Frank-Walter Steinmeier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Steinmeier in 2024
President of Germany
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 March 2017
Chancellor	Angela Merkel Olaf Scholz Friedrich Merz
Preceded by	Joachim Gauck
Vice Chancellor of Germany
In office 21 November 2007 – 27 October 2009
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Franz Müntefering
Succeeded by	Guido Westerwelle
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 17 December 2013 – 27 January 2017
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Guido Westerwelle
Succeeded by	Sigmar Gabriel
In office 22 November 2005 – 27 October 2009
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Joschka Fischer
Succeeded by	Guido Westerwelle
Leader of the Opposition
In office 28 October 2009 – 16 December 2013
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Guido Westerwelle
Succeeded by	Gregor Gysi
Party political offices Leader of the Social Democratic Party in the Bundestag In office 29 September 2009 – 16 December 2013 Chief Whip Thomas Oppermann Preceded by Peter Struck Succeeded by Thomas Oppermann Leader of the Social Democratic Party Acting 7 September 2008 – 18 October 2008 Deputy Andrea Nahles Peer Steinbrück Himself Preceded by Kurt Beck Succeeded by Franz Müntefering Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic Party In office 26 October 2007 – 13 November 2009 Leader Kurt Beck Himself (acting) Franz Müntefering Preceded by Bärbel Dieckmann Succeeded by Olaf Scholz
Political civil servant Head of the Chancellery In office 31 July 1999 – 22 November 2005 Chancellor Gerhard Schröder Preceded by Bodo Hombach Succeeded by Thomas de Maizière State Secretary at the Chancellery Commissioner for the Federal Intelligence Services In office 27 October 1998 – 22 November 2005 Chancellor Gerhard Schröder Preceded by Bernd Schmidbauer (as Minister of State) Succeeded by Thomas de Maizière Head of the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony In office 30 October 1996 – 27 October 1998 Minister-President Gerhard Schröder Preceded by Willi Waike Succeeded by Peter-Jürgen Steiner
Parliamentary constituencies Member of the Bundestag for Brandenburg an der Havel – Potsdam-Mittelmark I – Havelland III – Teltow-Fläming I In office 27 October 2009 – 19 March 2017 Preceded by Margrit Spielmann Succeeded by Angelika Krüger-Leißner
Personal details
Born	(1956-01-05) 5 January 1956 (age 69) Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Political party	Social Democratic
Spouses	Elke Büdenbender ​ ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Giessen
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	Bundeswehr
Years of service	1974–1976
Unit	German Air Force

Frank-Walter Steinmeier (born 5 January 1956) is a German politician. He has been the President of Germany since 2017. Before becoming president, he was the federal minister for foreign affairs from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017. He also served as vice chancellor of Germany from 2007 to 2009.

Steinmeier is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He has a doctorate in law and used to work as a civil servant. He was a close helper to Gerhard Schröder when Schröder was a state leader in the 1990s. Later, when Schröder became Chancellor of Germany in 1998, Steinmeier became his chief of staff.

After the 2005 federal election, Steinmeier became the foreign minister in a big government partnership led by Angela Merkel. He also became vice chancellor in 2007. In 2008, he was briefly the acting leader of his party. He ran for chancellor in the 2009 election but his party lost. He then became the leader of the opposition. After the 2013 election, he became foreign minister again. In 2016, he was chosen as the candidate for President of Germany by the main political parties. He was elected president in February 2017 and started his term in March 2017. He was re-elected for a second term in February 2022.

Steinmeier is known for being a moderate politician who likes reforms. As chief of staff, he helped create "Agenda 2010," which were reforms to Germany's welfare system. Some of his policies towards countries like Russia and China have been criticized.

About Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Early Life and School

Frank-Walter Steinmeier was born in 1956 in Detmold, Germany. His friends call him Frank. His father was a carpenter, and his mother was a refugee from Silesia after World War II.

After finishing high school, Steinmeier served in the military from 1974 to 1976. Then he studied law and political science at the University of Giessen. He finished his law exams in 1982 and 1986. He worked at the university until he earned his doctorate in law in 1991. His special project was about how the government can help prevent people from becoming homeless.

Family Life

Steinmeier is married to Elke Büdenbender and they have one daughter. In 2010, he donated a kidney to his wife to help her.

Hobbies and Interests

Steinmeier enjoys listening to jazz music. He is also a big fan of football.

