Reinhard Bütikofer
Encyclopedia
Reinhard Hans Bütikofer (born January 26, 1953) is a German
politician for the Alliance 90/The Greens party and was from 8 December 2002 till 16 November 2008 party leader, together with Claudia Roth
.
Bütikofer was born in Mannheim
and grew up in Speyer
. He studied philosophy
, sinology
and history
in Heidelberg, but did not finish his studies. He was engaged in the student's movement
and one of the "K groups", the Maoist
Communist League of West Germany
(Kommunistischer Bund Westdeutschland; KBW). From the 1980s onwards, he became active in Heidelberg municipal politics for the Green-Alternative List.
In 1984, he was elected into the town council of Heidelberg and became member of the Green party, the starting point of his political career with Alliance 90/The Greens. In 1988, he was elected in the Landtag (state parliament) of Baden-Württemberg
. He was Member of the Landtag until 1996.
After a "family year", in 1997 Bütikofer became co-chairman of the Baden-Württembergian Green party. Two years later he was elected secretary general of the federal party. In December, 2002 he became co-chairman of the federal party. On 3 March 2008 he announced not to stand again as a party chairman and to run for European Parliament in 2009, to which he was elected.
Bütikofer is a MEP
since 2009. He is speaker of the German Greens EP group as well as deputy leader of the parliamentary group and treasurer of the GREENS/EFA parliamentary group. Bütikofer is member of the committee for industry, research and energy (ITRE), deputy member of the committee for foreign affairs (AFET), member of the sub-committee for security and defense (SEDE) and its Green co-ordinator. He is member of the USA- and deputy member of the China-delegation of the European Parliament.
Bütikofer is a member of the board of the Aspen Institute Berlin, member of the Advisory board of the AJC Ramer center Berlin, member Europe/transatlantic adviser of the Boell foundation. Since December 2009 he also serves on the board of Europa-Union Deutschland, the German branch of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).
Bütikofer's father was a post office worker and his mother was a housewife. He has fathered three daughters with Henriette Katzenstein. In 2001, he married Renee Krebs.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
politician for the Alliance 90/The Greens party and was from 8 December 2002 till 16 November 2008 party leader, together with Claudia Roth
Claudia Roth
Claudia Benedikta Roth is a German Green Party politician and one of the two current party chairs, together with Cem Özdemir.- Biography :...
.
Bütikofer was born in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and grew up in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
. He studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, sinology
Sinology
Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China, but, especially in the American academic context, refers more strictly to the study of classical language and literature, and the philological approach...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in Heidelberg, but did not finish his studies. He was engaged in the student's movement
German student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
and one of the "K groups", the Maoist
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
Communist League of West Germany
Communist League of West Germany
The Communist League of West Germany was a Maoist organization in West Germany which existed from 1973 until 1985. The KBW contested the general elections in 1976 and 1980 in West Germany and was rated as the strongest of the German Maoist parties from 1974 until 1981...
(Kommunistischer Bund Westdeutschland; KBW). From the 1980s onwards, he became active in Heidelberg municipal politics for the Green-Alternative List.
In 1984, he was elected into the town council of Heidelberg and became member of the Green party, the starting point of his political career with Alliance 90/The Greens. In 1988, he was elected in the Landtag (state parliament) of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. He was Member of the Landtag until 1996.
After a "family year", in 1997 Bütikofer became co-chairman of the Baden-Württembergian Green party. Two years later he was elected secretary general of the federal party. In December, 2002 he became co-chairman of the federal party. On 3 March 2008 he announced not to stand again as a party chairman and to run for European Parliament in 2009, to which he was elected.
Bütikofer is a MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
since 2009. He is speaker of the German Greens EP group as well as deputy leader of the parliamentary group and treasurer of the GREENS/EFA parliamentary group. Bütikofer is member of the committee for industry, research and energy (ITRE), deputy member of the committee for foreign affairs (AFET), member of the sub-committee for security and defense (SEDE) and its Green co-ordinator. He is member of the USA- and deputy member of the China-delegation of the European Parliament.
Bütikofer is a member of the board of the Aspen Institute Berlin, member of the Advisory board of the AJC Ramer center Berlin, member Europe/transatlantic adviser of the Boell foundation. Since December 2009 he also serves on the board of Europa-Union Deutschland, the German branch of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).
Bütikofer's father was a post office worker and his mother was a housewife. He has fathered three daughters with Henriette Katzenstein. In 2001, he married Renee Krebs.