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Martin Schulz (born on 20 December 1955 in Hehlrath) is a German politician and Member of the European Parliament with the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Chairman of the Socialist Group and a substitute for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

• 1975-1977: Apprentice bookseller
• 1977-1982: Worked in various bookshops and publishing houses
• 1982-1994: Bookshop proprietor
• 1991-1999: Member of the SPD Party Council
• since 1995: Member of the Mittelrhein SPD Executive
• since 1996: Chairman of the Aachen District SPD
• since 1999: Member of the SPD Federal Executive
• since 1984: Municipal Councillor, Würselen
• 1987-1998: Mayor of Würselen
• since 1994: Member of the European Parliament
• 1994-1996: PSE Group coordinator, Subcommittee on Human Rights
• 1996-2000: PSE Group coordinator, Committee on Civil Liberties and Home Affairs
• 2000-2004: Chairman of the SPD group, European Parliament
• 2002-2004: First Vice-Chairman of the PSE Group
• since 2004: Chairman of the PSE Group

On July 2, 2003, one day after taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy was heavily criticised by MEP Martin Schulz because of Berlusconi's domestic policy. Berlusconi replied:

"Signor Schulz, so che in Italia c'è un produttore che sta montando un film sui campi di concentramento nazisti: la suggerirò per il ruolo di kapò. Lei è perfetto!“

In English: "Mister Schulz, I know a movie-producer in Italy, who is making a movie about Nazi concentration-camps. I will suggest you to play the role of a Kapo (concentration-camp inmate appointed as supervisor). You are perfect!"

Berlusconi later claimed he was referring to the comedy-series Hogan's Heroes, where a slow-witted character named Sgt. Hans Georg Schultz, played by John Banner, starred.

Even though Berlusconi insisted that he was just ironic [1], his comparisons with the Nazis caused a brief diplomatic rift between Italy and Germany.

The incident was considered especially inappropriate, since Schulz is a socialist, a group who themselves were persecuted and sent to concentration camps, while Berlusconi himself was leading a government including the successor of the Italian Fascist Party, and whose President Gianfranco Fini once said that Benito Mussolini was the 20th century's greatest Italian statesman.

See also: European Parliament election, 2004 (Germany)

• Official homepage
• Website of Martin Schulz's political group in European Parliament
• European Parliament biography of Martin Schulz (incl. Speeches, Questions and Motions)
• Declaration of financial interests (in German; PDF)
• email address of Martin Schulz: maschulz@europarl.eu.int