View source for Matthias Berninger

{{Short description|German politician (born 1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
[[File:Matthias Berninger.jpg|thumb|Berninger in 2004]]
'''Matthias Berninger''' (born 1971) is a former German politician and member of [[Alliance 90/The Greens|The Greens]] from 1993 until 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webarchiv.bundestag.de/archive/2010/0427/bundestag/abgeordnete/bio/B/bernima0.html|title=Matthias Berninger, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen|work=[[Bundestag]].de|access-date=6 November 2012|language=de}}</ref>

From 2001 to 2005, Berninger served as Parliamentary Secretary of State at the [[Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (Germany)|Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection]] under minister [[Renate Künast]] in the [[Second Schröder cabinet|second]] cabinet of [[Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Gerhard Schröder]]. After leaving the government, he was his parliamentary group's spokesperson on economic policy from 2005 until 2007.{{fact|date=February 2024}}

Since 2019, Berninger has been serving as Executive Vice President of Public and Government Affairs and Head of Sustainability at [[Bayer]].<ref>Douglas Busvine and Ludwig Burger (14 June 2019), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bayer-glyphosate/bayer-to-invest-56-billion-in-weedkiller-research-to-help-reputation-idUSKCN1TF0I1 Bayer to invest $5.6 billion in weedkiller research to help reputation] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref> Berninger lives with his wife and children in [[Washington, D.C.]]

== School and studies ==
After graduating from the [[Goethe-Gymnasium, Kassel|Goethe-Gymnasium Kassel]] in 1990, Berninger began studying chemistry and political science at the [[Gesamthochschule Kassel]], which he completed in 1994 with the first state examination for the teaching profession at secondary schools.{{fact|date=February 2024}}

== Political career ==
Since 1990, Berninger has been a member of [[Bündnis 90/Die Grünen]]. From 1993 to 1997 he was a member of the municipal council of [[Ahnatal]] and from 1993 to 1994 also in the [[Kreistag]] of the [[Landkreis Kassel]]. From 2003 to 2007, Berninger was parliamentary representative for the Green Party for the State of [[Hesse]] in the [[Bundestag]].<ref>{{web archive |url=http://www.hr-online.de/website/rubriken/nachrichten/index.jsp?rubrik=15662&key=standard_document_28413326 |text=''The lure of the candy bar''. |wayback=20070930193100}} hr-online.de</ref>

In the 1994 [[Bundestag]] election, at the age of 23, Berninger became the youngest ever [[Member of the German Bundestag]]. Here, from 1997 to 2001, he was the higher education policy spokesman for the parliamentary group [[Alliance 90/The Greens]]. On 23 January 2001, Berninger was appointed [[Parliamentary Secretary of State]] to the Federal Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture led by [[Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Gerhard Schröder]]. At the age of 29, he became the youngest parliamentary Secretary of State ever appointed.<ref name="Fischers Zögling">{{cite web |url=https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article428664/Matthias-Berninger-Fischers-Zoegling-war-immer-der-Juengste.html |title=Matthias Berninger: Fischers Zögling war immer der Jüngste  |work=[[Die Welt]] |date=2001-01-18 |language=de |first1=Stephan |last1=Haselberger |trans-title=Matthias Berninger: Fischer's pupil was always the youngest}}</ref>

Berninger left his post of [[Parliamentary Secretary of State]] on 22 November 2005. He ran for the post of parliamentary secretary, but was defeated by [[Volker Beck (politician)|Volker Beck]] on the first ballot by 17 votes to 34. From 2005 to 2007, he served as the economic policy spokesman for the [[Bündnis 90/Die Grünen]]. Berninger ended his political career in February 2007.

Berninger was considered a [[realo]] and a pupil of [[Joschka Fischer]].<ref name="Fischer's pupil">[https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article428664/Matthias-Berninger-Fischers-Zoegling-war-immer-der-Juengste.html ''Matthias Berninger: Fischer's pupil was always the youngest'']. In: ''[[Die Welt]]'', 18 January 2001.</ref> He was a member of the {{ill|Pizza Connection (politics)|de|Pizza-Connection (Politik)|lt=Pizza Connection}}, a group of young deputies of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]] and [[Bündnis 90/Die Grünen]], which was considered a forerunner of the Black-Green Coalition.<ref>[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/pizza-connection-die-schwarz-gruene-geburtsrunde-a-540701.html Pizza-Connection The Black-Green Birth Round] [[Spiegel Online]], 17 March 2008; retrieved 14 June 2012</ref> Berninger was considered an [[economic liberalism|Economic Liberal]] and representative of the [[New Economy]].<ref name="Fischers Zögling" />

