Franz Müntefering
| Franz Müntefering | |
|---|---|
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| Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany | |
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In office 18 October 2008 – 13 November 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Kurt Beck |
| Succeeded by | Sigmar Gabriel |
| Vice Chancellor of Germany | |
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In office 22 November 2005 – 21 November 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Joschka Fischer |
| Succeeded by | Frank-Walter Steinmeier |
| Minister of Labour and Social Affairs | |
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In office 22 November 2005 – 21 November 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Wolfgang Clement |
| Succeeded by | Olaf Scholz |
| Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany | |
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In office 21 March 2004 – 15 November 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Gerhard Schröder |
| Succeeded by | Matthias Platzeck |
| Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs | |
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In office 27 October 1998 – 29 September 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Eduard Oswald |
| Succeeded by | Reinhard Klimmt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
16 January 1940 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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