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Franz Müntefering

Franz Müntefering
Franz Müntefering (SPD) (10584414364).jpg
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
In office
18 October 2008 – 13 November 2009
Preceded by Kurt Beck
Succeeded by Sigmar Gabriel
Vice Chancellor of Germany
In office
22 November 2005 – 21 November 2007
Preceded by Joschka Fischer
Succeeded by Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
In office
22 November 2005 – 21 November 2007
Preceded by Wolfgang Clement
Succeeded by Olaf Scholz
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany
In office
21 March 2004 – 15 November 2005
Preceded by Gerhard Schröder
Succeeded by Matthias Platzeck
Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs
In office
27 October 1998 – 29 September 1999
Preceded by Eduard Oswald
Succeeded by Reinhard Klimmt
Personal details
Born (1940-01-16) 16 January 1940 (age 77)
Neheim, Germany
Nationality German
Political party SPD
Relations Michelle Schumann
Occupation Industrial manager, politician
Religion Roman Catholicism

Franz Müntefering [fʁants ˈmʏntəˌfeʁɪŋ] (born 16 January 1940) is a German politician and industrial manager. He was Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 2004 to 2005 and again from 18 October 2008 to 13 November 2009. He served as Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, as well as Vice-Chancellor, from 2005 to 2007.

Müntefering was born in Neheim (now part of Arnsberg). He trained as an industrial salesman and worked for local metalwork companies.

Müntefering joined the SPD in 1966. He was a member of the Bundestag from 1975 to 1992 and again since 1998; from 1995 to 1998 he was a member of the Landtag (state parliament) of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Müntefering was Bundesgeschäftsführer (executive director) of the national SPD from 1995 to 1998. In this capacity, he managed the 1998 campaign that returned the SPD to power in the federal government after 16 years in opposition.

From 1998 until 1999, Müntefering briefly held the post of Minister of Transportation and Construction in the first cabinet of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. In this capacity, he organized the government's move from Bonn to Berlin.

Müntefering was the first to hold the new post of SPD General Secretary from 1999 to 2002, and thereafter became leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag. In February 2004 he was designated to succeed Schröder as party chairman in March 2004.

Following Schröder’s defeat in the close 2005 elections, Müntefering helped form a grand coalition under the new Chancellor Angela Merkel and her center-right CDU/CSU parties. During the coalition talks, on 31 October 2005, Müntefering's favoured candidate for Secretary General of the SPD, Kajo Wasserhövel, was defeated by the left-wing candidate Andrea Nahles in a preliminary internal election. Müntefering subsequently announced his intention to resign as SPD Chairman, and was succeeded by Matthias Platzeck at the next party convention on 15 November 2005.


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