Erika Steinbach

Erika Steinbach
Steinbach in 2014
Member of Parliament
for Frankfurt am Main II
In office
20 December 1990 – 24 October 2017
Preceded byRita Streb-Hesse
Succeeded byBettina Wiesmann
Personal details
Born
Erika Hermann

(1943-07-25) 25 July 1943 (age 81)
Rahmel, Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia, Nazi Germany
Political partyCDU (1974–2017)
AfD (since 2022)
CommitteesCommittee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid (2005–2017)
Websitewww.erika-steinbach.de

Erika Steinbach (pronunciationⓘ, born 25 July 1943)[1] is a German right-wing politician. She previously served as a member of the Bundestag from 1990 until 2017.[2]

She was a member of the Christian Democratic Union from 1974 to 2017, and served as a member of the CDU national board 2000–2010, as a member of the leadership of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and as the CDU/CSU's spokeswoman on human rights and humanitarian aid 2005–2017.[3] Steinbach belonged to the socially conservative wing of the CDU and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. During the European migrant crisis, Steinbach was critical of Chancellor Merkel's policies: in January 2017 she left the CDU over the migrant issue, from then on sitting as an independent member of the Bundestag. She did not stand in the September 2017 federal election, therefore leaving the Bundestag. Instead, Steinbach has publicly endorsed the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), though she did not become a member of the right-wing populist party.[4] In 2018 Steinbach became President of the Desiderius-Erasmus-Stiftung, a political foundation affiliated with the AfD.[5] A long-time member of the German-Israeli Association, Steinbach is also known for pro-Israeli views, and has often criticized the German Foreign Office for voting in favour of anti-Israeli resolutions at the UN.[6]

In addition to her parliamentary activity, Steinbach was president of the Federation of Expellees from 1998 to 2014. Erika Steinbach studied music and was a member of concert orchestras before becoming a politician.

  1. ^ "Biografie: Erika Steinbach". Deutsche und Polen. Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Erika Steinbach beendet 2017 Politikkarriere". Die Zeit (in German). 7 August 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  3. ^ "CDU/CSU-Fraktion im Deutschen Bundestag: Themen – Arbeitsgruppen". Cducsu.de. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  4. ^ Amann, Melanie (20 May 2017). "Erika Steinbach unterstützt AfD im Wahlkampf". Spiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Erika Steinbach neue Vorsitzende AfD-naher Stiftung". www.fr.de. 4 March 2018.
  6. ^ Juden und die AfD, geht das zusammen?