Günther Beckstein
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| Dr. Günther Beckstein | |
 Günther Beckstein in June 2007 |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 October 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Edmund Stoiber |
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| In office 17 June 1993 – 9 October 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Edmund Stoiber |
| Preceded by | Edmund Stoiber |
| Succeeded by | Joachim Herrmann |
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| Born | November 23, 1943 Hersbruck, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | CSU |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Protestant |
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Günther Beckstein [ˈɡyntʰər ˈbɛkʃtaɪn] (born November 23, 1943 in Hersbruck, Franconia) is a Bavarian politician from the CSU party and since October 9, 2007, the Minister-President of Bavaria. He is well known for his outspoken views on law and order.
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[edit] Life
After graduating from High School at the Willstätter Gymnasium (school) in Nürnberg in 1962, he studied law at the Universitys of Erlangen and Munich, accomplishing a PhD at Erlangen-Nürnberg University in 1975 with the dissertation Der Gewissenstäter im Strafrecht und Strafprozessrecht (The Delinquent of Conscience in Criminal Law and Trial Law). From 1971 to 1978, he worked as a lawyer.
Beckstein is married since 1973 and has three children. With his wife Marga he lives in Nürnberg-Langwasser. He is a Protestant and an active church member[1].
[edit] Political career
Beckstein started his political career as the district chairman of the Junge Union Nürnberg-Fürth (1973–1978) and then became vice chairman of the CSU district association Nürnberg-Fürth-Schwabach. In 1991, he acceded its chairmanship
A member of the Bavarian State Parliament, the Landtag, for the CSU since 1974, he became State Secretary at the Bavarian Ministry of Interior in 1988. In 1993, he became the Interior Minister of Bavaria, succeeding Edmund Stoiber. In 2001, he was elected to the post of Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria.
Beckstein won seat in the Bundestag in the 2005 German federal elections but did not take up this position, preferring to stay in state politics[2].
After Minister-President Edmund Stoiber had announced on January 18, 2007 to resign from his post in the autumn of 2007, the CSU Landtag fraction came to the arrangement for Beckstein to succeed Stoiber, after a power struggle with Erwin Huber[3], selecting him with a vast majority[4]. On October 9, the Bavarian Landtag elected him as the new Minister-President by a majority of 122 of the 178 votes cast.
His rise to the post of Bavarian prime minister is something of a novelty in the state as he is from the northern halve of Bavaria and a Protestant. Traditionally, though not exclusively, Bavarian prime ministers have been from the south and Catholics[5].
[edit] Views
- Beckstein is an outspoken critic of the Church of Scientology[6].
- He is a staunch supporter of Israel and has warned in the past of the danger of right-wing extremism and anti-semitism. He has received the Jerusalem Prize of the Zionistische Organisation In Deutschland (Zionistin Organisation of Germany) in July 2006 for his efforts[7].
- He has warned repeatetly of the dangers arising from islamist extremists in Germany and has asked for greater powers for government security departments to deal with those. His was criticized for this by members of the SPD and German Muslims[8].
- As the head of the Bavarian government, Beckstein has the final say on whether Hitler's Mein Kampf can be published in Germany, since Bavaria holds the copyrights. Beckstein has so far disallowed any form of publication of the book in Germany, fearing, it would fuel right-wing extremism[9].
[edit] External links
- Günther Beckstein Sworn in as new Bavarian Premier Deutsche Welle article on Günther Beckstein
- Website with quotes of Günther Beckstein (in German)
[edit] Sources
- Official Bavarian government website - Günther Beckstein biography (in German)
- Günther Beckstein's curriculum vitae at the official website of the Bavarian Landtag (in German)
[edit] References
- ^ Official Bundestag website (in German) accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Official Bundestag website (in German) accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Günther Beckstein Sworn in as new Bavarian PremierDeutsche Welle article on Günther Beckstein, 9 October 2007, accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Beckstein nominated for Minister President of Bavaria Constitutional Protection Report for Bavaria, Unauthorized translation, August 2007, accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Günther Beckstein Sworn in as new Bavarian PremierDeutsche Welle article on Günther Beckstein, 9 October 2007, accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Beckstein warns of Scientology's tutoring offensive Constitutional Protection Report for Bavaria, Unauthorized translation, August 2007, accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Dr. Guenther Beckstein Recipient of the Jerusalem Prize in Germany World Zionist Organisation, 10 July 2006, accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ Günther Beckstein Sworn in as new Bavarian PremierDeutsche Welle article on Günther Beckstein, 9 October 2007, accessed: 10 May 2008
- ^ A New Critical Edition of Mein Kampf? Dialog International, German-American opinion, 5 May 2008, accessed: 10 May 2008
| Preceded by Edmund Stoiber |
Minister president of Bavaria 2007– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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