Christian Lindner facts for kids
Christian Wolfgang Lindner (born 7 January 1979) is a German politician who was the Federal Minister of Finance from 2021 until he left office in 2024. He was also the leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) for a long time, from 2013 to 2025. He was a member of the German Parliament, called the Bundestag, from 2017 to 2025, and before that from 2009 to 2012. After the 2025 federal election, where his party did not get enough votes to be in parliament, Lindner announced he was leaving politics.
Quick facts for kids
Christian Lindner
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Leader of the Free Democratic Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 7 December 2013 – 16 May 2025 |
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| Deputy | Wolfgang Kubicki Nicola Beer Johannes Vogel |
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| General Secretary |
Nicola Beer Linda Teuteberg Volker Wissing Marco Buschmann |
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| Preceded by | Philipp Rösler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Christian Dürr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister of Finance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 8 December 2021 – 7 November 2024 |
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| Chancellor | Olaf Scholz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Olaf Scholz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jörg Kukies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Free Democratic Party in the Bundestag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 24 October 2017 – 7 December 2021 |
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| Chief Whip | Marco Buschmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Katja Suding Michael Theurer Stephan Thomae Alexander Graf Lambsdorff Christian Dürr Frank Sitta |
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| Preceded by | Rainer Brüderle (2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Christian Dürr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Free Democratic Party in the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 31 May 2012 – 10 October 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Gerhard Papke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Christof Rasche | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Free Democratic Party in North Rhine-Westphalia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 May 2012 – 27 November 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Daniel Bahr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Joachim Stamp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General Secretary of the Free Democratic Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 24 December 2009 – 14 December 2011 |
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| Leader | Guido Westerwelle Philipp Rösler |
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| Preceded by | Dirk Niebel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Patrick Döring | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Christian Wolfgang Lindner
7 January 1979 Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany (current-day Germany) |
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| Political party | FDP (1995–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses |
Dagmar Rosenfeld
(m. 2011; div. 2020)Franca Lehfeldt
(m. 2022) |
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| Alma mater | University of Bonn (MA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  |
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| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  Germany |
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| Branch/service |  Bundeswehr |
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| Years of service | 2002–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Major | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | German Air Force Reserve |
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Christian Lindner: A German Politician
Early Life and School
Christian Lindner was born in Wuppertal, which was then in West Germany, on January 7, 1979. His father was a teacher of math and computer science.
After finishing high school in 1998, Christian Lindner studied political science at the University of Bonn from 1999 to 2006. He earned a master's degree. He also started working on a higher degree, but he paused it because of his political work.
While studying, Lindner became a reserve officer in the German Air Force. He has been promoted several times and is now a Major in the Air Force Reserve.
Starting in Politics
Lindner joined the FDP party in 1995. He quickly became active in the party. In May 2000, when he was just 21, he was elected to the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. This made him the youngest member ever in that parliament.
From 2000 to 2009, he focused on topics like family and helping people from different backgrounds. He also became a vice-chairman of his party's group in the state parliament.
In 2009, Lindner became a member of the German Bundestag, which is the national parliament. From 2009 to 2011, he was also the Secretary General of the FDP at the national level. He later left this role after a disagreement within the party.
Leading the FDP Party
In 2012, Lindner was chosen to lead the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia for the state election. The party did better than expected, which was a big success for him. After this, he became the leader of the FDP group in the state parliament.
In 2013, the FDP did not get enough votes to enter the Bundestag for the first time since 1949. After this, the party leader resigned, and Christian Lindner was elected as the new chairman of the FDP.
He led the FDP's campaign for the 2017 state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia. The FDP joined the state government there. However, Lindner himself did not take a position in that government. He wanted to focus on leading the FDP back into the Bundestag in the national election later that year.
Back in the German Parliament
In the 2017 German federal election, Lindner successfully led the FDP back into the Bundestag. After this success, he became the leader of the FDP's group in the Bundestag.
In 2017, the FDP tried to form a government with other parties, but the talks did not succeed. This led to a longer time to form a government in Germany.
In 2021, Christian Lindner was re-elected as the FDP's national chairman. He was also chosen as the party's main candidate for the federal election that year.
Serving as Finance Minister
After the 2021 German federal election, the FDP agreed to join a new government with the Social Democrats and the Greens. This group of parties was called a "traffic light coalition." Christian Lindner became the Minister of Finance on December 8, 2021.
As Finance Minister, Lindner talked about targeting wealthy individuals who had gained from the Russian government. He said they should not be allowed to enjoy their money in Western countries.
In February 2022, after Russia started its invasion of Ukraine, Lindner initially thought Ukraine might not last long. However, he later supported the idea of using frozen money from Russia's central bank to help rebuild Ukraine.
In August 2022, Lindner announced plans to create a new office to fight money laundering in Germany. This office would help make sure that illegal money cannot be hidden easily.
Lindner strongly supported Germany's "debt brake" rule. This rule limits how much new debt the government can take on.
In July and August 2024, Lindner suggested that Germany might need to reduce its aid to Ukraine. He said that future aid should come from frozen Russian funds.
On November 6, 2024, the German Chancellor suggested that Lindner should be dismissed from his role. On November 7, he was officially dismissed. This event led to the collapse of the government coalition.
Life After Politics
Lindner led the FDP in the 2025 German federal election. As many expected, the FDP did not get enough votes to be in the Bundestag. Soon after the election results were announced, Lindner said he would retire from politics and step down as FDP leader.
Other Interests
Christian Lindner has also been involved with several international organizations and non-profit groups. These include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Monetary Fund. He is also a member of the business advisory board for the football club Borussia Dortmund.
What He Believes In
Supporting New Businesses
In 2015, Lindner gave a strong speech about how important it is to support people who start new businesses. He said that if someone tries to start a business and it doesn't work out, they should still get a second chance. He believed that society should encourage people to take risks and innovate.
Views on Money and Debt
After the 2017 elections, Lindner said that Germany should not take on new debt. He wanted to cut income taxes for middle-class workers while still investing in things like digital infrastructure.
Thoughts on Farmers' Protests
Lindner criticized some of the actions that happened during the German farmers' protests in 2023 and 2024.
Personal Life
In 2011, Christian Lindner married journalist Dagmar Rosenfeld. They separated in 2018. In 2018, he started dating journalist Franca Lehfeldt, and they married in 2022. Their daughter was born in April 2025.
See also
In Spanish: Christian Lindner para niños
