View source for Rainer Brüderle

{{Short description|German politician (born 1945)}}
{{Expand German|topic=bio|Rainer Brüderle|date=March 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Rainer Brüderle
|image        = 2018-05-10 Rainer Brüderle-7539.jpg
| caption             = Brüderle in 2018 at an event hosted by the [[Friedrich Naumann Foundation]]
|office      = [[Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Germany)|Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology]]
|chancellor  = [[Angela Merkel]]
|term_start  = 28 October 2009
|term_end    = 12 May 2011
|predecessor = [[Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg]]
|successor   = [[Philipp Rösler]]
| office1             = Leader of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] in the [[Bundestag]]
| 1blankname1         = {{nowrap|[[Whip (politics)|Whips]]}}
| 1namedata1          = [[Jörg van Essen]] <br> [[Christian Ahrendt]] <br> [[Otto Fricke]] <br> Claudia Winterstein
| deputy2             = [[Volker Wissing]] <br> Martin Lindner <br> [[Florian Toncar]] <br> Heinrich Kolb <br> Gisela Piltz <br> [[Patrick Döring]]
| term_start1         = 12 May 2011
| term_end1           = 22 October 2013
| predecessor2        = Birgit Homburger
| successor2          = [[Christian Lindner]] {{small|(2017)}}
| office3             = [[Member of the German Bundestag|Member]] of the [[Bundestag]] <br /> for [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
| term_start3         = [[1998 German federal election|26 October 1998]]
| term_end3           = [[2013 German federal election|22 October 2013]]
| constituency3       = [[Electoral system of Germany|Free Democratic Party List]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |State political posts
 |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office4       = [[Politics of Rhineland-Palatinate|Deputy Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate]]
|1blankname4         = {{nowrap|[[List of ministers-president of Rhineland-Palatinate|Minister-President]]}}
|1namedata4         = [[Carl-Ludwig Wagner]]<br />[[Rudolf Scharping]]<br />[[Kurt Beck]]
| term_start4   = 8 December 1988
| term_end4     = 12 November 1998
| predecessor4  = Carl-Ludwig Wagner
| successor4    = Peter Caesar
| office6      = [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Chairman of the Free Democratic Party of Rhineland-Palatinate]]
| term_start6      = 1983
| term_end6      = 7 May 2011
| predecessor6      = Hans-Günther Heinz
| successor6      = Volker Wissing
| office7             = [[Politics of Rhineland-Palatinate|Minister for Economy, Transportation, Agriculture and Viticulture of Rhineland-Palatinate]]{{efn|Office known as "Minister for Economy and Transportation" from 1987 to 1994.}}
|1blankname7         = {{nowrap|[[List of ministers-president of Rhineland-Palatinate|Minister-President]]}}
|1namedata7          = [[Bernhard Vogel]]<br />Carl-Ludwig Wagner<br />Rudolf Scharping<br />Kurt Beck
| term_start7  = 23 June 1987
| term_end7            = 12 November 1998
| predecessor7         = Rudi Geil
| successor7      = Hans-Artur Bauckhage
| office8      = Member of the [[Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate]] <br /> for Bezirksliste 3<br />{{small|(Wahlkreis 3; 1987–1991)}}
| term_start8  = [[1987 Rhineland-Palatinate state election|1987]]
| term_end8    = 30 November 1998
| predecessor8 = ''multi-member district''
| successor8          = [[Jürgen Creutzmann]]{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
|birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1945|6|22|df=y}}
|birth_place  = [[Berlin]], [[Allied-occupied Germany]] <small>(now Germany)</small>
|death_date   =
|death_place  =
|spouse       = 
|signature    = Signature rainer-bruederle.png
|party        = [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
|alma_mater   = [[University of Mainz]]
}}
'''Rainer Brüderle''' ({{IPA|de|ˈʁaɪ̯nɐ ˈbʁyːdɐlə}}; born 22 June 1945)<ref name="Rainer">{{cite web| title =Rainer Brüderle, FDP| work =Biography| publisher =Deutscher Bundestag| url =http://www.bundestag.de/bundestag/abgeordnete17/biografien/B/bruederle_rainer.html| access-date =2013-07-13| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130707194511/http://www.bundestag.de/bundestag/abgeordnete17/biografien/B/bruederle_rainer.html| archive-date =2013-07-07}}</ref>
is a German politician and member of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP). He served as Minister of Economics and Transport of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] from 1987–1998.<ref name="Rainer"/> On 28 October 2009, he was appointed [[Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy|Federal Minister for Economics and Technology]] in the [[Cabinet Merkel II|second cabinet]] of [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] [[Angela Merkel]]. Following his election in May 2011 as chairman of his party's parliamentary group, Brüderle resigned as Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology.

