Laurenz Meyer
Donatus Laurenz Karl Meyer ( * February 15, 1948 in Salzkotten ) is a German politician ( CDU). He was from 2000 to 2004 and Secretary-General of the CDU from 2002 to 2009 Member of the German Bundestag.
Education and work
After graduation in 1968 at the high school Hammonense in Hamm / Westphalia. Meyer graduated from a degree in economics at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in Münster, which he finished in 1975 as a graduate economist. He worked as an employee of VEW AG, which was later taken over by RWE AG, active in Dortmund. Most recently he was the CFO in the District Directorate Arnsberg here. Meyer is a member of the Supervisory Board of roofers Shopping West eG Hamm and the Economic Development Corporation Hamm mbH.
Meyer married in 2008 in Berlin, the court clerks Sonja Mertens. With it, he has a son. From his first marriage he has four daughters.
After retiring from the Bundestag Meyer became an independent business consultant.
Party
Meyer joined the CDU in 1968 in a. He was from 1997 to 2001 treasurer of the CDU North Rhine -Westphalia. Meyer was dated 20 November 2000 to December 22, 2004 Secretary General of the CDU as the successor of Ruprecht Polenz. Whose appointment as Secretary-General designated Meyer as Miss grip of party chairman.
Member of Parliament
Meyer belonged from 1975 to 1995 the Council of the City of Hamm on from 1989 to 1995 as Chairman of the CDU - Municipal Group. In 1994 he was a candidate also for the office of mayor, but could not prevail against the SPD candidate Jürgen Wieland.
From 1990 to 2002 he was a member of the Landtag of North Rhine -Westphalia. He was from 1990 to 1999 economic policy spokesman of the group, next to the 1997 to 1999 Deputy Chairman and February 23, 1999 to June 2, 2000 Chairman of the CDU parliamentary group. After the state elections in 2000 the CDU state chairman Jürgen Rüttgers claimed the group's presidency. From June 2 to December 6, 2000 Meyer was Vice President of the Landtag of North Rhine -Westphalia.
From 2002 to 2009 Laurenz Meyer was a member of the German Bundestag. Here he was since November 29, 2005 Chairman of the Working Group Economics and Technology and hence economic policy spokesman of the CDU / CSU parliamentary group.
Laurenz Meyer is always drawn on a state list North Rhine-Westphalia in the Bundestag. In the 2009 federal election Meyer failed the re-entry into the parliament because he was defeated in his constituency Hamm- Unna II against the SPD politician Dieter Wiefelspütz and he was not placed far enough forward on the North Rhine-Westphalian list.
RWE affair
On 10 December 2004, reported that Meyer ( 2000 had taken over his former employer VEW ) by RWE AG electricity at a reduced interest rate referring employee, even though he was retired from the company in 1999. A week later plunged to new allegations that he had not yet received funds from RWE during his tenure as Secretary-General of the CDU. Meyer spoke in this context of " special dividends ." In addition, Laurenz Meyer still received his salary as vice president of the Landtag of North Rhine -Westphalia and moved temporarily to three salaries. The Bild am Sonntag reported on 19 December 2004 that the CDU leader Angela Merkel had overthrown the Secretary-General. First Party colleagues have called for his resignation. On December 20, Meyer declared that he would donate the amounts in question ( 81 106 euros ) to the SOS Children's Villages.
After pressure from the party base Laurenz Meyer resigned as Secretary-General on 22 December 2004. The CDU paid him a severance payment of 52,000 euros. Reason for his resignation was that declared by him as severance bonus payment was not compensation, as Meyer in May 2000, initially returned to the CDU defeat in the state election in North Rhine-Westphalia in the company. He became untenable for the party By this fact and the incorrect information to Angela Merkel. The time allowed by him payments and the announcement of a donation to the SOS Children's Villages were mainly located in the election campaign located country should Federations of North Rhine -Westphalia and Schleswig -Holstein can not calm down.
On 23 December 2004, the electricity company RWE announced the result of an internal investigation of payments to Meyer. Under those 160,000 250,000 Mark unjustified due to a " communication error " has been transferred from the VEW to Meyer. In a statement on 17 December 2004 Meyer had this payment still referred to as " legally correct ", but already acknowledged: " ... Nevertheless, I am aware with regard to the problems of many people these days that is not understood, that I at the time this had accepted money, even though I went back into the company. ... "
The beginning of 2005 have ended its employment relationship with retroactive effect to 31 December 2004 with a severance payment of 400,000 euros Meyer and RWE. Meyer has approximately 81,000 euros compensation to his former employer repaid, whereas RWE has announced a donation of 100,000 euros to SOS Children's Villages.