Kai Wegner
Kai Wegner | |
---|---|
Governing Mayor of Berlin | |
Assumed office 27 April 2023 | |
Deputy | Franziska Giffey |
Preceded by | Franziska Giffey |
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Berlin | |
Assumed office 18 May 2019 | |
Preceded by | Monika Grütters |
Member of the Bundestag for Berlin | |
In office 18 October 2005 – 26 October 2021 | |
Preceded by | Swen Schulz |
Succeeded by | Swen Schulz |
Constituency |
|
Personal details | |
Born | West Berlin, West Germany | 15 September 1972
Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
Children | 2 |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Germany |
Branch/service | Bundeswehr |
Years of service | 1993-1994 |
Unit | Air Force (Luftwaffe) |
Kai Wegner (born 15 September 1972) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as a member of the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, from 2005 to 2021. In 2019, he became the chairman of the CDU in Berlin.
Early life and education
Wegner was born 1972 in the Western part of Berlin and became an insurance salesman.[1][2]
Political career
Member of the German Parliament, 2005–2021
Wegner joined the CDU already in 1989 and served as vice chair of the party in Berlin from 2000 to 2002.[3]
Wegner was a member of the German Bundestag from the 2005 until 2021, representing Berlin's Spandau district. In parliament, he served on the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy from 2005 until 2013 before moving to the Committee on Building, Housing, Urban Development and Local Government and the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. In this capacity, he was his parliamentary group's spokesperson on building and housing since 2018.
From 2011 until 2016, Wegner served as secretary general of the CDU in Berlin, under the leadership of chairman Frank Henkel. In May 2019 he succeeded Monika Grütters as chair of the CDU in Berlin.[4]
Member of the State Parliament of Berlin, 2021–present
In October 2020, Wegner announced his candidacy for Governing Mayor of Berlin in the 2021 state elections;[5] he eventually lost against Franziska Giffey. He has since been serving as his parliamentary group's chairperson and thereby the leader of the opposition.[6]
Wegner was appointed as CDU delegate to the Federal Conventions for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2022.[7]
Other activities
- Foundation for the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace, Member of the Council (since 2018)[8]
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees
- Trade Union of the Police (GdP), Member
- Hertha BSC, Member
Political positions
In June 2017, Wegner voted against his parliamentary group's majority and in favor of Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage.[9]
Ahead of the Christian Democrats' leadership election, Wegner first endorsed in 2020 Friedrich Merz and later Jens Spahn to succeed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as the party's chair.[10][11] For the 2021 national elections, he later endorsed Markus Söder as the Christian Democrats' joint candidate to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel.[12]
Personal life
Wegner lives in Spandau, Berlin.[13] He is Evangelical, divorced, and has two children.
References
- ^ "Kai Wegner". CDU/CSU-Fraktion. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Deutscher Bundestag - Kai Wegner". Deutscher Bundestag. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ Fahrun, Joachim (22 March 2019). "Berlins CDU-Vize Kai Wegner bestätigt seine Kandidatur um den Landesvorsitz offiziell". www.morgenpost.de (in German). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Deutscher Bundestag – Kai Wegner". Deutscher Bundestag (in German). Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ Sam Fleming and Guy Chazan (9 October 2020), Kai Wegner: „Ja, ich will Regierender Bürgermeister werden" Berliner Morgenpost.
- ^ Sabine Bieler (30 September 2021), Vier Tage nach der Abgeordnetenhauswahl: Saleh und Wegner als Fraktionschefs in Berlin wiedergewählt Der Tagesspiegel.
- ^ Wahl des Bundespräsidenten: Berliner CDU-Fraktion bestimmt Mitglieder für Bundesversammlung Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, 20 December 2021.
- ^ Council Foundation for the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace.
- ^ Diese Unionsabgeordneten stimmten für die Ehe für alle Die Welt, 30 June 2017.
- ^ Jan Heidtmann (13 February 2020), Vorsitz der Bundespartei: Berliner CDU-Chef spricht sich für Merz aus Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ^ Hans Monath (25 July 2020), Berliner CDU gibt Empfehlung ab: Spahn und Söder – ein Führungsduo in der Union? Der Tagesspiegel.
- ^ Kanzlerkandidatur der Union: Machtkampf auf der Zielgeraden Tagesschau, 19 April 2021.
- ^ Christine Richter (18 May 2019), Kai Wegner – das ist der Mann, der Berlin einen will Berliner Morgenpost.