Christian Wulff: biography, years of government, wife

Christian Wulff was President of the Federal Republic of Germany from 2010 to 2012. During this period, he formed a rather controversial opinion of himself. Criticizing him much more than positively responding to his policies.

Christian Wulff: Biography

The place for the appearance of this future famous German politician is Osnabrück in Lower Saxony. Date of birth - June 19, 1959.

Father left Christian at the age of four. His mother Dagmar again remarried, but ten years later the new husband also left.

The mother developed multiple sclerosis at this time, so the son had to devote a lot of time to caring for her. In addition, his younger sister was also in charge.

After graduating in 1986 in Osnabrück University, Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff the next year managed to pass the first qualifying examination in jurisprudence.

Then he settled in the Oldenburg High Regional Court, where he spent three years practicing. At the end he passed the second state examination and went to a private law firm.

Participation in political life

In school years, Christian showed a tendency to political activity. He actively participated in the Student Union, and then - in the "Young Alliance" of the youth organization of the CDU.

In 1978-1980, he was already a member of the federal executive body of the CDU. From 1979 to 1983 Was a member of the federal executive body of the Youth Union.

Since 1984, Christian Wulff served as a lawyer in the land administration of the CDU in Lower Saxony.

In 1989-1994 he was a deputy and chairman of the CDU group in the council of Osnabrück.

Participation in elective bodies

For the first time Christian Wulff put forward his candidacy for the parliament of the federal state of Lower Saxony in 1994.

In 1994-2001, he headed the CDU parliamentary group. From 1994 to 2008 Was chairman of the Lower Saxon branch of the CDU.

In 1994, he also ran for land prime ministers, but he was bypassed by a representative from the SPD, future chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder.

1995 is significant for Wolfe in that the Davos International Economic Forum included him in a hundred leaders in politics, who were expected to have a great future "in the future."

Christian Wulff at that time rather sharply criticized the head of the CDU. This post was held by Helmut Kohl.

In 1998, Wolf again failed to bypass Schroeder in the elections, but he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Christian Democrat Party - V. Schäuble, and after 2000 - A. Merkel. At the same time he remained a member of the Landtag (Parliament).

As prime minister of the federal state

Since 2003, he headed the government in Lower Saxony as a minister-president. In the re-elections of 2008, again, Christian Woolf remained on this post. The years of his tenure as prime minister in this federal land were remembered by voters as the government's relatively conservative policy.

In order to overcome the budget deficit, it was necessary to cut the amount of scholarships to students, to cut funds for education and health care.
It is noteworthy that the budget surplus did not appear, but there were no any dissatisfied mass unrest in this regard.

Since 2006, Woolf has introduced a system of state financing for the employment of persons who have found themselves without work.

He resolutely opposed the development of nuclear energy in his country.

Christian Wulff became widely known after Aigul Oskan, the minister for social questions and integration in the government, was a Muslim in the confession. Its origin was Turkish. Prior to this case, similar in the governments of the federal states of Germany was not observed.

A. Oskan made a proposal to remove the crucifixion of Christians from the Lower Saxon schools.

In 2005, Wolff was considered a likely contender for the German Chancellors, but he did not agree to participate in elections for this post.

Christian Wulff is president. Years of government

After German President Horst Koehler had to leave his post in connection with statements about the advisability of military action in the event of the protection of German commercial interests, on June 30, 2010, on the third round of Wulf's elections, he was elected president of the Federal Republic of Germany. By age, this is the youngest president in the history of the country.

Wulf to the presidency put forward the Christian Democratic Union in conjunction with the Christian Social Union and the Free Democratic Party. His main rival was the pastor Joachim Gauck, nominated by the Social Democrats and the "green", previously from 1990 to 2000 he was the head of the federal department of the archives of the Stasi.

After assuming the post of President, Wolfe was proactively suspended his membership in the Christian-Democratic Union. He held this post until February 18, 2012, until his resignation, caused by a corruption scandal.

