Stefan Birkner

German politician (born 1973)

Stefan Birkner MdL
Birkner in 2017

Leader of the Free Democratic Party in Lower Saxony
In office 25 September 2011 – 11 March 2023
General Secretary	Konstantin Kuhle
Deputy	Jörg Bode Sylvia Bruns Christiane Ratjen-Damerau
Preceded by	Philipp Rösler
Succeeded by	Konstantin Kuhle
Leader of the Free Democratic Party in the Landtag of Lower Saxony
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 September 2017
Deputy	Björn Försterling
Preceded by	Christian Dürr
Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection of Lower Saxony
In office 18 January 2012 – 19 February 2013
Minister-President	David McAllister
Preceded by	Hans-Heinrich Sander
Succeeded by	Stefan Wenzel
State Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment of Lower Saxony
In office 26 February 2008 – 17 January 2012
Minister-President	Christian Wulff David McAllister
Minister	Hans-Heinrich Sander
Succeeded by	Ulla Ihnen
Member of the Landtag of Lower Saxony
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 February 2008
Constituency	FDP List

Personal details
Born	(1973-04-12) 12 April 1973 (age 51) Münsterlingen, Thurgau, Switzerland
Citizenship	German
Nationality	German
Political party	Free Democratic Party (1991–present)
Children	2
Alma mater	Leibniz University Hannover
Occupation	Politician

Stefan Birkner (born 12 April 1973 in Münsterlingen) is a German lawyer and politician for the Free Democratic Party (FDP). From 2011 to 2023, he chaired the FDP in Lower Saxony.^[1]

Political career

Birkner was elected to the State Parliament of Lower Saxony in the 2008 state elections. However, in February 2008 he left the Landtag to become a State Secretary for the State Minister of the Environment in the second cabinet Wulff, Hans-Heinrich Sander. He was replaced by Christian Grascha. From January 2012 until 2013, he served as State Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Protection in the government of Minister-President David McAllister.

In September 2017, Birkner succeeded Christian Dürr as chairman of the FDP's parliamentary group.

In the negotiations to form a so-called traffic light coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Green Party and the FDP following the 2021 federal elections, Birkner led his party's delegation in the working group on environment policy; his co-chairs from the other parties were Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (SPD) and Steffi Lemke (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen).^[2]

Birkner was nominated by his party as a delegate to the Federal Convention to elect the President of Germany in 2022.^[3]

Life after politics

In February 2023, Birkner joined consulting firm Ernst & Young.^[4] In April 2023, he was nominated by Federal Minister for Digital and Transport Volker Wissing to lead the executive board of the Autobahn GmbH, a state-owned entity;^[5] amid public criticm around the appointment, he withdrew his name from consideration.^[6]

Other activities

Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA), Alternate Member of the Advisory Board (2012–2013)

Personal life

Birkner is married. His brother-in-law is fellow politician Robert Habeck.^[7]

References

^ Konstantin Kuhle ist neuer FDP-Landeschef in Niedersachsen Norddeutscher Rundfunk, 11 March 2023.
^ Andreas Apetz and Thomas Kaspar (October 22, 2021), Ampel-Koalition: Alle Verantwortlichen, AGs und Themen im Überblick Frankfurter Rundschau.
^ Drucksache 18/10450: Niedersächsische Mitglieder der 17. Bundesversammlung am 13. Februar 2022 State Parliament of Lower Saxony.
^ Lars Laue (10 March 2023), Nach Wahlschlappe: Mit Doppelspitze? Wie die Niedersachsen-FDP sich wieder aufrichten will Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
^ Jens Tartler (14 April 2023), Seriöses Auswahlverfahren gefordert: SPD und Grüne torpedieren Wissings Spitzen-Mann für die Autobahn GmbH Der Tagesspiegel.
^ Reinhard Bingener (18 June 2023), Wissings Wunschkandidat für Autobahngesellschaft sagt ab Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
^ Teresa Havlicek (16 August 2012), FDP-Spitzenkandidat in Niedersachsen: Der leise Liberale Die Tageszeitung.