism.The Foundation follows the ideals of the...
. On May 5, 2005, the Federal Board elected him secretary general of the FDP with 92.4 % of the votes.
Niebel has been a member of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
since 1998. From 2002 to 2005, he was chairman of the State group of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
in the parliamentary group of the FDP. Since 1998, he has been the speaker of the parliamentary group on Labor Policy. In addition to this, Niebel has been a member of the group of German-Israeli parliament members since 1998.
From 2000 till 2010, Niebel has been vice president of the Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft (German Israeli Society).
Main Viewpoint
Niebel advocates a radical reform of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). According to him, it should only manage and pay out the Unemployment insurance.External links
- Niebels Website
- Biography in German
- Niebels Blog in German
- Dirk Niebel quotes