Guido Westerwelle
Encyclopedia
Guido Westerwelle [ˈɡiːdo ˈvɛstɐˌvɛlə] (born December 27, 1961) is a German
liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister
in the second cabinet
of Chancellor Angela Merkel
, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions. He has been the chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Germany
(FDP) since May 2001, but stepped down in 2011. A lawyer by profession, he has been a member of the Bundestag
since 1996.
in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
. He graduated from Ernst Moritz Arndt
Gymnasium
in 1980 after academic struggles resulted in his departure from previous institutions where he was considered an average student at best, but substandard otherwise. He studied law at the University of Bonn
from 1980 to 1987. Following the First and Second State Law Examinations in 1987 and 1991 respectively, he began practicing as an attorney in Bonn
in 1991. In 1994, he earned a doctoral degree in law from FernUniversität Hagen
. Today, he is frank about his homosexuality and lives with his partner, Michael Mronz. Until 2004 he was not openly gay, although it was fairly common knowledge in the general public.
, the youth organization of that party, and was its chairman from 1983 to 1988.
Having been a member of the Executive Board of the FDP since 1988, he first gained national prominence in 1994, when he was appointed Secretary General of the party. As such, he was a notable proponent of an unlimited free market
economy and took a leading part in drafting a new party programme.
In 1996, Westerwelle was first elected a member of the Bundestag, filling in for Heinz Lanfermann, who had resigned from his seat after entering the Ministry of Justice. In 1998, Westerwelle was re-elected to parliament.
In 2001, he succeeded Wolfgang Gerhardt
as party chairman, who, however, remained chairman of the FDP's parliamentary group. Westerwelle, the youngest party chairman at the time, emphasized economics and education, and espoused a strategy initiated by his deputy Jürgen Möllemann
, who, as chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia
branch of party, had led his party back into the state parliament, gaining 9.8% of the vote. This strategy, transferred to the federal level, was dubbed Project 18, referring both to the envisioned percentage and the German age of majority. Leading up to the 2002 elections, he positioned his party in equidistance to the major parties and refused to commit his party to a coalition with either the Christian Democrats
and Social Democrats
. He was also declared the FDP's candidate for the office of chancellor. Since the FDP had never claimed such a candicacy (and hasn't done since) and had no chance of attaining it against the two major parties, this move was widely seen as flippant political marketing alongside other moves, such as driving around in a campaign van dubbed Guidomobile, wearing the figure 18 on the soles of his shoes or appearance in the Big Brother TV show
. Eventually, the federal elections
yielded a slight increase of the FDP's vote from 6.8% to 7.4%. Despite this setback, he was reelected as party chairman in 2003.
In the federal elections of 2005
, Westerwelle was his party's frontrunner. When neither Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
's Social Democrats and Greens nor a coalition of Christian and Free Democrats, favoured by Angela Merkel
and Westerwelle, managed to gain a majority of seats, Westerwelle rejected overtures by Chancellor Schröder to save his chancellorship by entering his coalition, preferring to become one of the leaders of the disparate opposition of the subsequently formed "Grand Coalition" of Christian and Social Democrats, with Merkel as Chancellor. Westerwelle became a vocal critic of the new government. In 2006, according to an internal agreement, Westerwelle succeeded Wolfgang Gerhardt as chairman of the parliamentary group.
and Vice-Chancellor, becoming the head of the Foreign Office
. In 2010 he announced he wouldn't be taking his husband to hostile countries.
His deputies at the Foreign Office are Werner Hoyer
and Cornelia Pieper
as Ministers of State. Hoyer previously held the same office in the Cabinet Kohl V
.
By May 2011 however his party had collapsed in several states, including Rhineland-Palatinate
and Bremen
where they failed to secure the 5% threshold to be seated in parliament. Westerwelle then stepped down as party leader. By July the party was only receiving 3% support in opinion polls, a record low, reflecting what political insiders had called his "last stand" in January, comparing Westerwelle and his party to Captain Ahab and the Pequod
.
