Wolfgang Schmidt (politician, 1970)

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Wolfgang Schmidt with Kimberly and John B. Emerson (2016)

Wolfgang Schmidt (born September 23, 1970 in Hamburg ) is a German politician ( SPD ) and lawyer . He has been State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance since March 2018 . From March 2011 to March 2018 he was State Councilor of the Hamburg Senate Chancellery and authorized representative of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to the federal government, the European Union and for foreign affairs.

Schmidt is a close confidante and political companion of Olaf Scholz (SPD).

education and profession

Wolfgang Schmidt completed a law degree in Hamburg and Bilbao from 1991 with the second state examination in 2002. He was then a speaker , later office manager of the SPD general secretary Olaf Scholz (until 2005). He followed Scholz as office manager to the SPD parliamentary group and to the ministerial office of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs . There he was a subdivision manager in 2009/2010, then in 2010/2011 he was director of the Representation of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Germany.

Public Offices

State Council in Hamburg

From March 2011 to March 2018 he was State Councilor of the Hamburg Senate Chancellery and authorized representative for the federal government , the European Union and for foreign affairs of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. During his tenure, Schmidt was considered the “unofficial foreign minister of Hamburg” and in 2017 was in charge of organizing the controversial G20 summit in the Hanseatic city .

State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance

When his mentor Olaf Scholz changed to the federal government ( Merkel IV cabinet ), Schmidt, who is considered Scholz's closest confidante, was appointed to his official state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance . As such, under Scholz, as Vice Chancellor, he is responsible for the coordination of the social democratic ministries (so-called "A-ministries") in the federal government and oversees fundamental financial and economic issues as well as international financial and currency policy.

Investigation for betrayal of secrets

In mid-September 2021, the Osnabrück public prosecutor initiated investigations against Schmidt on suspicion of violation of official secrets under Section 353b of the Criminal Code and on suspicion of prohibited communications about court hearings under Section 353d of the Criminal Code.

Political party

Wolfgang Schmidt has been a member of the SPD since 1989 .

From 2000 to 2001 he was a member of the Bureau of the European Community Organization of Socialist Youth (ECOSY), the youth organization of the PES, and from 2001 to 2004 a member of the Federal Board of Jusos and Vice President of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY), the youth organization of Socialist International (SI).

From 2004 to 2008 Schmidt was the honorary managing director of the Norwegian-German Willy Brandt Foundation.

Private

Wolfgang Schmidt speaks fluent Spanish, is married to a Mexican and has two children.

He has been friends with Andrea Nahles since his time with the Jusos . He also has a friendship with his sponsor Olaf Scholz.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ SPIEGEL ONLINE: SPD puller Wolfgang Schmidt: The man behind Olaf Scholz. Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Matthias Iken : Why Hamburg also has a "Foreign Minister" . ( Abendblatt.de [accessed on April 19, 2018]).
  3. ↑ Tim Braune and Matthias Iken: "Finally he jumps" - Olaf Scholz's move to the government . Abendblatt.de from March 6, 2018 (accessed March 6, 2018)
  4. ↑ Change in the Ministry of Finance: Scholz surprises with personnel selection tagesschau.de (accessed on March 19, 2018)
  5. ↑ Ministry of Finance: Scholz hires Goldman-Sachs-Banker as State Secretary Spiegel Online (accessed on March 19, 2018)
  6. ↑ Scholz brings closest confidante to the Ministry of Finance welt.de (accessed on March 14, 2018)
  7. ↑ State Secretary Wolfgang Schmidt bundesfinanzministerium.de (accessed on March 22, 2018)
  8. ^ Investigations against State Secretary von Scholz . FAZ.net, September 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ Wolfgang Schmidt's curriculum vitae at the Hamburg Senate . hamburg.de (accessed on March 12, 2018)
  10. ↑ Wolfgang Schmidt's curriculum vitae at the Hamburg Senate . hamburg.de (accessed on March 12, 2018)
  11. ↑ The most powerful stranger in Berlin . bild.de from March 10, 2018 (accessed on March 12, 2018)
  12. ↑ Scholz brings closest confidante to the Ministry of Finance welt.de (accessed on March 14, 2018)
  13. ↑ The most powerful stranger in Berlin . bild.de from March 10, 2018 (accessed on March 12, 2018)
personal data
SURNAME Schmidt, Wolfgang
SHORT DESCRIPTION German State Council (Hamburg)
BIRTH DATE September 23, 1970
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg