Hans-Gert Pöttering

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Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering (born September 15, 1945 in Bersenbrück/Niedersachsen) is a German conservative politician (CDU).

He has been a member of the European Parliament since 1979, and has since 1999 been chairman of the conservative fraction EPP in the parliament. As part of a deal with the socialist group, he will succeed Josep Borrell Fontelles as President of the European Parliament in the second part of this term, which is in 2007. He is one of only 14 members of the European Parliament who have served continuously since the first elections in 1979.

He lives in Bad Iburg at Osnabrück, is Catholic and has two sons.

He is member of the Presidium of the CDU.

He studied law, political science and history in Bonn, Geneva and at the Columbia University in New York. He took his first juristic state exam in 1973, was promoted Dr. phil. in political science and history in 1974 and took his second juristic state exam in 1976.