Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel (2019) Thorsten schäfer-gümbel signature.png

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel (born Schäfer ; born October 1, 1969 in Oberstdorf ), sometimes called TSG after his initials , is a former German politician ( SPD ) who acts as one of two boards of the state society for international cooperation (GIZ). From 2003 to 2019 he was a member of the Hessian state parliament and from 2009 to 2019 he was chairman of the SPD parliamentary group and leader of the opposition . From 2009 to 2019 he was state chairman of the SPD Hessen and from 2013 to 2019 one of the deputy federal chairmen of the SPD. Since 2015 he has also been chairman of the Kulturforum der Sozialdemokratie eV After the resignation of Andrea Nahles , he temporarily led the SPD together with Manuela Schwesig and Malu Dreyer . Manuela Schwesig resigned from this post in September 2019 due to a serious illness; he resigned from this position on October 1, 2019 when he went to GIZ.

Life

origin

When Schäfer was born, his father was a regular soldier stationed in Oberstdorf . Schäfer grew up in Giessen from the age of five . His father later worked as a truck driver ; his mother worked as a cleaner . He grew up with three siblings.

education

After graduating from the Landgraf Ludwigs School there in 1989, Schäfer first studied agricultural science at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen , then switched to political science in 1990 , received a scholarship from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation from 1992 and completed his studies in 1997 the Magister Artium .

job

After six months as a research assistant for European integration at the Institute for Political Science of the University of Gießen, Schäfer- Gümbel was from 1998 to 2001 a consultant for the social and youth department of the city of Gießen. Among other things, he was responsible for the implementation of the federal state program “ Socially Integrative City ” in the northern part of Giessen. Other focal points were the fight against youth unemployment and housing policy. From March 2002 he worked as a consultant for the SPD parliamentary group in Hesse. From 2002 until his election to the state parliament in 2003 , he worked again as a research assistant in Department II of the city of Gießen.

Party career

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel and his wife Annette Gümbel at the SPD state party conference in November 2017

Schäfer-Gümbel has been a member of the SPD and the Jusos since 1986 and is active there in various board positions. He did not belong to any Juso movement, but was the successor of the South Hessian Juso chairwoman Nina Hauer, together with her, an advocate of the independent left-wing orientation of the district of Hessen-Süd. He was also the deputy state chairman of the Juso state in Hesse and the deputy chairman of the European Young Socialists . In 2004 he became chairman of the SPD sub-district of Gießen and was deputy chairman of the SPD Hessen-Süd from 2001 to 2009. In the 16th legislative period, he was the specialist spokesman for industrial and employment policy as well as technology and research policy for the SPD parliamentary group.

Schäfer-Gümbel has been chairman of the SPD Hessen since February 28, 2009 . He was elected to this office with 90.3% and was last confirmed with 93.7% at a state party conference in Frankfurt at the end of 2017.

At the federal party conference in Dresden, Schäfer-Gümbel was elected to the party executive committee and the presidium of the SPD on November 14, 2009. On October 14, 2013, he was nominated as the new deputy party chairman and was elected to succeed Klaus Wowereit at the federal party conference from November 14 to 16 . He was confirmed in office at the federal party conferences in 2015 and 2017. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel is in the SPD leadership a. a. responsible for taxes, finances and economic policy. Since December 2012 he has been an advisor to the SPD chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück on issues relating to the financial markets. In this role he was also responsible for the SPD tax program for the 2017 federal election .

After the defeat in the state elections in 2009, Schäfer-Gümbel became the SPD parliamentary group leader and thus also the leader of the opposition in the Hessian state parliament, replacing Andrea Ypsilanti . In October 2011 he was elected as the top candidate for the 2013 state election. Despite gains, the SPD narrowly lost. Schäfer-Gümbel remained opposition leader in the Hessian state parliament. For the state elections in 2018 , he ran again as the top candidate. The SPD lost 35% of its 2013 voting result and achieved the worst result in Hesse since 1946 .

Member of Parliament

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel at the Hessian State Parliament (2013)

From 2001 to 2011 Schäfer-Gümbel was active in local politics as a member of the district council in the Gießen district.

