Christian Lindner | |
---|---|
Member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia | |
Assumed office 31 May 2012 |
|
In office 2 June 2000 – 18 November 2009 |
|
Chairman of the Free Democratic Party | |
Assumed office 7 December 2013 |
|
Preceded by | Philipp Rösler |
Chairman of the FDP North Rhine-Westphalia | |
Assumed office 13 May 2012 |
|
Preceded by | Daniel Bahr |
Secretary General of the Free Democratic Party | |
In office 24 December 2009 – 14 December 2011 |
|
Preceded by | Dirk Niebel |
Succeeded by | Patrick Döring |
Member of the Bundestag | |
In office 27 September 2009 – 14 December 2011 |
|
Constituency | North Rhine-Westphalia List |
Personal details | |
Born |
Wuppertal, West Germany |
January 7, 1979
Political party | FDP |
Residence | Düsseldorf, Wermelskirchen |
Occupation | Politician |
Christian Lindner (born January 7, 1979) is a German politician, member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia and leader of the liberal party Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP).
Christian Lindner was born in Wuppertal, Germany. His father Wolfgang Lindner is a teacher of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Städtisches Gymnasium in Wermelskirchen. After graduating from Gymnasium in 1998, he studied political science at the University of Bonn from 1999 to 2006.
After eleven semesters he acquired the academic degree of Master of Arts (MA). In his master's thesis at the Institute of Political Science, he dealt with the topic: "tax competition and revenue sharing. Can the financial constitution be reformed?". In 2006, he began writing his dissertation under supervision from political science professor Frank Decker, which he has so far not completed due to his political activities.
While studying Lindner undertook his National Service obligations as a reserve officer in the Air Force. In 2002, he was promoted to First lieutenant (Oberleutnant) in the Reserve. In 2008 he was a liaison officer to the Air Force Land Command in Düsseldorf and since September 2011 he has held the rank of Captain (Hauptmann) in the Reserve.
Lindner joined the FDP in 1995. He has been a member of the Executive Board of the FDP in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia since 1998 and became Secretary General in 2004 (until February 2010). At the May 2000 election for the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, the 21-year old Lindner was elected, becoming the youngest MP in the history of the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lindner was from 2000 initially 'spokesman for Intergenerational Affairs, Family and Integration' and then from 2005 to 2009 was also vice chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the parliament and spokesman for Innovation, Science and Technology. In 2007 he also became a member of the Executive Board of the FDP on federal level.