==Early life and education==
Brüderle was born in [[Berlin]], and grew up in [[Landau]]. He was an exchange student in [[Lyon]].<ref>Jochen Gaugele and Karsten Kammholz (September 9, 2017), [https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article118666731/Gott-ist-fuer-mich-auch-ein-Liberaler.html Rainer Brüderle: "Gott ist für mich auch ein Liberaler“] ''[[Welt am Sonntag]]''.</ref>

Brüderle holds a [[Diplom]] in [[Economics]] from the [[University of Mainz]].<ref name="Rainer"/> He also earned a doctorate and worked at the university until he entered politics, first at the municipal level and then at the state level, for [[Rhineland Palatinate]].<ref>Paul Hockenos (March 23, 2011), [http://www.politico.eu/article/face-of-the-boom/ Face of the boom] ''[[European Voice]]''.</ref>

==Political career==
[[file:FELKE Werksbesichtigung Brüderle cropped.jpg|thumb|Brüderle (right) in 1993]]
[[file:2018-05-10 Rainer Brüderle-7539.jpg|thumb|Brüderle in 2018]]
Brüderle served as a member of the German [[Bundestag]] between [[1998 German federal election|1998]] and [[2013 German federal election|2013]].<ref name="Rainer"/> At the [[2009 German federal election|2009 election]] he unsuccessfully contested the [[Mainz (electoral district)|Mainz]] constituency, but was elected to the Bundestag for the Rhineland-Palatinate land list.

=== Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology, 2009–2011 ===

''' Petrol prices '''

In May 2008, Brüderle said, for two-thirds of every gas station bill supported by the State responsibility. He demanded to abolish the road tax in addition to the eco-tax, it is sufficient if "only the real consumption" will be touched by mineral oil from the Treasury. 
Neither he as economy minister in the federal government since 2009 nor the FDP  voiced these demands  again.

''' State aid for Opel '''

On 9 June 2010 Brüderle refused a request from Opel Germany to 1.1 billion euro in the form of state aid. On the same day Chancellor Angela Merkel gave Opel vague hope of a bailout stating: "The last word on the future of Opel is still out." "The state is not the better entrepreneur" was a justification Brüderle for his vote. The state aid would have resulted in his opinion, to serious distortions of competition in the industry. However, a government decision, there was not, as General Motors and Opel / Vauxhall in Europe applied for no more state aid .

''' Unbundling law '''

This would allow the State to dismantle dominant corporations (even without concrete reason) when the competition can not otherwise be made. The German power companies then turned against such a bill. In May 2010 Brüderle defused the bill.

'''Financial crisis'''

On 14 September 2011, Brüderle announced that an article written for the newspaper ''[[Die Welt]]'' by Vice Chancellor [[Philipp Rösler]], about the possible benefits of a Greek [[bankruptcy]] for the rest of the euro zone, confirmed the opinion of a number of European finance ministers.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

=== Chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, 2011–2013 ===
During his time in office, Brüderle mainly focused on European policy issues as a result of the continent's sovereign debt crisis. By 2012, in the face of growing criticism of the Merkel government's policies, he publicly stated that Germany "could reach the stage at which a referendum on Europe becomes necessary."<ref>Sarah Marsh (August 10, 2012), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eurozone-germany-referendum-idUSBRE8790V220120810 Momentum grows in Germany for referendum on closer EU ties] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref>