He has been a member of the Hessian state parliament since April 5, 2003 and chaired the upper and central Hesse rounds of the SPD state parliamentary group in the 16th and 17th electoral periods . In the 17th electoral term Schäfer-Gümbel acted as deputy chairman of the Committee for Science and Art , as a member of the Committee for Economics and Transport and as a member of the European Committee. In the state elections in 2008 he was defeated in the constituency of Giessen II against Interior Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) in the fight for a direct mandate . Since January 27, 2009 he has led the SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament.

State election 2009

For the state elections in 2009 he was proposed on November 8, 2008 by the Hessian SPD chairman Andrea Ypsilanti as the top candidate and elected on December 13, 2008 at a party congress. After the self-dissolution of the Hessian Landtag, he took the lead in the new elections on January 18, 2009. In his strategy, he differentiated himself from Andrea Ypsilanti by admitting that it was a mistake that the SPD had sought an alliance with the Left Party despite promises to the contrary. He himself showed himself to be open to all alliances.

Schäfer-Gümbel's online election campaign met with great media coverage.

State election 2013

For the state election on September 22, 2013 , Schäfer-Gümbel ran again as the top candidate of the SPD. This time he was the challenger to Volker Bouffier , who succeeded Roland Koch as Prime Minister in the summer of 2010.

In this state election, the SPD increased significantly (30.7%, +7 percentage points). Due to the fact that both the FDP (5.0% of the votes) and the Left Party (5.2%) just managed to make the leap into the state parliament, the 11.1% of the Greens were not enough, a red-green party To achieve a majority in the state parliament, as the CDU remained the strongest force with 38.3% (+1.1 percentage points). However, the black and yellow government also missed the majority it had previously held.

Out of this situation, the first black-green government of a German state, the Bouffier II cabinet , which was sworn in on January 18, 2014 , was finally formed .

State election 2018

At the SPD election party after the state elections on October 28, 2018

For the state elections in Hesse in 2018 on October 28, Schäfer-Gümbel was elected the top candidate with 95.8% of the vote on June 9 at a state party conference of the SPD Hesse. During the election campaign, he primarily chose affordable housing, good and free education, better transport connections and equal living conditions in town and country as topics. He announced that in the event of an election victory in the first hundred days as Prime Minister, 100,000 square meters of land would be made available for the construction of affordable apartments. In August 2018 Schäfer-Gümbel presented the “Hessenplan +”, which he described as his “personal vision” for Hessen. The aim of the concept should be that no one has to spend more than a third of their income on rent.

In the third state election under his top candidacy, the SPD only received 19.8% of the second vote and thus a result that was just behind that of the Greens.

Withdrawal from politics

In March 2019, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that Schäfer-Gümbel would withdraw from politics. He would "not run again for the office of chairman nor the Federal Congress of the SPD. For re-election as deputy leader" at the state convention in the fall of the most promising successor of both items applies country-Secretary Nancy Faeser , also at 4 September 2019 was elected as the new parliamentary group leader.

On October 1, 2019, he moved to the state-run Society for International Cooperation as a board member , where he took on the position of Labor Director, for which the SPD has the right to propose following the coalition negotiations .

Private

Schäfer-Gümbel married Annette Gümbel in 1998, a doctor of history. The couple has three children. Schäfer-Gümbel is Protestant (converted from the Roman Catholic faith).

At the age of 20, he suffered a detached retina ; complicated emergency operations prevented blindness. Since then he has been wearing glasses with special prismatic lenses.

Positions

Taxes

Schäfer-Gümbel headed the SPD working group to develop the SPD tax program for the 2017 federal election. In it, the SPD advocated an increase in the top tax rate and tax breaks for small and medium incomes. Schäfer-Gümbel is also an advocate of a reform of the inheritance tax, so he demanded in an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau in 2018, “to talk seriously about inheritance tax again” in order to finance educational expenses. "I think that those who were able to take advantage of their opportunities should do more to ensure that others also get a fair chance." In a guest article by WELT, Schäfer-Gümbel called for a tougher pace against tax evasion and avoidance. So “finally the principle must apply that corporate profits are taxed where they are generated.” Elsewhere he emphasized: “The fight for a more social Europe must go hand in hand with the toughest bandages against tax evaders like Apple, Starbucks & Co. in Europe Earn billions, he must also be willing to pay decent taxes. "

Housing policy

Schäfer-Gümbel formulates the goal that “nobody has to spend more than a third of their income on rent”. In the 2018 election campaign, he declared that as Prime Minister he wanted to create 6,000 new apartments a year, set up his own building ministry and assign state-owned land according to a concept instead of a price ("In case of doubt, a good investor's concept is more important than the proceeds that can be achieved" ).

