deputy chairman of the party
Which position did Kurt Biedenkopf hold in 1977?
Kurt Biedenkopf Kurt Hans Biedenkopf ( born 28 January 1930 ) is a German politician who served as the 1st Minister President of the Free State of Saxony ( one of Germanys federal states ) from 1990 until 2002 , as such also serving as the 54th President of the Bundesrat in 1999/2000 . Early life and education . Born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein , Rhineland-Palatinate , Biedenkopf studied law , economics , and political science , including at Davidson College in North Carolina and at Georgetown University . He is a Master of Laws and holds a Dr . jur . ( law doctorate ) . He worked as a researcher , lecturer , and professor at various German universities including those in Bochum , Frankfurt , and Leipzig . Political career . Career in national politics . Kurt Biedenkopf is a member of the Christian-Democratic Union ( CDU ) . He entered his professional political career when he became secretary general of the CDU in 1973 , under the leadership of chairman Helmut Kohl . He resigned from that office after disagreements with Kohl and went on to become one of his fiercest rivals within the party . From 1977 to 1983 Biedenkopf was a deputy chairman of the party . During the terms 1976-1980 and 1987-1990 he was a member of the Bundestag . In 1979 , it was revealed that Christel Broszey , Biedenkopf’s secretary in his position as deputy chairman of the Christian Democratic Party , disappeared and was presumed to have fled to East Germany . Media reported that Broszey had been a spy . Career in North Rhine-Westphalia . In the 1980 , state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia , Biedenkopf unsuccessfully ran against the incumbent Minister-President Johannes Rau . He served as chairman of the CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia – the party’s largest chapter – until 1987 , when he was succeeded by Norbert Blüm . In late 1989 , he joined forces with Lothar Späth , Heiner Geißler , Rita Süssmuth and others in an unsuccessful effort to oust Kohl as CDU chairman . Minister-President of Saxony . After the re-unification of Germany in 1990 Biedenkopf was elected as Minister-President in the newly formed state of Saxony . His party also won the subsequent elections in 1994 and 1999 with an absolute majority . He held his office until April 2002 . At the CDUs initiative , the state parliament resolved to declare Saxony a free state once again , recalling its 19th century history . Early in his tenure , Biedenkopf emerged as a kind of unofficial spokesman for the regions of East Germany . He enjoyed great popularity among a majority of the people of Saxony . Known for his autocratic leadership style , he was often referred to as the Saxon king or King Kurt . During his time in office , he doubled outlays on primary and secondary education and sharply ramped up spending on research and development . He also led a legal battle against the European Commission on subsidies for Volkswagen investments in Saxony . Ahead of the German presidential election in 1994 , Biedenkopf was widely seen as a likely candidate ; the post instead went to Roman Herzog . In 2000 , Biedenkopf held the rotating presidency of the Bundesrat of Germany . In this capacity , he oversaw the bodys move to Berlin to complete the governments return to the prewar capital from Bonn . In January 2001 , Biedenkopf dismissed State Minister of Finance Georg Milbradt because Milbradt had started a debate about Biedenkopfs succession . Milbradt eventually succeeded Biedenkopf in 2002 . Political positions . Before the introduction of the euro , Biedenkopf was the only German state leader to vote against the monetary union in the Bundesrat , the legislative body that represents the German states ; he later argued that Europe wasnt ready for that epochal step . Already in 1997 , he had joined the ministers-president of two other German states , Gerhard Schröder and Edmund Stoiber , in making the case for a five-year delay in Europes currency union . Ahead of the Christian Democrats’ leadership election in 2018 , Biedenkopf publicly endorsed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeed Angela Merkel as the party’s chair . He later supported Armin Laschets candidacy to succeed Kramp-Karrenbauer in the 2021 leadership election . Other activities . In 1983 , Biedenkopf became a member of the Advisory Board of the non-profit Bertelsmann Stiftung . In 1987 , he became chairman of the board ( until 1990 ) . During his term , the Carl Bertelsmann Prize ( today Reinhard Mohn Prize ) was awarded for the first time . Between 2004 and 2006 , Biedenkopf and Christine Bergmann served as ombudsmen , observing the impact of the Schröder government’s labour market reforms , with a mandate to advise government and parliament on any recommended revisions to it . In 2005 , he was appointed by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to head a commission on the future of codetermination in Germany . Both Biedenkopf and Schröder later served as mediators in a 2006 conflict over privatization plans at German railway operator Deutsche Bahn ; the plans eventually fell through . In addition , Biedenkopf has been holding a number of paid and unpaid positions , including the following : - Dresden Frauenkirche , Member of the Board of Trustees - International Law Institute ( ILI ) , Member of the International Advisory Board - Independent Commission on Turkey , Member - Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft , Member of the Board of Trustees - Hertie School of Governance , Chairman of the Board of Trustees ( 2003-2010 ) - Lions Club Germany Foundation , Member of the Board of Trustees - Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen , Chairman of the Supervisory Board ( 1991-2015 )