Lower Saxony is a German state in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with 47,614 km2 (18,384 sq mi), and fourth-largest in population among the 16 Länder federated as the Federal Republic of Germany. In rural areas, Northern Low Saxon and Saterland Frisian are still spoken, albeit in declining numbers.
Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff is a retired German politician and lawyer who served as President of Germany from 2010 to 2012. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), he previously served as minister president of the state of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010. He was elected to the presidency in the 30 June 2010 presidential election, defeating opposition candidate Joachim Gauck and taking office immediately, although he was not sworn in until 2 July. With the age of 51, he became Germany's youngest president.
David James McAllister is a German politician who has been a member of the European Parliament since 2014. He is a member of the Christian Democratic Union, part of the European People's Party. He is the current vice president of the European People's Party and he is also vice chairman of the International Democrat Union. He was appointed Chair of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee in February 2017.
The Cabinet Wulff I was the state government of the German state of Lower Saxony from 4 March 2003 until 26 February 2008. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President Christian Wulff and was formed by the Christian Democratic Union and the Free Democratic Party.
The Cabinet Wulff II was the state government of the German state of Lower Saxony from 26 February 2008 until 1 July 2010. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President Christian Wulff and was formed by the Christian Democratic Union and the Free Democratic Party. On 26 February 2008 Wulff was re-elected and sworn in as Minister President by the Landtag of Lower Saxony, after Wulff's winning of the 2008 Lower Saxony state election.
The Cabinet Glogowski was the state government of the German state of Lower Saxony from 28 October 1998 until 14 December 1999. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President Gerhard Glogowski and was formed by the Social Democratic Party.
Christian Meyer is a German politician of the Alliance '90/The Greens who has been serving as State Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Protection in the cabinet of Minister-President of Lower Saxony Stephan Weil since 2022.
Stefan Birkner is a German lawyer and politician for the Free Democratic Party (FDP). From 2011 to 2023, he chaired the FDP in Lower Saxony.
Johanna Wanka is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Federal Minister for Education and Research in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2013 until 2018. From 2000 to 2009, she served as Minister for Science, Research and Culture of the state of Brandenburg, then from 2010 to 2013 she served as Minister of Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony, in the Cabinet McAllister.
The Minister-President of Lower Saxony, also referred to as Premier or Prime Minister, is the head of government of the German state of Lower Saxony. The position was created in 1946, when the states of Brunswick, Oldenburg, Schaumburg-Lippe and the State of Hanover were merged to form the state of Lower Saxony. The current Minister President is Stephan Weil, heading a coalition government between the Social Democrats and the CDU. Weil succeeded David McAllister following the 2013 state election.
The Cabinet Schröder I was the state government of the German state of Lower Saxony from 21 June 1990 until 20 June 1994. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President Gerhard Schröder and was formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance '90/The Greens, after Schröder's winning of the 1990 Lower Saxony state election. On 21 June 1990 Schröder was elected and sworn in as Minister President by the Landtag of Lower Saxony. It was succeeded by Schröder's second and third cabinets.
Aygül Özkan is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as managing director of the German Property Federation (ZIA) since 2020.
Jennifer Ryll McAllister is an Australian politician. She has been a Senator for New South Wales since 2015 and previously served as the party's national president from 2011 to 2015. She is from the Socialist Left faction of the Labor Party. She is the Minister for Emergency Management and the Minister for Cities in the Albanese ministry.
Olaf Glaeseker is a German political consultant, journalist, publicist, and a close confidant of former President Christian Wulff. He served as the President's press secretary from 30 June 2010 to 22 December 2011. He came under criticism for alleged corruption, and resigned a few weeks before the President himself resigned.
Stephan Weil is a German politician and the leader of the Social Democratic Party in Lower Saxony. On 20 January 2013, the SPD and the Green party won the 2013 Lower Saxony state election by one seat. On 19 February 2013, he was elected Minister President of Lower Saxony with the votes of SPD and Alliance '90/The Greens. From 1 November 2013 until 31 October 2014 he was President of the Bundesrat and ex officio deputy to the President of Germany. In November 2017, he was again elected Minister President with the votes of SPD and CDU.
The Cabinet Weil I was the state government of the German state of Lower Saxony from 19 February 2013 until 22 November 2017. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President Stephan Weil and was formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance '90/The Greens, after Weil's winning of the 2013 Lower Saxony state election. On 19 February 2013, Weil was elected and sworn in as Minister President by the Landtag of Lower Saxony.
Bernd Althusmann is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Deputy Minister-President and State Minister for Economic Affairs in the government of Minister-President Stephan Weil from 2017 to 2022.
The Minister-president is the head of state and government in thirteen of Germany's sixteen states.
Astrid Katharina Josefine Grotelüschen is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as a member of the German Bundestag since the 18th general election, having won the direct mandate in the constituency of Delmenhorst – Wesermarsch – Oldenburg-Land in both the 2013 and 2017 general elections. She was already a directly elected member of the German Bundestag from 2009 to 2010, and from April 2010 until her resignation in December of the same year, State Minister for Food, Agriculture, Consumer Protection and Regional Development of Lower Saxony.
Birgit Honé is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as Minister of Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development in the state government of Minister-President Stephan Weil of Lower Saxony from 2017 to 2022. In this capacity, was also a member of the German Bundesrat.
