Lower Saxony is a German state (Land) situated in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with 47,624 km2 (18,388 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, 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.
The 2003 Lower Saxony state election was held on 2 February 2003 to elect the members of the 15th Landtag of Lower Saxony. The incumbent Social Democratic Party (SPD) majority government led by Minister-President Sigmar Gabriel was defeated. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came up one seat short of a majority, and formed a coalition with the Free Democratic Party (FDP). CDU leader Christian Wulff was subsequently elected Minister-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 2008 Lower Saxony state election was held on 27 January 2008 to elect the members of the 16th Landtag of Lower Saxony. The incumbent coalition government of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) led by Minister-President Christian Wulff was re-elected with a reduced majority.
Events in the year 2006 in Germany.
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 Lower Saxon Landtag or the Parliament of Lower Saxony is the state diet of the German state of Lower Saxony. It convenes in Hanover and currently consists of 137 members consisting of five parties. Since 2017 the majority has been a coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union, supporting the cabinet of Minister-President Stephan Weil (SPD).
Jörg Bode is a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), formerly serving as the Minister for Economics, Labour and Transport and Deputy Prime Minister of the state of Lower Saxony.
Stefan Birkner is a German politician for the Free Democratic Party (FDP).
Events in the year 2009 in Germany.
An indirect presidential election was held in Germany on 30 June 2010 following the resignation of Horst Köhler as president of Germany on 31 May 2010. Christian Wulff, the candidate nominated by the three governing parties, the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria and the Free Democratic Party, was elected president in the third ballot. His main contender was the candidate of two opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance '90/The Greens, independent human rights activist Joachim Gauck.
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 McAllister was the state government of the German state of Lower Saxony from 1 July 2010 to 19 February 2013. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President David McAllister. After the election of Christian Wulff as president of Germany, McAllister was elected and sworn in as Minister President by the Landtag of Lower Saxony on 15 December 1999
Aygül Özkan is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She has been a member of the CDU since 2004, and was Minister of Social Affairs, Women, Families, Health and Integration in the state of Lower Saxony, in the Second Cabinet Wulff and the Cabinet McAllister between 2010 and 2013. She was the first ever German politician of Turkish descent and a Muslim serving as minister.
An early indirect presidential election was held in Germany on 18 March 2012, the last possible day following the resignation of Christian Wulff as President of Germany on 17 February 2012. Joachim Gauck was elected on the first ballot by a Federal Convention, consisting of the 620 members of the Bundestag and an equal number of members selected by the states of Germany based on proportional representation.
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.
Bernd Althusmann is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Since November 2017, he has been serving as Deputy Minister-President and State Minister for Economic Affairs in the government of Minister-President Stephan Weil.
Maria Franziska Flachsbarth is a German veterinarian and politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) who served as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in the fourth coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2018 to 2021. Since 2011, she has also served as the president of the German Catholic Women's Association.
The Second Weil cabinet is the current state government of Lower Saxony, sworn in on 22 November 2017 after Stephan Weil was elected as Minister-President of Lower Saxony by the members of the Landtag of Lower Saxony. It is the 29th Cabinet of Lower Saxony.
