Michael Ebling (born 27 January 1967) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as State Minister of the Interior in the government of Minister-President Malu Dreyer of Rhineland-Palatinate since 2022. From 2012 to 2022, he was the mayor of Mainz. [1]
After passing the Abitur at Gonsbach-Gymnasium in 1986, Ebling served for 20 months in the civilian service, or Zivildienst, caring for the disabled. [2] He then studied law at the University of Mainz, and took on a political career as assistant to Klaus Hammer, member of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate and chairman of the regional SPD. Later, he worked as an advisor to the ministry of education, science, and culture of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, joining the office of minister of State Jürgen Zöllner.
Ebling joined the SPD at the age of 16. [3] He took an active part in the Mainz city council between 1994 and 2002, taking a lead position as his parliamentary group's spokesman for cultural affairs. He also was a member of the executive committee of his party's parliamentary group. Between 1995 and 2007 he was chairman of the SPD at Mombach, succeeding to Ursula Distelhut as a representative of the borough of Mainz-Mombach.
Ebling was elected vice president of his party's parliamentary group in 1998, only to be chosen as president in November 2008. He was elected full-time deputy mayor for social affairs, youth, health and housing in 2002, after his predecessor Malu Dreyer changed to the third cabinet of Minister-President Kurt Beck of Rhineland-Palatinate. Since 2006, Ebling joined the office of Doris Ahnen as Secretary of State in the ministry of education, science, and culture of Rhineland-Palatinate. [4] [5] In this position he is member of the external advisory board of the Graduate School of Excellence – Materials Science in Mainz. [6]
In a ballot on 25 March 2012 Michael Ebling was elected mayor of Mainz, gaining 58.2 percent of the votes cast against his competitor Günther Beck (Alliance '90/The Greens) who came out second with 41.8 percent. [7] Ebling was successful with an election programme putting social aspects and education policy on top of the agenda. He is the first native from Mainz to be elected mayor of his home town since 1965. On 10 November 2019, Ebling was reelected as mayor of Mainz. He gained 55.2 percent of the votes. [8]
In the negotiations to form a coalition government under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel following the 2017 federal elections, Ebling was part of the working group on municipalities and rural areas, led by Reiner Haseloff, Kurt Gribl and Michael Groschek.
After Roger Lewentz announced his resignation from the office of Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate on 12 October 2022, Ebling was appointed as his successor the following day. [9]
Kurt Beck is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), who served as the 7th Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate from 1994 to 2013 and as the 55th President of the Bundesrat in 2000–01. In May 2006, he succeeded Matthias Platzeck as chairman of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD). He resigned from that post in September 2008.
Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been leading her party’s group in the State Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate since 2021. She is the first woman in this position.
The politics of Rhineland-Palatinate takes place within a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic, where the Federal Government of Germany exercises sovereign rights with certain powers reserved to the states of Germany including Rhineland-Palatinate. The state has a multi-party system where the two main parties are the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
Marie-Luise "Malu" Dreyer is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has served as the 8th minister-president of Rhineland-Palatinate from 2013 to 2024. She is the first woman to hold this office. She served a one-year-term as president of the Federal Council from 1 November 2016 – 31 October 2017, which made her deputy to the president of Germany while in office. She was the second female president of the Federal Council and the sixth woman holding one of the five highest federal offices in Germany. On 19 June 2024 she announced her resignation from the office of minister-president with effect from 10 July.
Julia Klöckner is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2018 to 2021. Since 2012, she has also been part of the CDU leadership.
The 2016 Rhineland-Palatinate state election was held on 13 March 2016 to elect the members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was held on the same day as the Baden-Württemberg state election and Saxony-Anhalt state election. The incumbent coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and The Greens led by Minister-President Malu Dreyer was defeated. The SPD remained the largest party, and formed a "traffic light coalition" with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and The Greens. Dreyer was subsequently re-elected as Minister-President.
Roger Lewentz is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who served as State Minister of the Interior in the governments of successive Ministers-President Kurt Beck (2011–2012) and Malu Dreyer (2012–2022) of Rhineland-Palatinate
The 2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election was held on 14 March 2021 to elect the 18th Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. The outgoing government was a "traffic light coalition" of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Free Democratic Party (FDP), and The Greens led by Minister-President Malu Dreyer.
Daniela Schmitt is a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) who has been serving as State Minister for Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture in the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate since 2021. From 2013 until 2021, she was Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture under minister Volker Wissing
Anne Spiegel is a German politician of Alliance 90/The Greens. She served as Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz since 8 December 2021; she announced her resignation on 11 April and was dismissed by the President on 25 April 2022
Michael Hartmann is a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He was a member of the German Bundestag from 2002 to 2017. Hartmann is a specialist politician for internal security and was the domestic policy spokesman of the SPD parliamentary group as well as the chairman of his parliamentary group in the Committee on Internal Affairs and a member of the Parliamentary Oversight Panel.
Katharina Binz is a German politician of Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as Minister for Family, Women, Culture and Integration in the third Cabinet of Minister-President Malu Dreyer since 2021. She has also been a part of the German Bundesrat for Rhineland-Palatinate since 2021. In December 2021 she succeeded Anne Spiegel, as Deputy Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The Third Dreyer cabinet is the current state government of Rhineland-Palatinate, sworn in on 18 May 2021 after Malu Dreyer was elected as Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate by the members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is the 25th Cabinet of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Doris Maria Ahnen is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as Minister for Finance in the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate since 2014. Prior to that she served as the Minister for Education, Research and Culture since 2001. She has been a part of the State Parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate since the 2006 elections. She is also a member of the German Bundesrat for Rhineland-Palatinate
The First Dreyer cabinet was the state government of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate from 16 January 2013 until 18 May 2016. The Cabinet was headed by Minister President Malu Dreyer and was formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance 90/The Greens, after the resignation of minister president Kurt Beck. On 16 January 2013 Dreyer was elected and sworn in as Minister President by the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was succeeded by Dreyers's second and third cabinets.
Katrin Eder is a German politician of Alliance 90/The Greens who has been serving as State Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility in the government of Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Malu Dreyer since 2021.
Stefanie Hubig is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as State Minister for Education in the government of Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate Malu Dreyer since 2016.
The 2026 Rhineland-Palatinate state election will be held in 2026 to elect the 19th Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate.