A lawyer by profession , he has served as the chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Landtag ( Parliament ) of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010 and was elected chairman of the state party in 2008 .
A lawyer by profession , he has been the chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Landtag of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010 and was elected chairman of the state party in 2008 .