Hannelore Kraft facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hannelore Kraft MdL MdBR a. D.
Kraft in 2017
Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia
In office 14 July 2010 – 27 June 2017
Deputy	Sylvia Löhrmann
Preceded by	Jürgen Rüttgers
Succeeded by	Armin Laschet
President of the Bundesrat
In office 1 November 2010 – 31 October 2011
Deputy	Jens Böhrnsen
Preceded by	Jens Böhrnsen
Succeeded by	Horst Seehofer
Leader of the Social Democratic Party in North Rhine-Westphalia
In office 20 January 2007 – 14 May 2017
Deputy	Marc Herter Elvan Korkmaz
Preceded by	Jochen Dieckmann
Succeeded by	Michael Groschek
Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic Party
In office 13 November 2009 – 14 May 2017
Leader	Sigmar Gabriel Martin Schulz
Preceded by	Andrea Nahles
Succeeded by	Natascha Kohnen
Minister of Science and Research of North Rhine-Westphalia
In office 12 November 2002 – 31 May 2005
Minister-President	Peer Steinbrück
Preceded by	Gabriele Behler
Succeeded by	Andreas Pinkwart
Minister of Federal and European Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia
In office 24 April 2001 – 12 November 2002
Minister-President	Wolfgang Clement
Preceded by	Detlev Samland
Succeeded by	Wolfram Kuschke
Member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia for Mülheim I (Mülheim an der Ruhr II – Essen VII; 2000–2005)
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 June 2000
Preceded by	Constituency established
Personal details
Born	Hannelore Külzhammer (1961-06-12) 12 June 1961 (age 64) Mülheim an der Ruhr, West Germany
Political party	Social Democratic Party
Alma mater	Comprehensive University of Duisburg
Signature
Website	www.hannelore-kraft.de

Hannelore Kraft (born Hannelore Külzhammer on 12 June 1961) is a German politician. She served as the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2010 to 2017. This made her the first woman to lead the government of this important German state. She was also the third woman to become the head of a state government in Germany.

From November 2010 to October 2011, she was the President of the Bundesrat. This was another first, as she was the first woman to hold this position. The Bundesrat is like an upper house of parliament where German states are represented. She was also a leader in the SPD, a major political party in Germany.

Early Life and Education

Hannelore Kraft grew up as the daughter of a streetcar driver and a ticket collector. After finishing school in 1980, she first trained to be a bank clerk. In 1982, she began studying economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen. She also spent time studying in London at King's College London in 1986 and 1987. She completed her studies in Duisburg in 1989.

Career Journey

Starting Her Career

From 1989 to 2001, Hannelore Kraft worked as a consultant and project manager at a company called ZENIT GmbH. This company focused on innovation and technology in Mülheim an der Ruhr. She also led the local European Info Centre there.

Beginning in Politics

Kraft joined the SPD in 1994. She became interested in politics after leading a works council and facing challenges finding a nursery for her son. In the 2000 North Rhine-Westphalia state election, she was elected to the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Landtag is the state parliament.

On 24 April 2001, she became the Minister for Federal and European Affairs. Later, from November 2002 to May 2005, she served as the Minister for Science and Research.

Kraft was also chosen several times to be a delegate for the Federal Convention. This convention is held to elect the President of Germany.

Leading the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia (2005-2010)

After the SPD lost the state election in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2005, Kraft was chosen to lead the SPD's group in the state parliament. This made her the leader of the opposition in the state. In 2007, she became the chairperson of the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In November 2009, Kraft was elected as one of the four vice-chairs of the national SPD party. In February 2010, she was confirmed as the SPD's candidate for Minister-President in the state election.

First Term as Minister-President (2010-2012)

The state election on 9 May 2010 was very close. Kraft's preferred coalition, made up of the SPD and the Green Party, was one seat short of a majority.

Despite this, Hannelore Kraft was elected Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia on 14 July 2010. She formed a minority government with ministers from the Social Democrats and the Greens. This meant her government did not have a full majority of seats in the parliament. For almost two years, she led the state by getting votes for her plans from different opposition parties. She and her deputy, Sylvia Löhrmann from the Green Party, called their government the "invitation coalition."

Kraft and Löhrmann also managed to reach an agreement with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) on the structure of secondary schools. This agreement aimed to bring peace to a long-standing debate until 2023.

Kraft gained attention for a speech she gave after a tragic event at the Love Parade music festival in July 2010. She spoke about waiting anxiously to hear from her son, who was at the event.

