Dieter Althaus

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Dieter Althaus (2008)

Dieter Althaus (born June 29, 1958 in Heiligenstadt ) is a former German politician ( CDU ). He was Prime Minister of the Free State of Thuringia from June 5, 2003 to October 30, 2009 .

The former teacher , who went into politics after German reunification , was Thuringian Minister of Education from 1992 to 1999, then from 1999 chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament and from 2000 regional chairman of the CDU Thuringia . In 2003 he succeeded Prime Minister Bernhard Vogel and was able to defend the absolute majority of the CDU in the 2004 state elections . After the party suffered double-digit losses in the 2009 state elections , Althaus resigned from all political offices. In 2010 he switched to the private sector as a lobbyist .

Life

education and profession

In 1977 Althaus passed his Abitur at the Extended High School and from November 1977 to 1979 did his 18-month military service in the National People's Army (NVA); he retired as a private . In 1979 he began teaching physics and mathematics at the University of Education (PH) in Erfurt , which he completed in 1983 as a graduate teacher . Until the end of 1989 he worked as a high school teacher for physics and mathematics at the Polytechnic Oberschule (POS) in Geismar near Heiligenstadt in Eichsfeld , and since 1987 as deputy headmaster.

At the end of November 1989, Althaus resigned from his voluntary work in the youth dedication committee at his own request . At the beginning of 1990 he became a school councilor for what was then the district of Heiligenstadt , and in May 1990 he was head of the school, youth, culture and sport department.

Party career

Dieter Althaus on an election poster (2004)

Althaus became a member of the GDR CDU in 1985 .

Althaus had been a member of the Thuringian state parliament for the CDU since 1990 . From 1991 to 2001 he was also chairman of the CDU district association Eichsfeld . In 1993 he was elected first deputy chairman of the CDU in Thuringia, from 2000 to 2009 he was state chairman and also a member of the federal board of the CDU in Germany . After the state elections in September 1999 , he was chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament until 2003 .

With 74.1 percent of the vote, Althaus in the Eichsfeld I constituency was re-elected to the state parliament in 2004. There he was confirmed in office on July 8, 2005 with 45 of 88 votes by the absolute majority of the CDU parliamentary group. In August 2005, Althaus was appointed to the CDU's competence team for the 2005 Bundestag elections with responsibility for rebuilding the East ; since 2006 he has also been a member of the CDU presidium .

Public offices

From February 11, 1992 to October 1, 1999, Althaus was a member of the state government of Thuringia ( Vogel III cabinet ), as minister of culture and culture, led by Prime Minister Bernhard Vogel .

On June 5, 2003, he was elected Prime Minister of the Free State of Thuringia (as the successor to Bernhard Vogel, who had resigned for reasons of age). From November 1, 2003 to October 31, 2004, he was President of the Federal Council .

Skiing accident

On January 1, 2009, Althaus collided with a skier in a skiing accident in the Austrian ski resort of Riesneralm , who died of the very serious consequences of the accident while she was being transported to the hospital. Althaus suffered a severe traumatic brain injury with cerebral haemorrhage . At the beginning of March 2009 he was sentenced in Austria for negligent homicide to a fine of 33,300 euros and compensation for pain and suffering of 5,000 euros. The verdict came under fire because it was pronounced a day after the charges were brought. The accusation of negligence directed against him is essentially based on a violation of the fifth FIS rule , which sets out due diligence requirements for (upward) access to other slopes. On April 20, 2009, he resumed government. The media handling of the incident, in particular Althaus's exclusive interviews with the Bild newspaper , was criticized by journalists and opposition politicians . Although Althaus had promised a "swift civil law settlement", the negotiations on compensation dragged on for almost three years; a large part of the agreed sum had not been paid almost three years after the accident despite repeated requests. It was not until August 2013, four and a half years after the accident, that according to the lawyer for the relatives of those killed, “the matter was completely closed”.

The sudden increase in sales of ski helmets after this accident is also known as the Althaus effect .

State election 2009 and resignation

Althaus at the open day of the 100 Artillery Regiment in Mühlhausen in July 2009

After the CDU had lost an absolute majority in the state elections on August 30, 2009 and a coalition with the FDP Althaus could not have created a majority in the state parliament, he drew the consequences of the electoral defeat and resigned on September 3, 2009 with immediate effect back as Prime Minister and State Chairman of the Thuringian CDU. The SPD, which would have been the only coalition partner for the CDU, had previously declared that it would only work with the Union if Althaus withdrew. De jure , Althaus remained in office until the election of the new Prime Minister Christine Lieberknecht on October 30, 2009 and according to the Thuringian Constitution (Art. 75, Paragraph 3). Christine Lieberknecht was also elected to succeed Dieter Althaus in the state chairmanship of the CDU Thuringia on October 25, 2009.

