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Kurt Beck
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kurt Beck (born February 5, 1949) is a German politician and since 1994 the prime minister of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz). He was officially elected as chairman of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) on May 14, 2006 [1] with the approval of 95 % of the delegates. He succeeded Matthias Platzeck who resigned on April 10, 2006 due to medical reasons.
Beck was born in Bad Bergzabern, Palatinate, to a rather humble family, his father being a bricklayer. Both his parents had their roots in the town Kapsweyer in southern Rhenish Palatinate.
After his apprenticeship Beck worked as an electrical mechanic and went on as an employee representative on works councils. He joined the SPD in 1972. Beck became chairman of the SPD of Rhineland Palatinate in 1993 and deputy chairman of the federal party in 2003. As prime minister he is known for his centrist approach, which is also apparent from the choice of his coalition partner (the liberal FDP instead of the left-wing Green Party, with which the SPD has recently allied itself).
In March 2006, Beck's SPD gained an absolute majority in the state elections; Beck offered to continue the coalition but since the FDP declined, the SPD formed a government without a partner.
Kurt Beck and his wife, Roswitha live in Steinfeld, southern Rhineland-Palatinate. They have one son.
| Preceded by Rudolf Scharping |
Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate 1994- |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by Matthias Platzeck |
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 2006- |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Chairmen of the Social Democratic Party of Germany |
|---|
| 1890-1933: Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
Paul Singer/Alwin Gerisch | August Bebel/Paul Singer | August Bebel/Hugo Haase | Hugo Haase/Friedrich Ebert | Friedrich Ebert | Friedrich Ebert/Philipp Scheidemann | Otto Wels/Herman Müller | Arthur Crispien/Otto Wels/Herman Müller | Arthur Crispien/Otto Wels | Arthur Crispien/Otto Wels/Hans Vogel 1933-1945: SPD organisation in exile (SoPaDe) Otto Wels/Hans Vogel | Hans Vogel since 1946: Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) Kurt Schumacher | Erich Ollenhauer | Willy Brandt | Hans-Jochen Vogel | Björn Engholm | Johannes Rau | Rudolf Scharping | Oskar Lafontaine | Gerhard Schröder | Franz Müntefering | Matthias Platzeck | Kurt Beck |
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