Early Career in Government

In 1991, Steinmeier started working as an adviser in the government of Lower Saxony. In 1993, he became the director of the personal office for the state's prime minister, Gerhard Schröder. By 1996, he was the Secretary of State and head of the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony.

Political Career in Germany

Working for Chancellor Schröder (1998–2005)

In 1998, after Schröder became Chancellor, Steinmeier was appointed as a junior official in the Chancellor's office. He was also in charge of coordinating Germany's intelligence services. In 1999, he became the head of the Chancellor's office. He was an important adviser to Schröder and helped pass major economic reforms. People sometimes called him "the grey efficiency" because he worked effectively behind the scenes.

In 2003, he supported Schröder's decision to work with Russia and France against the U.S.-led war in Iraq. He also approved sending a German intelligence officer to work with the American commander in Qatar during the Iraq War.

A notable event during his time was the case of Murat Kurnaz, a German-born Turk held at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Steinmeier stated that Germany had concerns about Kurnaz being a threat. Kurnaz was later released and returned to Germany after Angela Merkel became chancellor.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2009)

First Time as Foreign Minister (2005–2009)

In November 2005, Steinmeier became the Foreign Minister of Germany in a government led by Angela Merkel. He was the first SPD foreign minister in many years.

In 2007, he also became the Vice-Chancellor of Germany. He generally worked well with Angela Merkel on foreign policy. However, they sometimes had different ideas, for example, about when German troops should leave Afghanistan. He also supported Turkey joining the European Union, unlike Merkel.

Steinmeier was known for his friendly approach towards Russia. He believed in working closely with Russia, similar to the "Ostpolitik" policy from the 1970s. He helped Russia join the WTO in 2011.

In 2008, he became the first foreign official to meet with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after they took their new roles.

Leader of the Opposition (2009–2013)

In September 2008, Steinmeier was chosen as the SPD candidate for chancellor in the 2009 federal elections. He also became the acting SPD Chairman. He campaigned for new tax rules and minimum wages.

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaking at a dinner in Berlin, September 2014

After his party lost the election, Steinmeier became the leader of the SPD's group in the Bundestag, which made him the leader of the opposition. He often criticized Angela Merkel's government during this time.

Second Time as Foreign Minister (2013–2017)

After the 2013 elections, Steinmeier was appointed foreign minister again in December 2013. He started a big review of Germany's foreign policy, asking many people for their ideas.

Steinmeier with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in March 2015

He played a key role in trying to solve the Russo-Ukrainian War. He suggested a bigger role for the OSCE to help with talks in Ukraine. The "Steinmeier formula" became known as part of the Minsk II agreement for a ceasefire. He also hosted meetings in Berlin to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine.

Steinmeier with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran, February 2016

In 2015, Steinmeier helped bring together different groups from Libya to discuss a peace plan. He also helped organize the International Syria Support Group to discuss the conflict in Syria.

Political Views

Human Rights

Steinmeier believes that ending the death penalty is very important for human rights. He has called for it to be abolished in countries like Uzbekistan. He also criticized the large number of death sentences in Egypt in 2014. After a coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, he warned that bringing back the death penalty would stop Turkey from joining the European Union.

European Cooperation

Steinmeier has always supported strong cooperation within Europe. He has worked to strengthen the European Union. He believes that countries should work together to solve problems like the European debt crisis. He also supported finding solutions for Greece's financial issues.

Relations with Other Countries

France

Steinmeier has worked closely with French foreign ministers. They have traveled together on diplomatic missions to various countries.

Steinmeier with Vladimir Putin, March 2016

Russia

Steinmeier has often emphasized the need for dialogue with Russia. He believed that excluding Russia from international discussions was not helpful. In 2016, he criticized NATO for what he called "sabre-rattling" towards Russia.

United States

Steinmeier supported Barack Obama during his presidential campaign. In 2016, he called then-candidate Donald Trump a "hate preacher." After Trump's election, Steinmeier was critical of his views.

Middle East

Steinmeier and Israels President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, November 2023

President of Israel Isaac Herzog and President Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier visit Kibbutz Be'eri, where Steinmeier announced Germany would contribute 7 million euros for the reconstruction of Kibbutz Be'eri's gallery that was burned by Hamas, 27 November 2023

In the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Steinmeier supports a two-state solution. He believes that both Israelis and Palestinians should have their own states. He has said that Israeli settlements make peace harder to achieve. He also supported Israel during the Gaza war and asked Arabs in Germany to distance themselves from Hamas.