Work and social

In his book “The Social Digital Revolution” Schäfer-Gümbel writes about the effects of digitization on the world of work, the welfare state and society and suggests political options for dealing with change. In the Tagesspiegel interview he explains: “There is no end to the work, we will certainly not run out of it, it will only change.” That is why Schäfer-Gümbel speaks out against an “unconditional basic income”, but wants Hartz to make improvements -IV. He advocates that Hartz IV recipients can keep assets they have earned and wants an “opportunity account” as an “individual credit of 20,000 euros for lifelong qualifications”.

Educational policy

"The SPD stands for free education from daycare to master craftsman's examination," said Schäfer-Gümbel in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung in 2018. In addition, they want to expand all-day schools and hire more teachers.

Transport policy

Schäfer-Gümbel calls for a S-Bahn ring around Frankfurt, "as it is in almost every other metropolitan region in the world." In addition, he writes in the "Hessenplan +" that he wants "a country without traffic jams", etc. a. through "modern construction site management", digital traffic control and bonus payments for construction companies who complete construction sites faster. Schäfer-Gümbel pleaded in the Frankfurter Rundschau for a reduced VAT rate on train tickets.

controversy

In 2004, Schäfer-Gümbel supported the Hands off Venezuela campaign of the Trotskyist International Marxist Tendency in favor of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez , which in 2008 (in the run-up to the 2009 state elections ) earned him criticism from the Frankfurt General . According to Frankfurter Rundschau , when asked by the FAZ, “it was a few years ago that he signed the appeal. At that time it was about international solidarity. "

