Rudolf Scharping

Rudolf Scharping
Federal Minister of Defence
In office
27 October 1998 – 18 July 2002
PresidentRoman Herzog
Johannes Rau
ChancellorGerhard Schröder
Preceded byVolker Rühe
Succeeded byPeter Struck
Leader of the Social Democratic Party in the Bundestag
In office
10 November 1994 – 26 October 1998
Preceded byHans-Ulrich Klose
Succeeded byPeter Struck
Leader of the Social Democratic Party
In office
25 June 1993 – 18 November 1995
Preceded byBjörn Engholm
Succeeded byOskar Lafontaine
Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate
In office
21 May 1991 – 15 October 1994
DeputyRainer Brüderle
Preceded byCarl-Ludwig Wagner
Succeeded byKurt Beck
Leader of the Social Democratic Party in Rhineland-Palatinate
In office
1985–1993
Preceded byHugo Brandt
Succeeded byKurt Beck
Leader of the Social Democratic Party in the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate
In office
19 June 1985 – 21 May 1991
Preceded byHugo Brandt
Succeeded byKurt Beck
Member of the Bundestag
for Rhineland-Palatinate
In office
10 November 1994 – 18 October 2005
Member of the Landtag of
Rhineland-Palatinate
In office
1975–1994
Personal details
Born
Rudolf Albert Scharping

(1947-12-02) 2 December 1947 (age 76)
Niederelbert, Germany
Political partySocial Democratic Party (1966–present)
Alma materUniversity of Bonn

Rudolf Albert Scharping (born 2 December 1947) is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

He first rose to prominence as Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate (1991–1994). He was his party's federal chairman from 1993 to 1995 and in 1994 ran an, ultimately unsuccessful, effort to oust Chancellor Helmut Kohl in the federal elections. In 1998, he became Defence Minister in the government of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder but resigned shortly before the 2002 elections.

From March 1995 to May 2001, he served as chairman of the Party of European Socialists (PES).