Steinmeier visited Iran in 2015, the first German foreign minister to do so in 12 years. He saw the nuclear agreement with Iran as a chance for more diplomacy in the Middle East.

He has also visited refugee camps in Jordan to understand the situation of Syrians fleeing the war. He agreed that Germany should help destroy Syria's chemical weapons.

Greece

In 2015, Steinmeier rejected claims from Greece for war reparations from Germany related to World War II. He stated that all such issues had been legally settled.

Namibia

In February 2024, Steinmeier apologized to Namibia for the Herero and Nama genocide that happened between 1904 and 1908. He said it was "high time" for Germany to apologize.

Challenges and Debates

Meeting the Dalai Lama

In 2007, Steinmeier openly criticized Angela Merkel for meeting with the Dalai Lama. He believed such a meeting might not help improve rights in China and Tibet. In 2008, he himself chose not to meet the Dalai Lama, saying it took "a lot of courage not to meet with the Dalai Lama these days."

Murat Kurnaz Case

Steinmeier faced questions about the case of Murat Kurnaz, who was held in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. There were claims that Steinmeier had refused an offer to bring Kurnaz back to Germany earlier. Steinmeier denied blocking his release.

Armenian Events

During a debate in 2015 about Germany's recognition of the Armenian genocide, Steinmeier was hesitant to support it. He was criticized for his position, especially because of Germany's relationship with Turkey. When the German Bundestag voted in 2016 to recognize the killings of Armenians as a genocide, Steinmeier did not vote for it.

University Work Questions

After the 2013 elections, Steinmeier faced questions about his 1991 university paper. Some people claimed he had copied parts of it without giving credit. Steinmeier denied this and asked his university to check his work. In May 2013, the university found that he had not tried to cheat, but noted some "technical weaknesses" in his citations. They decided not to take away his degree.

Presidency (2017–Present)

Becoming President

When President Joachim Gauck announced he would not run again in 2016, a search began for a new candidate. In November 2016, the main political parties agreed to support Steinmeier for president.

On 12 February 2017, Germany's Federal Convention elected Steinmeier as President on the first try. He received 931 out of 1,260 votes. He officially became President on 19 March 2017.

After the 2017 Election

Steinmeier with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv, May 2018

After the federal election in September 2017, political parties tried to form a new government. When talks failed, Steinmeier played an important role. He encouraged parties to continue discussions to avoid new elections. Eventually, the CDU, CSU, and SPD formed a new government.

Presidential Views

In October 2017, Steinmeier visited Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow. This was the first visit by a German president since 2010.

Second Presidential Term

Steinmeier with Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin in Helsinki, April 2022

Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva in Baku, Azerbaijan, 2 April 2025

On 13 February 2022, he was re-elected for his second term as president.

Ukraine Situation

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Steinmeier said he regretted his earlier support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. He called for a trial for war crimes against Russian leaders. In April 2022, he planned to visit Kyiv but was told he would not be welcome. This was seen as a significant rejection. Ukraine had criticized his past connections to Russia.

On 25 October 2022, Steinmeier made an official visit to Ukraine. He spoke about the horrors of the war and warned that "tougher, rough years are ahead of us." In November 2022, he said that a ceasefire at that time would mean Russia would keep the territories it had taken. He condemned Russia's attacks on civilians and power supplies.

Poland Relations

On 1 August 2024, Steinmeier expressed regret to the survivors of the Warsaw Uprising during World War II. He mentioned plans for a monument in Berlin to honor Polish victims of Nazi Germany.

Other Activities

Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been involved in many organizations. These include groups that promote Christian-Jewish cooperation, peace, and organ transplantation.

Awards and Recognition

Steinmeier has received many honors and awards throughout his career. These include honorary doctorates from several universities and various national and international medals.

Some Awards and Honors

• Willy Brandt Prize (2013)
• Honorary citizen of Reims (2015)
• Honorary doctorate from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2015)
• Ignatz Bubis Award (2017)
• World Food Programme's Hunger Hero Award (2017)
• Leo Baeck Medal (2021)
• Henry A. Kissinger Prize (2022)

National Honors

• Grand Master of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (since 2017)

Foreign Honors

He has received high honors from many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

See also

In Spanish: Frank-Walter Steinmeier para niños

• List of foreign ministers in 2017