In July 2011 Westerwelle was the President of the United Nations Security Council
as he headed the German delegation to the United Nations
.
and deregulate German labor law. In an interview in February 2003, Westerwelle described trade unions as a "plague on our country" and said union officials were "the pall bearers of the welfare state and of the prosperity in our country". He has called for substantial tax cuts and smaller government, in line with the general direction of his party. In 2001, he was one of the first politicians to push for a biometric passport
.
He opposes Google Street View
and stated "I will do all I can to prevent it.".
, as opposed to developing and promoting sound public policy
, especially in the election campaign of 2002. Westerwelle himself, who was made party chairman particularly because his predecessor Wolfgang Gerhardt
had been viewed by many as dull and stiff, has labeled his approach as Spaßpolitik (fun politics) in the past.
On September 27, 2009, at a press conference after the election, Westerwelle refused to answer a question in English from a BBC reporter, stating that "it is normal to speak German in Germany".
He made public statements in 2010 about the "welfare state", claiming that promising the people effortless prosperity may lead to "late Roman decadence", in reference to a verdict in the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
regarding Hartz IV. This caused quite a stir in Germany.
His official trips as foreign minister have included his partner Michael Mronz, an event manager, and Ralf Marohn, a partner in his brother's company, also causing controversy. Westerwelle and the FDP defended this by saying that it is normal for foreign ministers to take industry representatives on their trips, ignoring the fact that these particular representatives had a personal relationship
with him.
In late November 2010, leaked U.S. diplomatic cables
revealed that American diplomats considered Westerwelle an obstacle to deeper transatlantic relations and were skeptical of Westerwelle's abilities, with one cable comparing Westerwelle unfavorably to former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher
.
, which alleged the ministry's collusion with the Nazis. Westerwelle said the report "shamed" the institution.
diplomatic cables release which led to Metzner admitting that he regularly spied for the Americans.
. It was the first time he had attended an official event with his husband. The couple registered their partnership on September 17, 2010 in a private ceremony in Bonn.
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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...
liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has been serving as the Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister of Germany
The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle...
in the second cabinet
Cabinet Merkel II
The Merkel Cabinet II is the current government of Germany since October 28, 2009, during the 17th legislature of the Bundestag. Led by the Christian Democrat Angela Merkel , it is supported by a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union , Christian Social Union of Bavaria and the Free...
of Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011. He is the first openly gay person to hold either of those positions. He has been the chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Germany
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...
(FDP) since May 2001, but stepped down in 2011. A lawyer by profession, he 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 1996.
Early life and education
Guido Westerwelle was born in Bad HonnefBad Honnef
Bad Honnef is a spa town in Germany near Bonn in the Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the border of the neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate...
in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. He graduated from Ernst Moritz Arndt
Ernst Moritz Arndt
Ernst Moritz Arndt was a German nationalistic and antisemitic author and poet. Early in his life, he fought for the abolition of serfdom, later against Napoleonic dominance over Germany, and had to flee to Sweden for some time due to his anti-French positions...
Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in 1980 after academic struggles resulted in his departure from previous institutions where he was considered an average student at best, but substandard otherwise. He studied law at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
from 1980 to 1987. Following the First and Second State Law Examinations in 1987 and 1991 respectively, he began practicing as an attorney in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
in 1991. In 1994, he earned a doctoral degree in law from FernUniversität Hagen
FernUniversität Hagen
The University of Hagen, is the largest and the only state-run distance teaching university in Germany. The Headquarters are located in Hagen, Germany....
. Today, he is frank about his homosexuality and lives with his partner, Michael Mronz. Until 2004 he was not openly gay, although it was fairly common knowledge in the general public.
Career in the FDP
Westerwelle joined the FDP in 1980. He was a founding member of the Junge LiberaleYoung 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...
, the youth organization of that party, and was its chairman from 1983 to 1988.
Having been a member of the Executive Board of the FDP since 1988, he first gained national prominence in 1994, when he was appointed Secretary General of the party. As such, he was a notable proponent of an unlimited free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
economy and took a leading part in drafting a new party programme.
In 1996, Westerwelle was first elected a member of the Bundestag, filling in for Heinz Lanfermann, who had resigned from his seat after entering the Ministry of Justice. In 1998, Westerwelle was re-elected to parliament.
