Stefan Birkner | |
|---|---|
| Birkner in 2017 | |
| Leader of the Free Democratic Party in Lower Saxony | |
| In office 25 September 2011 –11 March 2023 | |
| General Secretary | Konstantin Kuhle |
| Deputy | Jörg Bode Sylvia Bruns Christiane Ratjen-Damerau |
| Preceded by | Philipp Rösler |
| Succeeded by | Konstantin Kuhle |
| Leader of the Free Democratic Party in the Landtag of Lower Saxony | |
| Assumed office 26 September 2017 | |
| Deputy | Björn Försterling |
| Preceded by | Christian Dürr |
| Minister of the Environment,Energy and Climate Protection of Lower Saxony | |
| In office 18 January 2012 –19 February 2013 | |
| Minister-President | David McAllister |
| Preceded by | Hans-Heinrich Sander |
| Succeeded by | Stefan Wenzel |
| State Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment of Lower Saxony | |
| In office 26 February 2008 –17 January 2012 | |
| Minister-President | Christian Wulff David McAllister |
| Minister | Hans-Heinrich Sander |
| Succeeded by | Ulla Ihnen |
| Member of the Landtag of Lower Saxony | |
| Assumed office 26 February 2008 | |
| Constituency | FDP List |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 April 1973 |
| Citizenship | German |
| Party | Free Democratic Party (1991–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Leibniz University Hannover |
| Occupation | Politician |
Stefan Birkner (born 12 April 1973) is a German lawyer and politician for the Free Democratic Party (FDP). From 2011 to 2023,he chaired the FDP in Lower Saxony. [1]
Birkner was elected to the State Parliament of Lower Saxony in the 2008 state elections. However,in February 2008 he left the Landtag to become a State Secretary for the State Minister of the Environment in the second cabinet Wulff,Hans-Heinrich Sander. He was replaced by Christian Grascha. From January 2012 until 2013,he served as State Minister for Environment,Energy and Climate Protection in the government of Minister-President David McAllister.
In September 2017,Birkner succeeded Christian Dürr as chairman of the FDP's parliamentary group.
In the negotiations to form a so-called traffic light coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD),the Green Party and the FDP following the 2021 federal elections,Birkner led his party's delegation in the working group on environment policy;his co-chairs from the other parties were Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (SPD) and Steffi Lemke (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen). [2]
Birkner was nominated by his party as a delegate to the Federal Convention to elect the President of Germany in 2022. [3]
In February 2023,Birkner joined consulting firm Ernst &Young. [4] In April 2023,he was nominated by Federal Minister for Digital and Transport Volker Wissing to lead the executive board of the Autobahn GmbH,a state-owned entity; [5] amid public criticism around the appointment,he withdrew his name from consideration. [6]
Birkner was born in Münsterlingen.
He is married. His brother-in-law is fellow politician Robert Habeck. [7]