Web links

Commons : Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. TSG-Tour: Six locations and many supporters ›Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel . ( schaeferguembel.de [accessed on July 3, 2018]).
  2. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel with supporters in Frankfurt on SPD-Hessen.de
  3. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel: Has SPD boss in Hesse wife and children on merkur.de.
  4. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel is the new chairman of the Cultural Forum of Social Democracy. Retrieved August 23, 2018 .
  5. ^ After Nahles' withdrawal, the SPD leadership trio will not run for chairmanship. June 3, 2019, accessed June 3, 2019 .
  6. ^ After Schäfer-Gümbels retreat: Dreyer alone at the top of the SPD. Retrieved October 1, 2019 .
  7. Gießener BLICK, December 2008, p. 1.
  8. a b c Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel , munzinger.de
  9. Last approach , in: Der Spiegel No. 34, August 18, 2018, p. 27.
  10. Last name since 1998, see #Privates
  11. ^ TSG curriculum vitae on schaeferguembel.de, accessed on August 28, 2018.
  12. Schäfer-Gümbel follows Ypsilanti. Hessischer Rundfunk , February 28, 2009, archived from the original on March 2, 2009 ; Retrieved February 28, 2009 .
  13. VRM GmbH & Co. KG: Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel re-elected as SPD state chairman in Hesse. Retrieved August 23, 2018 .
  14. SPD Vice: Schäfer-Gümbel is to replace Wowereit , Der Spiegel.
  15. ^ Election results of the SPD federal party congress. Retrieved August 23, 2018 .
  16. Deputy SPD party leader elected. Retrieved August 23, 2018 .
  17. Schäfer-Gümbel elected as the top candidate on wetterauer-zeitung.de, October 8, 2011
  18. a b tagesschau.de: Hessen election: Narrow majority for black-green. Retrieved October 29, 2018 (German).
  19. Curriculum Vitae ›Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel . ( schaeferguembel.de [accessed on August 28, 2018]).
  20. Hessen-SPD: Ypsilanti renounces the top candidacy. Spiegel Online , November 8, 2008, accessed November 8, 2008 .
  21. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel leads the SPD in the state election campaign. SPD Hessen, November 8, 2008, archived from the original on November 13, 2008 ; Retrieved November 9, 2008 .
  22. "The mistake was the broken word" . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , December 1, 2008
  23. Annett Meiritz: Debate about electoral fraud: Schäfer-Gümbel asks for forgiveness via video blog . In: Spiegel Online, December 7, 2008
  24. Patrick Brauckmann: Schäfer-Gümbel wants to score online in: politik-digital.de, December 8, 2008
  25. Schäfer-Gümbel is the SPD's top candidate for the Hessian state election. Politics & Communication, June 11, 2018, accessed June 12, 2018 .
  26. Hessenschau: SPD wants to score points in the election campaign with housing, education and mobility. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .
  27. ^ Frankfurter Rundschau: Hesse plan of the SPD: cheap housing has priority . In: Frankfurter Rundschau . ( fr.de [accessed on 23 August 2018]).
  28. Susanne Höll: SPD Vice Schäfer-Gümbel leaves politics , sueddeutsche.de March 19, 2019.
  29. Stephan Haselberger and Paul Starzmann: Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel goes to development aid, tagesspiegel.de, March 19, 2019.
  30. Thorsten Schäfer-Gunbel becomes a new member of the GIZ board at www.giz.de, accessed on April 10, 2019
  31. "Thorsten did it very skillfully"
  32. ^ Vita on the website of the Hessian State Parliament , accessed on June 16, 2008
  33. FAZ.net: Ascent from the third row (a portrait before the state elections in Hesse 2013 )
  34. Heike Göbel: Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel: The honest tax broker of the SPD . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed August 30, 2018]).
  35. ^ Frankfurter Rundschau: Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel: Seriously talking about inheritance tax . In: Frankfurter Rundschau . ( fr.de [accessed on August 30, 2018]).
  36. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel: Tax havens: This obscene robbery of the rich must stop . In: THE WORLD . November 7, 2017 ( welt.de [accessed August 30, 2018]).
  37. SPD accuses Apple of "anti-social behavior". Retrieved on August 30, 2018 (German).
  38. Julia Löhr, Berlin: Rising real estate prices: government advisors want to stop social housing . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed August 30, 2018]).
  39. VRM GmbH & Co. KG: SPD in Hesse promises building and housing ministries after the election. Retrieved August 30, 2018 .
  40. ^ Frankfurter Rundschau: Hessen: SPD wants to create a building ministry . In: Frankfurter Rundschau . ( fr.de [accessed on August 30, 2018]).
  41. Stephan Haselberger: "Work is more than income security" . In: Der Tagesspiegel Online . March 31, 2018, ISSN  1865-2263 ( tagesspiegel.de [accessed August 30, 2018]).
  42. ^ Frankfurter Rundschau: Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel: Seriously talking about inheritance tax . In: Frankfurter Rundschau . ( fr.de [accessed on August 30, 2018]).
  43. Stephan Haselberger: "Hartz IV recipients should be able to keep all assets they have earned" . In: Der Tagesspiegel Online . April 9, 2018, ISSN  1865-2263 ( tagesspiegel.de [accessed August 30, 2018]).
  44. a b Ralf Euler, Ewald Hetrodt: Hessen-SPD boss in an interview: "I'm not fixated on polls" . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed August 30, 2018]).
  45. My Hessenplan + ›Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel . ( schaeferguembel.de [accessed on August 30, 2018]).
  46. ^ Frankfurter Rundschau: Long-distance traffic: cheaper rail travel . In: Frankfurter Rundschau . ( fr.de [accessed on August 30, 2018]).
  47. Hands Off Venezuela! July 27, 2004, archived from the original on July 27, 2004 ; accessed on October 15, 2018 .
  48. Schäfer-Gümbel supported left-wing extremist campaign . In: FAZ , December 13, 2008
  49. ^ Robert John: Election campaign in Hesse: FAZ radically denies solidarity ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: Frankfurter Rundschau , December 14, 2008