In 2001, he succeeded Wolfgang Gerhardt
Wolfgang Gerhardt
Wolfgang Gerhardt is a German politician and was the leader of the FDP from 1995 until he was succeeded by Guido Westerwelle in 2001. He is married and has two children.-References:...
as party chairman, who, however, remained chairman of the FDP's parliamentary group. Westerwelle, the youngest party chairman at the time, emphasized economics and education, and espoused a strategy initiated by his deputy Jürgen Möllemann
Jürgen Möllemann
Jürgen Wilhelm Möllemann was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party. He served as Minister of State at the Foreign Office , as Federal Minister of Education and Research , as Federal Minister of Economics and as Vice Chancellor of Germany in the government of Chancellor Helmut...
, who, as chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
branch of party, had led his party back into the state parliament, gaining 9.8% of the vote. This strategy, transferred to the federal level, was dubbed Project 18, referring both to the envisioned percentage and the German age of majority. Leading up to the 2002 elections, he positioned his party in equidistance to the major parties and refused to commit his party to a coalition with either the Christian Democrats
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...
and Social Democrats
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
. He was also declared the FDP's candidate for the office of chancellor. Since the FDP had never claimed such a candicacy (and hasn't done since) and had no chance of attaining it against the two major parties, this move was widely seen as flippant political marketing alongside other moves, such as driving around in a campaign van dubbed Guidomobile, wearing the figure 18 on the soles of his shoes or appearance in the Big Brother TV show
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
. Eventually, the federal elections
German federal election, 2002
The 15th German federal election, 2002 was conducted on 22 September 2002, to elect members to the Bundestag of Germany.-Issues and campaign:...
yielded a slight increase of the FDP's vote from 6.8% to 7.4%. Despite this setback, he was reelected as party chairman in 2003.
In the federal elections of 2005
German federal election, 2005
German federal elections took place on 18 September 2005 to elect the members of the 16th German Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany. They became necessary after a motion of confidence in Chancellor Gerhard Schröder failed on 1 July...
, Westerwelle was his party's frontrunner. When neither Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor...
's Social Democrats and Greens nor a coalition of Christian and Free Democrats, favoured by Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
and Westerwelle, managed to gain a majority of seats, Westerwelle rejected overtures by Chancellor Schröder to save his chancellorship by entering his coalition, preferring to become one of the leaders of the disparate opposition of the subsequently formed "Grand Coalition" of Christian and Social Democrats, with Merkel as Chancellor. Westerwelle became a vocal critic of the new government. In 2006, according to an internal agreement, Westerwelle succeeded Wolfgang Gerhardt as chairman of the parliamentary group.
Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany
In the federal elections of 2009, Westerwelle committed his party to a coalition with Dr Merkel's CDU/CSU, ruling out a coalition with Social Democrats and Greens, and led his party to unprecedented 14.6%. In accordance with earlier announcements, he formed a coalition government with CDU/CSU. On October 28, he was sworn in as Foreign MinisterForeign Minister of Germany
The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle...
and Vice-Chancellor, becoming the head of the Foreign Office
Foreign Office (Germany)
The Foreign Office is the foreign ministry of Germany, a federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign politics and its relationship with the European Union. From 1871 to 1919, it was led by a Foreign Secretary, and since 1919, it has been led by the Foreign Minister of Germany...
. In 2010 he announced he wouldn't be taking his husband to hostile countries.
His deputies at the Foreign Office are Werner Hoyer
Werner Hoyer
Werner Hoyer is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party of Germany , currently serving as the Minister of State at the Foreign Office in the Second Cabinet Merkel under Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle...
and Cornelia Pieper
Cornelia Pieper
Cornelia Pieper is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party , currently serving as Minister of State at the Foreign Office under Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in the Second Cabinet Merkel . She was secretary general of her party from 2001 to 2005...
as Ministers of State. Hoyer previously held the same office in the Cabinet Kohl V
Cabinet Kohl V
The fifth and final cabinet led by Helmut Kohl was sworn in on November 15, 1994 and laid down its function on October 27, 1998. The cabinet was formed after the 1994 elections...
.
