Reinhard Bütikofer

Hans Reinhard Bütikofer ( born January 26, 1953 in Mannheim ) is a German politician of the Green Party.

He was on 8 December 2002 to 16 November 2008 Federal Chairman of Alliance 90/The Greens and so until then the longest serving chairman of his party. The other part in the management duo initially denied Angelika Beer, which was replaced on October 2, 2004 by Claudia Roth, who returned to this office. He was succeeded by Cem Özdemir.

Reinhard Bütikofer 2009 was the top candidate of his party in the European elections. He is Group Vice- Chairman and Treasurer of the Greens / European Free Alliance in the European Parliament. He is spokesman for the German delegation, the Greens ( Europe group GREEN ). Since 10 November 2012, he, along with Monica Frassoni Chairman of the European Green Party.

Education and work

Bütikofer grew up in Speyer. From 1969 to 1970 he spent a period abroad in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States. He then made ​​his altsprachliches High School in Speyer. In 1971 Bütikofer on to study philosophy and history, as well as at times of Sinology in Heidelberg, but did not complete it. In addition, he served community service.

He was active in the 1970s in the Society for German - Chinese friendship ( GDCF ). In 1981 he supported the Solidarity with Solidarity. There followed a career as a politician.

Family

Bütikofer's father was a postal worker, his mother a housewife. He is the father of three daughters ( from the relationship with Henriette Katzenstein ) and married to the Lower Saxon politician Renée cancer since 2001.

Municipal, provincial and federal politics

In the student movement Bütikofer was the Communist University Group (KHG ) and the Maoist Communist League West Germany ( KBW ) is active. He was, inter alia, Member of the student council and the senate of the University of Heidelberg. In the 1970s he was also a member of the Society for German - Chinese friendship ( GDCF ). In 1982, he worked for the Green - Alternative List (GAL ) and the Municipal Policy Forum ( KoPoFo ) in Heidelberg. In 1984 he became a member of the municipal council in Heidelberg as a candidate of the Green - Alternative List. In the same year he joined the Green Party. From 1988 to 1996 he sat as an MP in the Parliament of Baden -Württemberg, where he was budgetary and financial policy spokesman of the Greens. From 1997 to 1999 he was with Monika Schnaitmann state chairman of the Greens in Baden- Württemberg.

From December 1998 to 2002 he was managing director of policy at the Federal Executive. During this time he distinguished himself by saying that he mediated between the various party wings. He brought within the party decisively concluded the 30-year - compromise approach to nuclear power phase-out. In 2000 he was re-elected. He was also from 1999 to 2002 Chairman of the basic program of the Commission. From 1998 to 2008 he was a member of the Party Council, 2002-2008 National Chairman of Alliance 90/The Greens.

On 3 March 2008, he announced not to stand for the presidency of the party, but want to run for the European Parliament. In January 2009 Bütikofer was chosen together with Rebecca Harms top candidate of the Green Party in the European elections on June 7, 2009. He has since been a member of the European Parliament.

European Parliament

Reinhard Bütikofer since his election to the European Parliament a full member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE ) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence ( Sede ) and substitute member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET ) of the European Parliament. He is also a full member of the Delegation for relations with the United States and the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, as well as deputy in the delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China.

In addition Bütikofer was elected speaker of the German delegation of the Greens in the European Parliament ( Europe group GREEN ). His deputy is Helga Trüpel. On November 10, 2012, he was elected to succeed Philippe Lamberts ' in a double peak with Italian Monica Frassoni Chairman of the European Green Party.

Bütikofer has offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin, Schwerin and Leipzig.

Memberships

Bütikofer is a member of the European Union Parliamentarians European Parliament. He is also a member of the NABU, the Board of the Aspen Institute Berlin, the Advisory Board of the AJC Ramer Center Berlin, Europe / Transatlantic Advisory Board of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the German - Chinese Dialogue Forum and the European Green Foundation.

Social commitment

Bütikofer is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Berlin branch of the U.S. think tank Aspen Institute. Since December 2009 he is also a member of the Presidium of the European Union, Germany, as well as a co-opted member of the State Executive Committee of the European Union Berlin.