Switch to the private sector in 2010

As known since the end of January 2010, Althaus moved to the Austrian-Canadian auto supplier Magna International as a manager and therefore resigned his state parliament mandate in Thuringia at the end of April 2010. According to the company, Althaus had been working as Vice President in the Magna office at VW headquarters in Wolfsburg since February 1, 2010 , where he was responsible for the customer Volkswagen and for contacts with public authorities in Germany. Since the beginning of 2011 he has been Vice President Governmental Affairs Magna Europe. While opposition leader Bodo Ramelow described the change as a blatant case of lobbying, SPD country chief Christoph Matschie (Thuringian Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister since the coalition with the CDU in 2009) said he saw no cause for criticism. In principle, it must be possible to switch from politics to other areas. In 2009, Althaus was closely involved in the negotiations for the takeover of Opel by Magna.

Other engagement

Althaus is active in numerous voluntary initiatives and associations (selection): Member of the Central Committee of German Catholics (now (2014) General Assembly, formerly Main Committee), and Chairman of the Kolping Educational Association in Thuringia. He was a member of the supervisory board of Pax-Bank until mid-2013 and a board member of the Vereinigung Gegen Vergessen - Für Demokratie (For Democracy) until November 2018 . He is also a member of the support group of the Foundation of the German Police Union .

Private

Althaus has been married to the teacher Katharina Althaus, nee Arand, since 1982, with whom he has two daughters. He is of the Roman Catholic denomination.

Political and ideological positions

Appointment of Peter Krause

In May 2008, Althaus planned to appoint Peter Krause as Minister of Culture of the Free State of Thuringia. After public criticism of Krause's past, especially because of his contributions to the magazine Junge Freiheit and his contradicting statements in this regard, Krause decided against . The nomination and the vehement defense of the same, even after Krause's resignation, also brought criticism from Althaus.

Solidarity citizen money

Althaus demands an unconditional solidarity citizen allowance of 800 euros for every German citizen (or 500 euros for children). His concept provides two options, whereby in each case a health premium of 200 euros should be deducted immediately : 800 euros per month (= 600 euros net) with 50 percent tax on every euro earned (negative tax principle) and 400 euros (= 200 euros net) with a 25 percent tax burden ( flat tax model). The latter variant is worthwhile from a monthly income of 1,600 euros. Children also pay the health premium, so that 300 euros net of child citizenship benefits are paid out. Existing entitlements to higher pensions are financed by a ten percent payroll tax , which would be borne entirely by the company, but is only intended for a transitional period.

All current social benefits ( child benefit , housing benefit , BAföG , ALG) and "subsidies" such as one-euro jobs (work opportunities with additional expense allowance ), mini / midi jobs and combined wages are omitted with this model, but also all current social contributions (e.g. pension insurance contributions ). The basic income in this model is slightly below the current Hartz IV level , but at least half of the additional earnings remain with the recipient of the citizens' allowance. Higher earners benefit from the system change insofar as the income tax is limited to 25 percent, but all tax-reducing exceptions (flat tax) do not apply under income tax law.

Bürgergeldrente: The concept also includes a “Bürgergeldrente” of up to 1400 euros per month. This amount is made up of the solidarity citizens' benefit of 800 euros per month and an additional pension (up to a maximum of 600 euros) - depending on years of work and earnings. This means that there is no rigid retirement age. Claims acquired in today's pension insurance are grandfathered and financed by a pension supplement. The pension for this group of people can therefore exceed the amount of the citizen's pension.

The concept of solidarity citizens' money is a fundamental attempt to answer the question of how the social security systems can be financed in the future - especially against the background of the demographic development of society.

In October 2006, the policy committee of the CDU in Germany expressed interest in Dieter Althaus' concept. To this end, on September 17, 2007, it appointed a “Solidarisches Bürgergeld” commission, which, under his chairmanship, was supposed to support and develop the topic objectively. The final report of the commission “Solidarisches Bürgergeld” was presented on November 1st, 2010 by Dieter Althaus.

Creationism

Althaus received strong criticism from the opposition in the Thuringian state parliament when a supporter of creationism , Professor Siegfried Scherer , was supposed to take part in the “Erfurt Dialogue” in the Thuringian State Chancellery in autumn 2005 . Controversy, particularly Scherer textbook Evolution - a critical textbook , one evolution is skritische view of the theory of evolution and that in the last section a standing in line with a literal interpretation of the Bible theory of creation ( " young earth creationism opposes"). After critical reports in regional and national media, Scherer was unloaded again. Althaus justified Scherer's appointment with the rejection of the evolutionary biologist and humanist Ulrich Kutschera .