By May 2011 however his party had collapsed in several states, including Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
and Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
where they failed to secure the 5% threshold to be seated in parliament. Westerwelle then stepped down as party leader. By July the party was only receiving 3% support in opinion polls, a record low, reflecting what political insiders had called his "last stand" in January, comparing Westerwelle and his party to Captain Ahab and the Pequod
Pequod (Moby-Dick)
The Pequod is a fictitious 19th century Nantucket whaleship that appears in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick by American author Herman Melville. The Pequod and her crew, commanded by Captain Ahab, are central to the story, which, after the initial chapters, takes place almost entirely aboard the ship...
.
In July 2011 Westerwelle was the President of the United Nations Security Council
President of the United Nations Security Council
The President of the United Nations Security Council is the presiding officer of that body. The president is the head of the delegation from the Security Council member state that holds the rotating presidency.-Selection:...
as he headed the German delegation to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Positions
Westerwelle is a staunch supporter of the free market and has proposed reforms to curtail the German welfare stateWelfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
and deregulate German labor law. In an interview in February 2003, Westerwelle described trade unions as a "plague on our country" and said union officials were "the pall bearers of the welfare state and of the prosperity in our country". He has called for substantial tax cuts and smaller government, in line with the general direction of his party. In 2001, he was one of the first politicians to push for a biometric passport
Biometric passport
A biometric passport, also known as an e-passport or ePassport, is a combined paper and electronic passport that contains biometric information that can be used to authenticate the identity of travelers...
.
He opposes Google Street View
Google Street View
Google Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
and stated "I will do all I can to prevent it.".
Controversy
His chairmanship has also seen considerable controversy. Critics inside and outside the FDP have accused him of focusing on public relationsPublic relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, as opposed to developing and promoting sound public policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
, especially in the election campaign of 2002. Westerwelle himself, who was made party chairman particularly because his predecessor Wolfgang Gerhardt
Wolfgang Gerhardt
Wolfgang Gerhardt is a German politician and was the leader of the FDP from 1995 until he was succeeded by Guido Westerwelle in 2001. He is married and has two children.-References:...
had been viewed by many as dull and stiff, has labeled his approach as Spaßpolitik (fun politics) in the past.
On September 27, 2009, at a press conference after the election, Westerwelle refused to answer a question in English from a BBC reporter, stating that "it is normal to speak German in Germany".
He made public statements in 2010 about the "welfare state", claiming that promising the people effortless prosperity may lead to "late Roman decadence", in reference to a verdict in the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
regarding Hartz IV. This caused quite a stir in Germany.
His official trips as foreign minister have included his partner Michael Mronz, an event manager, and Ralf Marohn, a partner in his brother's company, also causing controversy. Westerwelle and the FDP defended this by saying that it is normal for foreign ministers to take industry representatives on their trips, ignoring the fact that these particular representatives had a personal relationship
Cronyism
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy....
with him.
In late November 2010, leaked U.S. diplomatic cables
United States diplomatic cables leak
The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began in February 2010 when WikiLeaks—a non-profit organization that publishes submissions from anonymous whistleblowers—began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates,...
revealed that American diplomats considered Westerwelle an obstacle to deeper transatlantic relations and were skeptical of Westerwelle's abilities, with one cable comparing Westerwelle unfavorably to former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Hans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
.
The Ministry and the Past
In 2010, the Foreign Ministry released a report prepared for Westerwelle called The Ministry and the PastThe Ministry and the Past
Das Amt und die Vergangenheit: Deutsche Diplomaten im Dritten Reich und in der Bundesrepublik is an eight hundred and eighty page report released by the German Foreign Office and published by on October 28, 2010...
, which alleged the ministry's collusion with the Nazis. Westerwelle said the report "shamed" the institution.
Espionage
On December 3, 2010, Westerwelle dismissed his personal assistant Helmut Metzner following a WikileaksWikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
diplomatic cables release which led to Metzner admitting that he regularly spied for the Americans.
Personal life
On July 20, 2004, Westerwelle attended Angela Merkel's 50th birthday party accompanied by his husband, Michael Mronz, thereby tacitly acknowledging that he is gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. It was the first time he had attended an official event with his husband. The couple registered their partnership on September 17, 2010 in a private ceremony in Bonn.
External links
- Westerwelle's personal website (in German)
- Westerwelle's website as member of the Bundestag (in German)
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