Manfred Weber facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manfred Weber
Weber in 2025
President of the European People's Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 June 2022
Preceded by	Donald Tusk
Leader of the European People's Party in the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2014
President	Donald Tusk Himself
Preceded by	Joseph Daul
Member of the European Parliament for Germany
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 June 2004
Member of the Landtag of Bavaria
In office 21 September 2003 – 12 June 2004
Personal details
Born	(1972-07-14) 14 July 1972 (age 53) Niederhatzkofen, West Germany
Political party	Christian Social Union
Education	Munich University of Applied Sciences

Manfred Weber (born on 14 July 1972) is a German politician. He has been the President of the European People's Party (EPP) since 2022. He also leads the EPP Group in the European Parliament since 2014.

Mr. Weber has been a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Germany since 2004. He belongs to the Christian Social Union (CSU) party. This party is part of the larger European People's Party.

In 2003, at 29 years old, Weber became the youngest member of the Bavarian state parliament. When he started leading the EPP Group in 2014, he was the youngest leader the group ever had. People see him as a calm and influential politician in European Union (EU) politics.

In 2018, Weber wanted to become the President of the European Commission. He was chosen as the EPP's main candidate, called Spitzenkandidat. In May 2019, his party won the most seats in the European Parliament. This made him the top choice for the presidency. However, Ursula von der Leyen was chosen instead.

Early Life and Education

Manfred Weber studied engineering at the Munich Higher Technical Institute. This school is now known as the Munich University of Applied Sciences. He finished his studies in 1996.

After college, from 1996 to 2014, he started his own business. It was a company that gave advice to others.

Political Journey

Starting in State Politics

From 2002 to 2014, Manfred Weber was a member of the local council in the Kelheim District. He also served in the Landtag of Bavaria, which is the Bavarian state parliament, from 2002 to 2004.

In 2003, Weber became the head of the Junge Union in Bavaria. This is the youth group of the CSU party. He held this role until 2007. He also joined the main board of the CSU party. In 2008, he became the head of the CSU in Lower Bavaria.

Becoming a Member of the European Parliament

Manfred Weber became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2004. From 2004 to 2012, he worked on the Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. This committee deals with things like human rights and safety. From 2012 to 2014, he was on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.

He also worked on other important topics. For example, he helped create a rule in 2008 about how EU countries should handle people who are staying illegally. This was a big step for EU laws.

After being re-elected in 2009, Weber became a vice-chairman of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament. He helped set the group's political plans, especially for justice and home affairs.

Since 2014, Weber has been the chairman of the EPP group. This means he is a very important leader in the European Parliament. He has worked with other top leaders, including Jean-Claude Juncker, who was the President of the European Commission.

Running for European Commission President

In September 2018, Manfred Weber announced he wanted to be the next President of the European Commission. This is a very powerful job in the EU. He was the main candidate for his party in the 2019 European election.

His party, the European People's Party, won the most seats in the election in May 2019. This meant he was the top candidate to take over from Jean-Claude Juncker. However, after discussions among EU leaders, Ursula von der Leyen was chosen for the role instead.

In 2022, Manfred Weber became the President of the EPP party.

Role in German Politics

In 2015, the leader of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, made Weber one of his deputies in the CSU party. This made him a key part of the party's leadership. In 2017, he helped in talks to form a new government in Germany. He worked on European policy. The German government also supported his bid to become President of the European Commission.

Views on Key Issues

European Unity

In 2014, Manfred Weber disagreed with then-British Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron wanted to slow down European integration, which means countries working more closely together. Weber said that the EU is built on countries becoming "ever closer." He believed that giving every national parliament a veto would stop Europe from moving forward.

However, he did support Britain's wish to influence decisions about the eurozone, even though Britain did not use the euro currency. He also said that Britain's idea to limit welfare payments for EU immigrants was fair.

In 2017, Weber said that if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) insisted on reducing Greece's debt, the IMF should not be part of the bailout plan anymore. This was different from his party's official view.

After the UK voted to leave the EU, Weber said it was a "very negative day." He believed that Britain would be less comfortable, safe, and economically strong outside the EU.

In 2018, Weber suggested giving free Interrail tickets to all EU citizens on their 18th birthday. These tickets would allow young people to travel freely across the EU for a month. He said it was "about bringing people together."

Issues with Hungary

In 2013, a report criticized Hungary for not protecting basic rights. Weber thought this was a political attack on the Hungarian government. However, in 2018, he supported a report that called for action against Hungary's government.

Even so, his party group was divided on the issue. Many voted for the action, but many also voted against it or did not vote.

Before the 2019 European Parliament election, Weber could not stop the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from putting up posters that criticized EU leaders. In March 2019, Orbán's party, Fidesz, had its membership in the EPP suspended. When Fidesz left the EPP group in 2021, Weber called it a "sad day."

Relations with Russia

In 2016, Weber criticized a plan for a new gas pipeline from Russia, called Nord Stream 2. He believed it would make the EU too dependent on Russia for gas. He suggested getting more gas from other places, like the Caspian Sea.

In 2021, after Alexei Navalny was arrested in Russia, Weber demanded that the EU stop financial deals with people close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Other Views

In March 2018, Weber voted against banning gay conversion therapies. Most other MEPs from his party voted to ban them.

In April 2023, there was a disagreement about the Doñana National Park in Spain. This park is a very important wetland. The local government wanted to allow more water to be taken from it, which the European Commission said was against the law. Weber disagreed with the Commission. He said they were playing "party politics."

In July 2023, Weber tried to stop a new law called the Nature Restoration Law. He argued that it would harm farmers and threaten food security.

In March 2024, the EPP party released a new plan. It included an idea for "offshore asylum schemes." This means sending people seeking asylum to other countries outside the EU. Some people saw this as a way to attract conservative voters, while others thought it was a move towards the far-right.

Other Activities

• Member of the Board of Trustees for the European Academy of Bavaria.
• Member of the Board of Trustees for the Institute for European Politics (IEP).
• Member of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK).
• Chairman of the Friends of Braunau in Rohr Abbey.

See also

In Spanish: Manfred Weber para niños