Christian Schmidt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency Christian Schmidt
Schmidt in 2024
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 August 2021
Preceded by	Valentin Inzko
Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure
Acting
In office 24 October 2017 – 14 March 2018
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Alexander Dobrindt
Succeeded by	Andreas Scheuer
Minister of Food and Agriculture
In office 17 February 2014 – 14 March 2018
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Hans-Peter Friedrich
Succeeded by	Julia Klöckner
Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
In office 17 December 2013 – 17 February 2014
Minister	Gerd Müller
Preceded by	Gudrun Kopp
Succeeded by	Thomas Silberhorn
Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence
In office 23 November 2005 – 17 December 2013
Minister	Franz Josef Jung Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg Thomas de Maizière
Preceded by	Walter Kolbow
Succeeded by	Ralf Brauksiepe
Parliamentary offices Member of the Bundestag for Fürth In office 20 December 1990 – 26 October 2021 Preceded by Werner Dollinger Succeeded by Tobias Winkler
Personal details
Born	(1957-08-26) 26 August 1957 (age 67) Obernzenn, Bavaria, West Germany
Political party	Christian Social Union
Spouse	Ria Hess ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Erlangen
Profession	Lawyer

Hans Christian Friedrich Schmidt (born 26 August 1957) is a German politician from the Christian Social Union (CSU) party. Since August 2021, he has served as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is an important international job to help keep peace in that country.

Before this role, Schmidt held several major positions in the German government. He was the Minister of Food and Agriculture from 2014 to 2018. He also worked as a top official in Germany's Ministry of Defence and Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. For over 30 years, from 1990 to 2021, he was a member of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament.

His appointment as High Representative has been controversial. Some countries, like Russia and China, and some leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not see his appointment as valid. As High Representative, he has used his special powers to change rules about elections, which has led to both praise and criticism.

Early Life and Schooling

Christian Schmidt was born in Obernzenn, a town in the German state of Bavaria. He went to the Georg-Willhem-Steller-Gymnasium in Bad Windsheim and graduated in 1976. After high school, he served in the German army's mountain division.

In 1977, he started studying law at universities in Erlangen, Germany, and Lausanne, Switzerland. He passed his final law exams in 1985 and became a lawyer. He worked as a lawyer until he took on a major government role in 2005.

Political Career in Germany

Schmidt became interested in politics when he was a student. In 1973, he joined the youth group of the Christian Social Union (CSU), a major political party in Bavaria. He held several leadership positions in the youth group and the main party over the years.

From 1984 to 1990, he was a town council member in his hometown of Obernzenn. This gave him early experience in local government.

Member of Parliament (1990–2021)

Schmidt with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Thomas de Maizière in 2012.

In 1990, Schmidt was elected to the Bundestag, Germany's national parliament. He served as a member for 31 years, representing the district of Fürth.

During his time in parliament, he focused on foreign policy and defence. He was the head of groups that worked on building friendships between Germany and other countries, including Israel, Great Britain, and the Baltic nations. He played a key role in important agreements between Germany and its neighbors, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Working in Government Ministries

Schmidt with former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in 2013.

In 2005, Schmidt was appointed as a Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence. This is like being a top assistant to the head of the ministry. He worked with three different defence ministers and helped manage Germany's armed forces. He was involved in important decisions, such as the restructuring of the army and supporting soldiers who were injured or became sick during their service.

From 2014 to 2018, Schmidt became the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture. In this role, he was in charge of Germany's farming policies. He dealt with challenges like falling milk prices, where he created a €100 million emergency plan to help dairy farmers. He also managed a major outbreak of bird flu, which required difficult decisions to stop the disease from spreading.

In 2017, he made a controversial decision about a weed killer called glyphosate. He voted to allow its use in the European Union, even though another German minister disagreed. This went against the government's usual rules and caused a public argument.

High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Schmidt (left) with Slovenian leaders in 2021.

In 2021, Schmidt left German politics to take on a new international role. He became the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The High Representative is an official appointed by the international community to oversee the peace agreement that ended the Bosnian War in 1995. This person has special powers, known as the "Bonn Powers," to make laws or remove officials who block progress.

Challenges and Controversies

Schmidt's appointment was not supported by everyone. Russia and China argued that he was not chosen correctly because the United Nations Security Council did not approve him. Some political leaders inside Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially from the Republika Srpska region, also refuse to recognize his authority.

Despite these challenges, Schmidt has used his powers several times.

• Election Law Changes: In 2022, right after the polls closed for a general election, he changed the country's election laws. He said the changes were needed to make the government work better. The changes were supported by the United States and the United Kingdom but were criticized by others who felt they deepened ethnic divisions.
• Government Formation: In 2023, after months of political stalemate, he used his powers to help form a new government in one of the country's two main regions, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Rule of Law: When leaders in Republika Srpska tried to ignore rulings from the country's top court, Schmidt stepped in and cancelled their new laws, stating they violated the peace agreement.

These actions show how powerful and controversial the role of the High Representative can be.

Other Work and Recognition

Schmidt with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg in 2023.

Throughout his career, Schmidt has been involved in many organizations focused on foreign policy and international relations. He has been the president of the German Atlantic Society, which works to strengthen ties between Germany and North America.

He has also received several awards from different countries for his work in politics and diplomacy. These include:

• Cross of the Order of Merit from Germany (2005)
• Bavarian Order of Merit (2007)
• Order of Ante Starčević from Croatia (2013)
• Orders from Latvia and Lithuania

See also

In Spanish: Christian Schmidt para niños