| Reinhard Bütikofer | |
|---|---|
| Bütikofer on a Green Party Convention in 2006 | |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2009 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 26, 1953 Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Political party | Alliance 90/The Greens |
| Alma mater | University of Heidelberg (did not graduate) |
| Website | www.reinhard-buetikofer.de |
Reinhard Hans Bütikofer (born January 26, 1953) is a German politician for the Alliance 90/The Greens party and was from 8 December 2002 till 16 November 2008 party leader, together with Claudia Roth.
Bütikofer was born in Mannheim and grew up in Speyer. He studied philosophy, sinology and history in Heidelberg, but did not finish his studies. He was engaged in the student's movement and one of the "K groups", the Maoist Communist League of West Germany (Kommunistischer Bund Westdeutschland; KBW). From the 1980s onwards, he became active in Heidelberg municipal politics for the Green-Alternative List.
In 1984, he was elected into the town council of Heidelberg and became member of the Green party, the starting point of his political career with Alliance 90/The Greens. In 1988, he was elected in the Landtag (state parliament) of Baden-Württemberg. He was Member of the Landtag until 1996.
After a "family year", in 1997 Bütikofer became co-chairman of the Baden-Württembergian Green party. Two years later he was elected secretary general of the federal party. In December, 2002 he became co-chairman of the federal party. On 3 March 2008 he announced not to stand again as a party chairman and to run for European Parliament in 2009, to which he was elected.
Bütikofer is a MEP since 2009. He is speaker of the German Greens EP group as well as deputy leader of the parliamentary group and treasurer of the GREENS/EFA parliamentary group. Bütikofer is member of the committee for industry, research and energy (ITRE), deputy member of the committee for foreign affairs (AFET), member of the sub-committee for security and defense (SEDE) and its Green co-ordinator. He is member of the USA- and deputy member of the China-delegation of the European Parliament.
Bütikofer is a member of the board of the Aspen Institute Berlin, member of the Advisory board of the AJC Ramer center Berlin, member Europe/transatlantic adviser of the Boell foundation. Since December 2009 he also serves on the board of Europa-Union Deutschland, the German branch of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).
Bütikofer's father was a post office worker and his mother was a housewife. He has fathered three daughters with Henriette Katzenstein. In 2001, he married Renee Krebs.