Friedrich Merz
| Friedrich Merz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Bundestag | |
| In office 1994 – 2009 | |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| In office 1989 – 1994 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 November 1955 Brilon, North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
| Alma mater | University of Bonn |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.friedrich-merz.de |
Friedrich Merz (born 11 November 1955) is a German lawyer and politician, a former Member of the European Parliament (1989–1994), a former member of the Bundestag (1994–2009), and a former chairman of CDU/CSU parliamentary group (2000–2002).
He was elected chairman of the CDU/CSU group in the same year as Angela Merkel was elected chairman of the CDU, one of the two parties constituting the CDU/CSU group. In 2002, he stepped down as chairman in favour of Merkel.
He is also a partner at Mayer Brown's Düsseldorf office,[1] having joined the firm's corporate finance team in 2004, after spending several years at Cornelius Bartenbach Haesemann.[2]
Early life
After finishing Abitur in 1975 and serving in the army he began to study law (1976) in Bonn. He became a member of KDStV Bavaria Bonn , a Catholic student fraternity that is member of the Cartellverband. After finishing law school in 1985 he became a judge in Saarbrücken. In 1986 he quit his position in order to work as an attorney-at-law.
Political work
Merz is a member of the CDU. From 1998-2000 he was a member of the federal administration. From 2002-2004, he was a member of the executive board of the CDU.
Representative
From 1989 till 1994 he was Member of the European Parliament and since 1994 he is member of the Bundestag for his constituency, the Hochsauerland. In October 1998 he became vice-chairman and in February 2000 Chairman of the CDU/CSU-parliamentary party. After the general election in 2002 Angela Merkel was elected in his stead and so he was again vice-chairman till 2004.
Personal
Friedrich Merz is married to the judge Charlotte Merz. He has three children and resides in Arnsberg in the Sauerland region.
References
- ↑ Profile at Mayer Brown
- ↑ Riedel, Donata (December 23, 2004), "Nicht süchtig nach Politik: Friedrich Merz", Handelsblatt.
External links
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