As Thuringian Minister of Education, Althaus praised Scherer's book in 2002 with the words "I hope (...) that your book will not only be used by biology teachers for teaching, but will also reach a readership that goes far beyond that." He described the book as a “very good example of value-based education”. The biology professor Ulrich Kutschera described the fact that Althaus is so committed as a "catastrophe".

Addressing the GDR past

After the political turnaround in 1989/90, former students accused on a broadcast of the ARD that Althaus, in his function as deputy headmaster, had loudly campaigned for the “preservation of socialism” in various speeches. On August 25, 1989, in a speech, he appealed to the "firm class standpoint" of his colleagues.

On November 9, 1989, Althaus wrote in a letter to the district committee for youth consecration (JW): "As a tradition of free religious associations (since 1859), the JW should again have the content of a Marxist-Leninist worldview". Althaus himself and people who defended his position at the time argued that the central concern of the letter was rather the liberation of the school from ideological appropriation by the official politics of the GDR government. The youth consecration should be what it was originally intended to be - a civil, free religious initiation , which should mark the transition from youth to adulthood.

In mid-November 1989, Althaus was still thinking in a further article about how it would be possible to “make our students recognize the values ​​of socialism as morally desirable”.

In the Spiegel article Morally desirable (in issue 21/1993) a former student claimed that Althaus had him as a " reserve lieutenant " ( lieutenant of the reserve ) of the NVA and co-responsible for a " military training camp " in 1985 because of his negative attitude towards the mandatory pre-military students -Training in front of the assembled class with the words "You are a subversive subject!" Defamed. Althaus countered this with a reference to his military ID , in which he is said to be noted as a private. He did not deny the fact that he was responsible for participating in the military exercise; however, Althaus could allegedly “no longer remember exactly” the insults that were politically highly explosive for the pupil when asked by Spiegel magazine .

Awards

In spring 1989 he was awarded a medal for his “outstanding achievements in the communist education in the pioneer organization Ernst Thälmann ”, which he denies public acceptance today. However, he claims to have accepted the 500 Mark bonus associated with the decoration.

Althaus has received numerous awards for his political work, including a. 2004 the Great Silver Decoration on Ribbon for Services to the Republic of Austria , 2005 the appointment as Commander of the Legion of Honor , 2005 the Solar Energy Prize of the Federal Association of Renewable Energy , 2006 the UMU-Mittelstandspreis of the Union of Medium-sized Entrepreneurs e. V., 2007 the Matejcek Prize of the Family Network Germany, 2008 the Medal of Honor of the Thuringian Fire Brigade Association e. V. in gold and in 2009 the Cavalier's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland for his services to German-Polish relations.