In October 2010, Kraft was elected President of the Bundesrat. She took office on 1 November 2010, becoming the first woman to hold this position. She remained in office until 31 October 2011.

In December 2011, Kraft was strongly supported by her party members, receiving 97 percent of votes to confirm her as a vice-chair of the SPD.

Her government faced a challenge in 2012 when her budget plans were not approved. This led to an early election.

Second Term as Minister-President (2012-2017)

The 2012 North Rhine-Westphalia state election resulted in the SPD-Green coalition winning a clear majority. This allowed Kraft to continue as Minister-President.

After the May 2012 elections, Kraft was very popular in polls among German politicians. This led to talk that she might become a candidate for Chancellor. However, she announced that she wanted to stay in her home state for the five-year term she had just won.

In 2013, Kraft was part of the SPD team that negotiated to form a new German government with Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU parties. She worked on energy issues and supported the coal industry, which is important in her state.

In 2014, Kraft's government planned record spending while working to reduce the state's debt. She also often criticized Merkel's policies on government spending during the debt crisis.

In March 2014, Kraft welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Duisburg. He was visiting the last stop on the Yuxinou Railway, a train route between Europe and Asia.

After her party lost the 2017 North Rhine-Westphalia state election, Kraft remained a member of the State Parliament. She now serves on the Committee on Sports. She also joined the supervisory board of RAG AG, a company. In 2019, her official portrait was revealed. In 2020, she announced that she would not run in the 2022 state elections.

Political Views

Energy Policies

In 2012, Kraft focused on investing in renewable energy for her second term. She aimed for more than 30 percent of electricity in North Rhine-Westphalia to come from renewable sources by 2025. In 2013, Kraft asked Angela Merkel to use tax money to lower electricity costs for people by 25 percent.

Regarding hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a method for extracting oil and natural gas, Kraft stated in 2014 that there would be no fracking for unconventional natural gas in North Rhine-Westphalia while she was governor. She also helped pass stricter rules for fracking through the Bundesrat.

Tax Evasion

Early in her time as Minister-President, Kraft focused on stopping tax evasion. This allowed her to use her power in her state and in the Bundesrat. In 2013, Kraft led the Bundesrat's opposition to a tax agreement with Switzerland. She eventually blocked it, saying it was too easy on people who avoided paying taxes.

Immigration

In summer 2015, when Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed many asylum seekers to travel to Germany, Kraft said this sent a signal to thousands of migrants to head straight for Germany. At that time, North Rhine-Westphalia was taking in about one-fifth of the new arrivals.

Relations with France

Kraft worked with Senator Catherine Troendle as co-chairwoman of the German-French Friendship Group. This group was set up by the German Bundesrat and the French Senate.

In 2014, marking 100 years since the start of World War I, Kraft opened a memorial for Armistice Day in France. She was joined by French President François Hollande and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, as well as British and Belgian officials.

On 26 March 2015, Kraft joined Merkel, Hollande, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at the crash site of Germanwings Flight 9525. North Rhine-Westphalia was the state where the plane was headed, and many of the passengers lived there. The next day, she and Germany's President Joachim Gauck attended a memorial service in Haltern for 16 students and two teachers from a local high school who died in the crash.

Other Roles and Memberships

Company Boards

• RAG AG, Member of the supervisory board (since 2017)

Non-profit Organizations

• Stiftung Duisburg 24.7.2017, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2018)
• Heinz Kühn Foundation, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees
• Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, Member of the Board
• Deutsches Museum, Member of the Board
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Member of the Board
• German Children and Youth Foundation (DKJS), Member of the Board
• North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts, Member of the Board
• IG Metall, Member (since 1995)
• Charlemagne Prize Foundation, Member of the Board (2010-2017)
• North Rhine-Westphalian Foundation for the Environment and Development, chairwoman of the Board (2010-2017)
• Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees (2010-2017)
• Kunststiftung NRW, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees (2010-2017)
• Development and Peace Foundation (SEF), chairwoman of the Board of Trustees (2010-2017)

Awards and Recognition

• 2007 – Ehrenring des Rheinlandes
• 2010 – Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia
• 2012 – Marie-Juchacz-Plakette
• 2018 – Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Personal Life

Hannelore Kraft is married and has one son. She was formerly Catholic but later became a Protestant, joining the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland.

See also

In Spanish: Hannelore Kraft para niños