Initiatives in high office

In October 2010, Christian Wulff, the German president, taking part in discussions discussing the role of immigration of Muslims, said in a speech in honor of the 20th anniversary of the reunification of the German people that Islam is as important for the development of Germany as Christianity or Judaism.

The reaction to these statements in German society was very mixed. The Chancellor and CDU leader Angela Merkel even had to come out with a refutation of the assumption that Islam could become one of the pillars of German political culture.

The beginning of the corruption scandal

At the end of 2011, the newspaper "Bild" published information about the receipt by Wolf of a five hundred thousandth preferential loan in October 2008. During his tenure in the Lower Saxon Prime Minister, these funds were received from the wife of one of the local businessmen E. Gerkens. The latest media were referred to as Wulf's close friend.

It is noteworthy that in early 2010, Wolfe declared to the deputies of the Landtag of Lower Saxony that he had not entered into business relations with Horkinson during the last decade. With this in mind, the president was suspected of violating the law and deceiving the deputies.

A week after the publication of the above-mentioned article, Wolfe was followed by an apology, as well as a statement that he was provided with information about the credit history, reports on expenses during trips to the authorities. He expressed the opinion that the effectiveness of his work activity does not depend on personal contacts.

A new stage of the scandal

Another impetus for the scandal in the coming year 2012 was the news that shortly before the article was published in the Bild newspaper, Wulf initiated telephone calls to K. Dikman (editor-in-chief) and M. Dopfner (the president of the publishing house that owns the newspaper) with the requirements Prevent publication of an accusatory article, with threats of filing a lawsuit in court and severance of relations with the publication.

On 401.2012, the president from the TV screen apologized for his call to the chief editor of Bild, saying that it was a "big mistake".

However, in the same address, the president expressed the opinion that there was nothing illegal in his actions, so he did not intend to leave his post. In this regard, politicians and the media attacked the president with harsh criticism. 7.01.2012 in the capital of Germany gathered hundreds of demonstrators, demanding that the head of the country left.

The press reported that among the ruling coalition, headed by Merkel, many supporters of the resignation of the president, and he is already preparing a replacement, but government representatives denied this information.

Pressure increase

Throughout January and February, the German press published various publications on the facts of Wolf's abuse of his office. In particular, he was accused of lobbying during the period of being the Lower Saxogian Prime Minister of the interests of producer D. Grenevold. The latter paid the official bills for vacation in various German hotels.

Some journalists wrote that from the Audi company management in the summer months of 2011, the Audi Q3 was given to the president for a free hire even before the period when this model went on sale.

Christian Wulff, his wife, actively used this car for their own personal use.

On 16.02.2012, the Hanover prosecutor's office sent a request to the Bundestag for the deprivation of immunity of the incumbent president.

17.02.2012 Wulff, in view of the allegations of corruption, announced his resignation.

The actions of the opposition

21.02.2012 from the faction of the SDPG of the Landtag of Lower Saxony sent an application to the judiciary regarding the government of the federal land. The latter was imputed to the following: in 2010, the Lower Saxon Cabinet, headed by Wolf at the time, was misled by the parliament in 2010, as it was hidden the fact of providing financial and organizational assistance to the land budget for holding a private conference in 2009 "Dialogue between North and South "for the Lower Saxon and Baden-Württemberg businessmen.

The opposition believed that this event was held with the knowledge of Wolfe, the organizer was O. Glasecker, who held the post of press secretary.

Positions held

Christian Wulff, whose years of government were mentioned above, managed to get a number of international posts. Such, for example, as:

• Patron in the German National Society dealing with the treatment of multiple sclerosis;
• Honorary senator in the Salzburg Euro-academy of science and art;
• Senator in the Max Planck Society;
• Honorary doctorate in Shanghai University of Tongji.

Family status

Twice, Woolf got married. In 1988-2006 he was married to Christiana Vogt, in 1993 they had a daughter, who was named Anna-Lena.

Since 2008, his wife is Vetta Körner. Their common son, named Luis Florian, was born at the same time, in 2008.

Wulf adheres to the Catholic.