Jo Leinen
Encyclopedia
Jo Leinen is a Member of the European Parliament
. He was elected on the SPD
ticket and acts as a representative within the Party of European Socialists
group. He is well-known for his support for the European ideal.
He obtained a law degree in Germany
in 1972 and a Certificate of Advanced European Studies
from the College of Europe
in Bruges
, Belgium
, in 1974. From 1977 on he has worked as a lawyer.
Because of his participation at a demonstration against the Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant Kernkraftwerk Brokdorf (1981), he was briefly charged with being "guide and headman" of a rioting 'mob', however the Federal Constitutional Court eventually dropped charges against him, ruling that there can not be a case of "guide and headman" during collective actions. (One of his defenders at the time was Gerhard Schröder
, former Chancelor of the BRD
.)
and had different functions:
of Saarland
(1985–1994) then a Member of the Landtag
of Saarland until 1999. He has been President of the Union of European Federalists since 1997. Since 2004 he is member of the Advisory Council of the Committee for a Democratic UN
.
1999 Leinen was also member of the municipal council of Püttlingen
/Saar.
since 1999.
He was substitutional Chair of the committee of Constitutional Affairs and
On July 23, 2004 he was elected Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
He is also substitutional member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs.
He was member in the Committee of the Regions
from 1995 to 1999 and in the Congress of the Regions and Communes of the Council of Europe. Currently, he is member of different organisations of culture, social and sport; and also vice-president of EUROSOLAR e.V and member of the Parliamentarian Working Group of the Advisory Board of "A Soul for Europe".
Leinen is member of the delegation for relations with South Asia and assistant member of the delegation for relations with India.
) (1977–1979) and vice-president of the European Environment Bureau (EEB) in Brussels
(1979–1984). He was President of the UEF (1977–2005). He served as vice-president of the European Movement International from 2005 to 2011 until in November 2011 he was elected president of the organisation.
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
. He was elected on the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
ticket and acts as a representative within the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
group. He is well-known for his support for the European ideal.
He obtained a law degree in Germany
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...
in 1972 and a Certificate of Advanced European Studies
Certificate of Advanced European Studies
The Certificate of Advanced European Studies is a postgraduate qualification, equivalent to a master's degree, that was awarded by the College of Europe, a postgraduate elite school in Bruges, Belgium, from its foundation in 1949 until the late 1980s, upon completion of its 1-year programme...
from the College of Europe
College of Europe
The College of Europe is an independent university institute of postgraduate European studies with the main campus in Bruges, Belgium...
in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, in 1974. From 1977 on he has worked as a lawyer.
Extraparliamentary tasks
Leinen became publicly known as a spokesman of the Anti-nuclear movement Anti-AKW- and the Peace movement (1980), he was also active for the Bundesverband Bürgerinitiativen Umweltschutz (BBU). He received the nickname "container-Jo" during a demonstration, having climbed a container in order to coordinate protest actions by megaphone.Because of his participation at a demonstration against the Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant Kernkraftwerk Brokdorf (1981), he was briefly charged with being "guide and headman" of a rioting 'mob', however the Federal Constitutional Court eventually dropped charges against him, ruling that there can not be a case of "guide and headman" during collective actions. (One of his defenders at the time was 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...
, former Chancelor of the BRD
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...
.)
Party
Jo Leinen is a member of the SPDSocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
and had different functions:
- 1977–1979: Europe-Secretary of the youth of the SPD
- 1981–1985: member of the committee of environment of the SPD
- 1985–1999: member of the state-directorate of the SPD Saar
- 1996 until today: member of the Europe-Commission of the SPD
State-policy
He was Minister of the Environment in the StateStates of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
of Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
(1985–1994) then a Member of the Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
of Saarland until 1999. He has been President of the Union of European Federalists since 1997. Since 2004 he is member of the Advisory Council of the Committee for a Democratic UN
Committee for a Democratic UN
The Committee for a Democratic UN, or KDUN , is a nongovernmental organization based in Berlin and founded in 2003 that advocates the "democratization and strengthening of the United Nations and other international organizations" .-Goal:KDUN's mandate includes the goal "to facilitate a cosmopolitan...
.
1999 Leinen was also member of the municipal council of Püttlingen
Püttlingen
Püttlingen is a town and a municipality in the district of Saarbrücken, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated approx. 10 km northwest of Saarbrücken....
/Saar.
European Parliament
Leinen is member of the European ParliamentEuropean Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
since 1999.
He was substitutional Chair of the committee of Constitutional Affairs and
On July 23, 2004 he was elected Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
He is also substitutional member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs.
He was member in the Committee of the Regions
Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions is European Union's assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities with a direct voice within the EU's institutional framework....
from 1995 to 1999 and in the Congress of the Regions and Communes of the Council of Europe. Currently, he is member of different organisations of culture, social and sport; and also vice-president of EUROSOLAR e.V and member of the Parliamentarian Working Group of the Advisory Board of "A Soul for Europe".
Leinen is member of the delegation for relations with South Asia and assistant member of the delegation for relations with India.
Other charges
Jo Leinen was chairman of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) (JEFJef
is a fast-food chain on Okinawa Island, with five restaurants in and around Naha . They sport a menu featuring many homebrewn Okinawan specialties such as the Nūyaru burger and the Gōyā burger, hamburgers with a filling of SPAM and bitter melon omelet. They also have fried gōyā rings, similar to...
) (1977–1979) and vice-president of the European Environment Bureau (EEB) in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(1979–1984). He was President of the UEF (1977–2005). He served as vice-president of the European Movement International from 2005 to 2011 until in November 2011 he was elected president of the organisation.
Publications
- Öffentlichkeit in Europa: Europäische Öffentlichkeit als neuer Antrieb für europäische Politik, in: Claudio Franzius/ Ulrich K. PreussUlrich K. PreussUlrich K. Preuß teaches Theories of the State at the Hertie School of Governance.He holds a PhD from Gießen University and worked as Professor for Public Law at the University of Bremen from 1972 to 1996. Since 1996, Preuß has been a Professor of Public Law and Politics at Freie Universität Berlin...
(Hrsg.), Europäische Öffentlichkeit, Baden-Baden 2004, S.31–37. - zusammen mit Justus Schönau: Auf dem Weg zur europäischen Demokratie. Politische Parteien auf EU-Ebene: neue Entwicklungen, in: Integration, 3/2003, S. 218–227.