In January 2013, party chairman Philipp Rösler offered to the party leadership to step down in favour of Brüderle, then the favoured choice of many FDP members to lead the party into that year's [[2013 German federal election|national election]].<ref>Thorsten Severin (January 21, 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-election-fdp-idUSBRE90K0BJ20130121 Head of Merkel's FDP allies offers to quit: party source] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref> Brüderle declined, and both agreed that Rösler would stay on as party leader, while Brüderle would be the face of the FDP's election campaign.<ref>Alexandra Hudson (August 26, 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/germany-election-fdp-idUSL6N0GO1JF20130826 Merkel allies stage 11th-hour revival behind young leader] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref>

==Other activities==
===State agencies===
* [[Federal Network Agency|Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Posts and Railway]] (BNetzA), Member of the Advisory Board (1998–2009)
* [[Landesbank Baden-Württemberg|Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz]], Member of the Board of Guarantors (1998–2008)

===Corporate boards===
* [[KfW]], Ex-officio Member of the Board of Supervisory Directors (2009–2011)
* [[Deutsche Bank]], Member of the Advisory Board (1998–2009)<ref>[https://geschaeftsbericht.deutsche-bank.de/2003/gb/serviceseiten/downloads/files/loacm_25-03-04.pdf Members of the Advisory Board, 2003] [[Deutsche Bank]].</ref><ref>[https://annualreport.deutsche-bank.com/2008/ar/servicepages/downloads/files/dbfy2008_advisory_council_members.pdf Members of the Advisory Board, 2008] [[Deutsche Bank]].</ref>
* Provinzial Rheinland Versicherung AG, Member of the Supervisory Board (2005-2006)
* IVA Valuation & Advisory AG, Member of the Supervisory Board (2005–2009; since 2011)<ref>[https://www.iva-valuation.de/about-us/supervisory-board/?lang=en Supervisory Board] IVA Valuation & Advisory AG.</ref>
* [[Rudolf Scharping|RSBK Strategie Beratung Kommunikation AG]], Member of the Advisory Board (2005–2009; since 2013)<ref>[http://www.rsbk.de/deu/unternehmen/beirat/ Advisory Board] [[Rudolf Scharping|RSBK Strategie Beratung Kommunikation AG]].</ref>

===Non-profits===
* ''[[ZDF]]'', Member of the Broadcasting Board<ref name="Rainer"/>
* Center of Market-Oriented Product and Production Management (CMPP), Member of the Advisory Board<ref>[http://www.marketing-i.bwl.uni-mainz.de/769.php Advisory Board] Center of Market-Oriented Product and Production Management (CMPP).</ref> 
* Stiftung Auge, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2009)<ref>[http://www.stiftung-auge.de/cms/home/stiftung_auge/organe/#2 Board of Trustees] Stiftung Auge.</ref>
* German-Israeli Business Association, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 200?)<ref>[http://www.d-i-w.de/ueber-uns/organisation/das-kuratorium/ Board of Trustees] German-Israeli Business Association.</ref>
* Rationalisierungs- und Innovationszentrum der Deutschen Wirtschaft, Member of the Board of Trustees (2009–2013)

==Controversy==
In the magazine ''[[Stern (magazine)|Stern]]'' in January 2013, journalist {{Interlanguage link multi|Laura Himmelreich|de}} published an article about alleged advances towards her from the politician during a January 2012 political gathering at a bar in Stuttgart. The advances included asking her for a dance and mainly the suggestive comment that she "could also fill a [[dirndl]]" with a look at her breasts, which she interpreted as [[sexism]], sparking a media-wide debate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/leading-german-politicians-accused-of-inappropriate-advances-a-879417.html |title=Leading German Politicians Accused of Inappropriate Advances |publisher=Spiegel.de |date=2013-01-24 |access-date=2013-09-23}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Brüderle lives in [[Mainz]]. He maintains a holiday residence in [[Lehigh Acres, Florida]].<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-75476993.html Rainer Brüderle] ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', December 6, 2010.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Sustainable development]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100325202529/http://www.rainer-bruederle.de/ Official website] {{in lang|de}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruderle, Rainer}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Berlin]]
[[Category:Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Economy ministers of Germany]]
[[Category:German economists]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for Rhineland-Palatinate]]
[[Category:Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 2009–2013]]
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