Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Kramp-Karrenbauer in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Christian Democratic Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 7 December 2018 – 22 January 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary | Paul Ziemiak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Volker Bouffier Julia Klöckner Armin Laschet Ursula von der Leyen Thomas Strobl Silvia Breher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Angela Merkel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Armin Laschet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 26 February 2018 – 7 December 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Angela Merkel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Tauber | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Paul Ziemiak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 17 July 2019 – 8 December 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ursula von der Leyen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Christine Lambrecht | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister-President of the Saarland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 10 August 2011 – 28 February 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Christoph Hartmann Peter Jacoby (interim) Heiko Maas Anke Rehlinger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Müller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tobias Hans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in the Saarland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 May 2011 – 19 October 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary | Roland Theis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Peter Altmaier Peter Jacoby Klaus Meiser Daniela Schlegel-Friedrich Stephan Toscani | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Müller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tobias Hans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Annegret Kramp 9 August 1962 Völklingen, Saarland, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Helmut Karrenbauer
(m. 1984) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Saarland University University of Trier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (German pronunciation: [ˈanəɡʁeːt ˈkʁamp ˈkaʁənˌbaʊɐ]; née Kramp; born 9 August 1962), sometimes referred to by her initials of AKK,[1] is a retired German politician who served as Minister of Defence from 2019 to 2021 and as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 2018 to 2021.
In February 2020, Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that she would resign her position as CDU leader later in the year and would not put herself forward as a candidate for chancellor for the 2021 federal election.[2] She was succeeded by Armin Laschet at the January 2021 CDU leadership election.[3]
Kramp-Karrenbauer previously served as secretary general of the party and as Minister President of Saarland from 2011 to 2018,[4] the first woman to lead the Government of Saarland and fourth woman to head a German state government. Kramp-Karrenbauer is regarded as socially conservative, but on the CDU's left wing in economic policy and has been described as a centrist. She is an active Catholic and has served on the Central Committee of German Catholics. She is the second woman to hold the office of German defence minister. She was succeeded by Christine Lambrecht.
In October 2021 she proposed for the use of nuclear weapons against Russia via a First-Strike capability as a deterrence against any "provocation" or aggression.[5]
She renounced her Bundestag mandate and retired from politics after the 2021 federal election.[6]
- ^ Angela Merkel Starts Grooming Successors, and One Stands Out Archived 21 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times.
- ^ "Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer: Favourite to replace Merkel stands down". BBC News. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- ^ "Pragmatic governor Laschet elected to lead Merkel's party". Associated Press. 16 January 2021.
- ^ Saarland. "Ministerpräsident – Saarland.de". www.saarland.de. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017.
- ^ EURACTIV Network (25 October 2021). "Germans clash over nuclear deterrence against Russia". www.euractiv.com. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Merkel allies quit German parliament to allow conservatives to rebuild". Reuters. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.