== Private sector ==
In 2007, Berninger moved to Brussels as a [[lobbyist]] to the U.S. food and confectionery corporation [[Mars Incorporated]] as Director of Corporate Health and Nutrition, to improve the companies public image in Europe. In August 2008, he was promoted to Global Head of Public Policy, with responsibility for global health, nutrition and sustainability.<ref>[http://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/management/koepfe/matthias-berninger-gruener-ex-staatssekretaer-wird-mars-manager/2744888.html ''Matthias Berninger. Green Ex-Secretary of State Becomes Mars Manager''] [[Handelsblatt]], 13 December 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/gruene-in-der-wirtschaft-augen-zu-und-durch-seite-all/2970794-all.html ''Greens in Business. Eyes closed and through''] [[Handelsblatt]], 12 June 2008.</ref><ref>{{web archive|url=http://www.mars.com/germany/en/news-and-media/press-releases/news-releases.aspx?SiteId=125&Id=2996 |title=Jutta Reitmeier appointed Corporate Affairs Director of Mars Germany; ... Matthias Berninger, Global Staff Officer Public Affairs. |wayback=20120913104311}} mars.com</ref>

On 1 January 2019, Berninger moved to [[Bayer&nbsp;AG]] as head of the newly created Public Relations and Sustainability division, after the group acquired U.S. seed and pesticide manufacturer [[Monsanto]] for 59&nbsp;billion euros.<ref name="welt2019">{{cite web |author=Daniel Wetzel |url=https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article186699508/Bayer-Gruener-wird-Chef-Lobbyist-fuer-Glyphosat.html |title=Bayer: Greener to be chief lobbyist for glyphosate |work=[[Die Welt|Welt Online]] |date=2019-01-08}}</ref> As a result, Berninger, as chief lobbyist, must deal with questions about the pesticide [[glyphosate]], the use of which is highly criticized by his former [[Bündnis 90/Die Grünen]] colleagues in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |work=FOCUS Online |url=https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/matthias-berninger-ex-gruen-politiker-wirbt-jetzt-fuer-glyphosat_id_10154136.html |title=Ex-Green politician is now chief lobbyist for glyphosate |language=en |date=2019-11-06}}</ref><ref name="welt2019" /> He commented on this in an interview with the news magazine ''[[Der Spiegel]]''.<ref>{{citation
  |title= Das ist unsere Schatztruhe
  |url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-164644668.html
  |work=[[Der Spiegel]]
  |issue=
  |series=3 November
  |date=28 June 2019
 |pages=
  |quote=
|last1=Schießl
 |first1=Michaela
 }}</ref>

== Film ==
* ''Rot-Grün macht Kasse.'' Documentary about the activities of former politicians as lobbyists, 30 min, Germany, 2011, Production: [[Norddeutscher Rundfunk|NDR]]/[[Panorama (German TV program)|Panorama]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGeLYQzDgEY ARD-exclusiv: Rot-Grün macht Kasse - Panorama - NDR.] YouTube; retrieved 15 February 2021</ref>

== Cabinets ==
* [[Schröder Cabinet I]] - [[Schröder Cabinet II]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links ==
{{Commonscat}}
* [http://webarchiv.bundestag.de/archive/2010/0427/bundestag/abgeordnete/bio/B/bernima0.html biography at the German Bundestag]
* {{DNB Portal|120752727}}
* [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bayer-cheflobbyist-matthias-berninger-ueber-biotech-17102228.html Bayer chief lobbyist Berninger.]
* [https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/monsanto-glyphosat-aktienabsturz-ein-ex-gruenen-politiker-soll-bayer-retten/24481086.html Monsanto, glyphosate, stock crash. An ex-Green politician is to save Bayer]. tagesspiegel.de
* [http://votum24.votum1.de/de/politik/heuchelei-gruenen-politiker-wird-cheflobbyist-fuer-glyphosat Bayer buys Green politician]. votum24

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Berninger, Matthias}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kassel]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for Hesse]]
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