Renate Künast
Encyclopedia
Renate Künast is a German
politician who is chairwoman of the Alliance '90/The Greens
Bundestag
parliamentary group. She was the Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture from 2001 to 2005. Künast announced on 5 November 2010 that she we will be the candidate for Governing Mayor of Berlin
for Alliance '90/The Greens
in the Berlin state election, 2011
.
She was born in Recklinghausen
, North Rhine-Westphalia
. She studied social work in Düsseldorf
and worked from 1977 to 1979 in this profession in a jailhouse in Berlin
. After that she studied law until 1985 and worked as lawyer.
Since 1979, Künast has been a member of the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), first in the Alternative List in West Berlin
. In the 1990s she was member of parliament and chairwoman of the greens in the parliament of Berlin. From June 2000 to March 2001 she was co-chair of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen on the national level, together with Fritz Kuhn
. Since her party at the time did not allow the combination of functions in the party and the government in one person, she resigned when she became minister in the second government of Gerhard Schröder
in 2001. Until 2005, Künast served as the German Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, known for increasing consumer protection, supporting organic farming, and expanding animal welfare
.
Künast is also a member of the Humanist Union
, a civil rights organization. She is on the board of trustees of the Berlin-based AIDS
-Hilfe (AIDS-Help) group, and is an honorary member of the International Raoul Wallenberg
Foundation and the Angelo Roncalli Committee within that organization.
After the 2005 election she became co-chair of the Green parliamentary party, again together with Fritz Kuhn
. In July 2009 she was accused of antisemitism by the Jerusalem Post, after she had allegedly been overheard calling the pro-Israel "Stop the Bomb" organisation a "Mossad
front", which she denied.
In 2010, she along with Cécile Duflot
, Monica Frassoni
, and Marina Silva
were named by Foreign Policy
magazine to its list of top global thinkers, for taking Green
mainstream.
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 who is chairwoman of the Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
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...
parliamentary group. She was the Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture from 2001 to 2005. Künast announced on 5 November 2010 that she we will be the candidate for Governing Mayor of Berlin
Governing Mayor of Berlin
The Governing Mayor of Berlin is the head of government in the city-state of Berlin, one of the States of Germany. It is the equivalent of the Ministers-President of the other German states except the two other city-states of Hamburg and Bremen, where the heads of government are called "First...
for Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
in the Berlin state election, 2011
Berlin state election, 2011
The last Berlin state election was held on 18 September 2011, to elect members to the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin. All 141 seats were up for election. Berlin was governed by a coalition between the Social Democratic Party and The Left at the time. Current mayor Klaus Wowereit was the favourite...
.
She was born in Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south...
, 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...
. She studied social work in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
and worked from 1977 to 1979 in this profession in a jailhouse in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. After that she studied law until 1985 and worked as lawyer.
Since 1979, Künast has been a member of the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), first in the Alternative List in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. In the 1990s she was member of parliament and chairwoman of the greens in the parliament of Berlin. From June 2000 to March 2001 she was co-chair of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen on the national level, together with Fritz Kuhn
Fritz Kuhn
Fritz Kuhn is a German politician. He was co-chairman of Alliance '90/The Greens, the German Green party, from June 2000 to December 2002.- Early years :...
. Since her party at the time did not allow the combination of functions in the party and the government in one person, she resigned when she became minister in the second government of 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...
in 2001. Until 2005, Künast served as the German Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, known for increasing consumer protection, supporting organic farming, and expanding animal welfare
Animal welfare
Animal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
.
Künast is also a member of the Humanist Union
Humanist Union
The Humanist Union is an association of German citizenship. Their targets include the achievement of a comprehensive information and more direct democracy and the constitutional abolition of the secret service protection...
, a civil rights organization. She is on the board of trustees of the Berlin-based AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-Hilfe (AIDS-Help) group, and is an honorary member of the International Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman, diplomat and humanitarian. He is widely celebrated for his successful efforts to rescue thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary from the Holocaust, during the later stages of World War II...
Foundation and the Angelo Roncalli Committee within that organization.
After the 2005 election she became co-chair of the Green parliamentary party, again together with Fritz Kuhn
Fritz Kuhn
Fritz Kuhn is a German politician. He was co-chairman of Alliance '90/The Greens, the German Green party, from June 2000 to December 2002.- Early years :...
. In July 2009 she was accused of antisemitism by the Jerusalem Post, after she had allegedly been overheard calling the pro-Israel "Stop the Bomb" organisation a "Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
front", which she denied.
In 2010, she along with Cécile Duflot
Cécile Duflot
Cécile Duflot is a French politician. She is Party Secretary of Europe Écologie–The Greens, a position she has held since November 2006 and is, with Jean-Luc Bennahmias, the only Green leader to have served two consecutive terms .-Biography:The eldest daughter of a...
, Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni is an Italian politician and was a Member of the European Parliament for the North West of Italy until 2009. She is a member of the Italian Green Party, part of the European Greens. Frassoni was co-chair, together with Daniel Cohn-Bendit, of the European Greens–European Free...
, and Marina Silva
Marina Silva
Maria Osmarina Marina Silva Vaz de Lima is a Brazilian environmentalist and politician. Ms. Silva was a colleague of Chico Mendes, who was assassinated for defending the Amazon environment. She was a member of the Partido dos Trabalhadores until August 19, 2009 and served as a senator before...
were named by Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
magazine to its list of top global thinkers, for taking Green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
mainstream.