Ronald Pofalla
Encyclopedia
Ronald Pofalla is a German
politician
, currently serving as the Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery
and a Federal Minister for Special Affairs
in the Second Cabinet Merkel.
From 2004 to 2005 he was deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU
's parliamentary group in the Bundestag
, and served as the Secretary General of the CDU from 2005 to 2009, when he was appointed to cabinet, succeeding Thomas de Maizière
as Chief of Staff.
Pofalla studied social pedagogy
at the Fachhochschule
in Kleve
. After finishing with a Diplom
in 1981 he studied law
at the University of Cologne
. In 1991 he passed the second Staatsexamen
. Since that time Pofalla has been licensed to work as a lawyer
.
Pofalla has been a member of the CDU
since 1975. At first he was engaged in the Junge Union
. He was chairman of the JU in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
from 1986 to 1992.
Since 1990 he has been a member of the Bundestag
.
Ronald Pofalla has been repeatedly critizised for being rude towards other representatives of the Bundestag and other secretaries of the german government. In September 2011 he seriously insulted Wolfgang Bosbach
, senior group leader of the CDU/CSU
-group in the Bundestag after an in-house discussion about the enhancement of the European Financial Stability Facility
.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, currently serving as the Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery
German Chancellery
The German Chancellery is a federal agency serving the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German federal government. The chief of the Chancellery holds the rank of either a Secretary of State or a Federal Minister ...
and a Federal Minister for Special Affairs
Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany
A Federal Minister for Special Affairs is a federal minister without portfolio of Germany.Currently, the title is commonly given to the head of the Chancellery to provide him with a vote in cabinet meetings...
in the Second Cabinet Merkel.
From 2004 to 2005 he was deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU
CDU/CSU
CDU/CSU, unofficially also referred to as the Union parties or the Union, is the name of the Bundestag parliamentary faction comprising the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria , considered to be sister parties...
's parliamentary group in the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
, and served as the Secretary General of the CDU from 2005 to 2009, when he was appointed to cabinet, succeeding Thomas de Maizière
Thomas de Maizière
Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière is a German politician , currently serving as the Minister of Defence in the Second Cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel....
as Chief of Staff.
Pofalla studied social pedagogy
Social pedagogy
Social Pedagogy is an academic discipline concerned with theory and practice of holistic education and care. The term 'pedagogy' originates from the Greek pais and agein , with the prefix 'social' emphasising that upbringing is not only the responsibility of parents but a shared responsibility of...
at the Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
in Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
. After finishing with a Diplom
Diplom
A Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
in 1981 he studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
. In 1991 he passed the second Staatsexamen
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
. Since that time Pofalla has been licensed to work as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Pofalla has been a member of the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
since 1975. At first he was engaged in the Junge Union
Junge Union
The Junge Union Deutschlands or JU is the jointyouth organisation of the two conservative German political parties CDU and CSU...
. He was chairman of the JU in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
from 1986 to 1992.
Since 1990 he has been a member of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
.
Ronald Pofalla has been repeatedly critizised for being rude towards other representatives of the Bundestag and other secretaries of the german government. In September 2011 he seriously insulted Wolfgang Bosbach
Wolfgang Bosbach
Wolfgang Bosbach is a German politician and member of the conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union , which he joined in 1972. A lawyer by profession, Bosbach is a partner at Winter, Jansen & Lamsfuß in Bergisch Gladbach...
, senior group leader of the CDU/CSU
CSU
The acronym CSU may refer to:*Constant speed unit - a mechanical device on an aircraft propeller that regulates engine speed by automatically changing pitch.*Concordia Student Union*Channel Service Unit - a WAN equivalent of a network interface card....
-group in the Bundestag after an in-house discussion about the enhancement of the European Financial Stability Facility
European Financial Stability Facility
The European Financial Stability Facility is a special purpose vehicle financed by members of the eurozone to combat the European sovereign debt crisis. It was agreed by the 27 member states of the European Union on 9 May 2010, aiming at preserving financial stability in Europe by providing...
.