literature

Web links

 Wikinews: Dieter Althaus  - in the news
Commons : Dieter Althaus  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: Dieter Althaus  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dieter Althaus' biography . Website of Dieter Althaus. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  2. ↑ Dieter Althaus , Internationales Biographisches Archiv 52/2009 from December 22, 2009 (wk) Supplemented by news from MA-Journal up to week 04/2010, in the Munzinger-Archiv ( beginning of article freely available)
  3. ↑ a b c d e Curriculum vitae of Prime Minister Althaus ( memento from January 31, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) on thüringen.de, accessed September 3, 2009
  4. ↑ Althaus only admits complicity in Focus Online, March 3, 2009, accessed on December 22, 2011.
  5. ^ Thuringia: SPD announces tough election campaign against Althaus - FAZ online from March 6, 2009
  6. ↑ Dieter Althaus has a criminal record . ( Memento from March 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: Süddeutsche Zeitung online , March 4, 2009
  7. ^ Judgment: FIS rules applicable to ski slopes . - The Presse.com
  8. ↑ Tagesschau.de ( Memento from April 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  9. ↑ BILDblog
  10. ↑ Interview: "Guilt is not the right category" - Bild.de Interview part 2: "It's not about pity"
  11. ↑ sueddeutsche.de ( Memento from August 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ mdr.de ( Memento from March 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  13. ↑ Althaus only admits complicity in Focus Online, March 3, 2009, accessed on December 22, 2011.
  14. ↑ Althaus ski accident - insurance has to pay compensation . ( Memento from November 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) In: Tiroler Tageszeitung , December 22, 2011 (archived from the original on November 5, 2012).
  15. ↑ Ex-Prime Minister Althaus reaches an agreement after a skiing accident 4 years ago , Ostthüringer Zeitung of August 5, 2013, accessed on November 11, 2014.
  16. ^ Demand boom for ski helmets , Süddeutsche Zeitung of May 17, 2010, accessed on March 13, 2018.
  17. ↑ Althaus effect: the vast majority of skiers wear helmets today , Oberbayerisches Volksblatt dated December 31, 2013, accessed on March 13, 2018.
  18. ^ Thuringia - CDU loses absolute majority . ( Memento from September 2, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , August 30, 2009 (accessed on September 3, 2009).
  19. ↑ Press release 192/2009. Declaration by Prime Minister Dieter Althaus. ( Memento from September 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Thuringian State Chancellery
  20. ^ Der Tagesspiegel : Prime Minister Althaus resigns on September 3, 2009 (accessed on September 3, 2009).
  21. ↑ Pressure on Althaus is growing . ( Memento from September 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: Rheinische Post , September 2, 2009 (accessed on September 3, 2009).
  22. ↑ Dieter Althaus - In the end alone
  23. ^ Thuringian state constitution. Article 75
  24. ↑ https://books.google.de/books?id=SNxRDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA144&ots=tfC7UIZ0dW&dq=Christine%20Lieberknecht%20%2025.%20Oktober%202009&hl=de&pg=PA144#v=onepage&q=2025. % 20October% 202009 & f = false
  25. ↑ Dieter Althaus: Farewell to politics - top job after the fall . ( Memento from January 31, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) sueddeutsche.de, January 29, 2010
  26. ↑ Political exit: Dieter Althaus advises automotive supplier Magna . focus.de, January 29, 2010
  27. ↑ Politician career - Althaus becomes a manager at Magna . faz.net, January 29, 2010
  28. ↑ a b Change to Magna: Althaus becomes a car lobbyist. Spiegel Online , January 29, 2010, accessed January 30, 2010 .
  29. ↑ Althaus changes to the economy. MDR Thuringia, January 31, 2010, archived from the original on January 30, 2010 ; accessed on October 10, 2016 .
  30. ↑ zdk.de
  31. ↑ pax-bank.de: Communication from July 1, 2013 ( Memento from April 13, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  32. ↑ Against forgetting - For Democracy eV voted. In: gegen-vergessen.de , accessed on November 21, 2018.
  33. ^ Phillipp Wittrock: Krause pulls back, Althaus stumbles. Spiegel Online (Accessed May 5, 2008)
  34. ↑ 800 euros for each? CDU people think it's good . In: taz , October 25, 2006
  35. ↑ CDU Germany: CDU appoints a commission on solidarity citizens' money ( memento from July 29, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) from September 17, 2007
  36. ↑ Kulturnachrichten ( Memento of October 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Deutschlandradio Kultur
  37. ↑ Holger Elias: Bible instead of science. Junge Welt, November 15, 2007 ( Memento from January 31, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 23 kB)
  38. ^ Evolution debate CDU politician Althaus offers creationists a forum spiegel.de, September 21, 2005 , queried on June 5, 2012.
  39. ↑ Fixed position . In: Der Spiegel . No. 34 , 1993, pp. 57 ( online ).
  40. ↑ Daniel Brössler : A sensitive recommendation. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. October 25, 2008, archived from the original on October 28, 2008 ; Retrieved January 1, 2011 .
  41. ↑ Claus Peter Müller: Althaus defends letter to youth dedication committee. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. October 27, 2008, accessed January 1, 2011 .
  42. ↑ Florian Gathmann: Althaus campaigned for more Marxism-Leninism on the day the Wall came down. SPIEGEL ONLINE, October 26, 2008, accessed January 1, 2011 .
  43. ^ Minister: Morally desirable . In: Der Spiegel . No. 21 , 1993, p. 91-92 ( Online - May 24, 1993 ).
  44. ↑ a b Vogel defends Minister of Education Althaus . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , May 25, 1993, No. 119, p. 8.
  45. ↑ Lars Langenau: Newcomers with a shy look. Spiegel Online , June 2, 2004, accessed January 1, 2011 .
  46. ↑ List of all decorations awarded by the Federal President for services to the Republic of Austria from 1952 (PDF file; 6.59 MB)
  47. ^ Thuringian State Chancellery - High Polish Order for Althaus and Bird ( Memento from July 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) from July 9, 2009
personal data
SURNAME Althaus, Dieter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German politician (CDU), MdL, Prime Minister of the Free State of Thuringia
DATE OF BIRTH June 29, 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH Heiligenstadt , Erfurt district , GDR