Wolfgang Gerhardt (born 31 December 1943) is a German politician and was the leader of the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) from 1995 until he was succeeded by Guido Westerwelle in 2001.[1]
Wolfgang Gerhardt | |
---|---|
Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 22 November 2005 – 1 May 2006 | |
Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
Preceded by | Angela Merkel |
Succeeded by | Guido Westerwelle |
Leader of the Free Democratic Party in the Bundestag | |
In office 5 October 1998 – 1 May 2006 | |
Preceded by | Hermann Otto Solms |
Succeeded by | Guido Westerwelle |
Leader of the Free Democratic Party | |
In office 10 June 1995 – 4 May 2001 | |
Deputy | Cornielia Schmatz-Jacobsen Jürgen Bohn Rainer Brüderle Cornelia Pieper Walter Döring |
Preceded by | Klaus Kinkel |
Succeeded by | Guido Westerwelle |
Deputy Leader of the Free Democratic Party | |
In office 23 February 1985 – 10 June 1995 | |
Leader | Martin Bangemann Otto Graf Lambsdorff Klaus Kinkel |
Preceded by | Jürgen Morlok |
Succeeded by | Rainer Brüderle |
Deputy Minister President of Hesse | |
In office 24 April 1987 – 5 April 1991 | |
Minister President | Walter Wallmann |
Preceded by | Hans Krollmann |
Succeeded by | Joschka Fischer |
Representative of Hesse to the Federation | |
In office 24 April 1987 – 5 April 1991 | |
Minister President | Walter Wallmann |
Preceded by | Willi Görlach |
Succeeded by | Ulrike Rieder |
Hessian Minister of Science and Art | |
In office 24 April 1987 – 5 April 1991 | |
Minister President | Walter Wallmann |
Preceded by | Vera Rüdiger |
Succeeded by | Evelies Mayer |
Member of the Bundestag for Hesse | |
In office 16 October 1994 – 22 September 2013 | |
Constituency | Free Democratic List |
Personal details | |
Born | 31 December 1943 Ulrichstein, Germany |
Political party | German: Free Democratic Party EU: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
Gerhardt was born in Ulrichstein. He was a member of the Member of the Landtag of Hesse from 1978 until 1994. Between 1987 and 1991, he served as State Minister for Science and Culture and Deputy Minister-President in the state government of Minister-President Walter Wallmann of Hesse. In this capacity, he was one of the state's representatives on the Bundesrat.
From 2002 until 2012, Gerhardt was Vice President of Liberal International (LI), under the leadership of successive presidents Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (2002–2005), John Alderdice (2005–2009), and Hans van Baalen (2009–2011).
Ahead of the 2005 national elections, Gerhard was billed as a possible foreign minister in a new centre-right coalition with the Christian Democrats; instead, newly elected Chancellor Angela Merkel entered a coalition with the Social Democratic Party.[2] Gerhardt was succeeded as chairman of the FDP parliamentary group by Westerwelle in 2006. Between 2006 and 2013, he served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Since 2006, Gerhardt has been serving as chairman of the board of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Gerhardt is married and has two children.[citation needed]