Manuela Schwesig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manuela Schwesig MdL MdBR
Schwesig in 2024
President of the Bundesrat
In office 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024
First Vice President	Peter Tschentscher
Preceded by	Peter Tschentscher
Succeeded by	Anke Rehlinger
Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2017
Deputy	Lorenz Caffier Harry Glawe Simone Oldenburg
Preceded by	Erwin Sellering
Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 June 2017
Deputy	Stefan Sternberg Nadine Julitz Christian Pegel Erik von Malottki Reem Alabali-Radovan
General Secretary	Julian Barlen
Preceded by	Erwin Sellering
Leader of the Social Democratic Party
Acting
In office 3 June 2019 – 10 September 2019 Serving with Malu Dreyer, Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel
General Secretary	Lars Klingbeil
Preceded by	Andrea Nahles
Succeeded by	Norbert Walter-Borjans Saskia Esken
Deputy Leader of the Social Democratic Party
In office 13 November 2009 – 10 September 2019
Leader	Sigmar Gabriel Martin Schulz Andrea Nahles
Preceded by	Peer Steinbrück
Succeeded by	Klara Geywitz
Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
In office 17 December 2013 – 2 June 2017
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Preceded by	Kristina Schröder
Succeeded by	Katarina Barley
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Cabinet Minister of Labour, Equality and Social Affairs In office 25 October 2011 – 16 December 2013 Minister-President Erwin Sellering Preceded by herself (Social Affairs) Jürgen Seidel (Labour) Succeeded by Birgit Hesse Minister of Health and Social Affairs In office 6 October 2008 – 25 October 2011 Minister-President Erwin Sellering Preceded by Erwin Sellering Succeeded by herself (Social Affairs)
Landtag constituencies Member of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for Schwerin I Incumbent Assumed office 26 October 2021 Preceded by Erwin Sellering (2019) In office 4 October 2011 – 14 January 2014 Preceded by Gottfried Timm Succeeded by Dagmar Kaselitz
Personal details
Born	Manuela Frenzel (1974-05-23) 23 May 1974 (age 51) Frankfurt (Oder), Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder), East Germany (now Brandenburg, Germany)
Political party	Social Democratic Party (2003–)
Spouse	Stefan Schwesig ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	2
Residence	Schwerin
Alma mater	Fachhochschule für Finanzen Brandenburg
Occupation	Politician Tax Investigator Civil Servant

Manuela Schwesig (born 23 May 1974) is a German politician. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Since 2017, she has been the Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This means she is the head of government for that German state. She was the first woman to hold this important job.

Before that, from 2013 to 2017, she was a federal minister in Germany. She was the Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. She also served as the President of the Bundesrat (a council of German states) from November 2023 to October 2024.

Her Early Life and School Days

Manuela Schwesig was born in Frankfurt (Oder), which was then in East Germany. She grew up in a nearby town called Seelow. When she was a teenager in 1990, she had a small acting role in a German movie.

After finishing high school in 1992, she studied to work in the government's tax department. She went to a special college for finance in Königs Wusterhausen.

Starting Her Political Journey

Local Politics in Schwerin

Manuela Schwesig joined the SPD political party in 2003 when she was 29 years old. Soon after, from 2004 to 2008, she became a member of the city council in Schwerin. This was her first step into politics.

Working in National Politics

In 2008, she became the State Minister of Social Affairs and Health in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This was a big job in her home state. In 2009, she became a Deputy Leader of the SPD at the national level.

Before the 2009 national elections, she was chosen to be part of the SPD's "shadow cabinet." This was a group of politicians who showed what the party would do if they won the election. She was the shadow minister for family affairs.

She was also chosen several times to be a delegate for the Federal Convention. This group meets to elect the President of Germany.

Leading the Family Ministry

After the 2013 elections, Manuela Schwesig became the Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. She was the youngest person in the government's cabinet at 39 years old.

In this role, she worked on important issues for families, seniors, women, and young people across Germany.

Becoming Minister-President

In May 2017, Manuela Schwesig announced she would become the new Minister President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. She took over from Erwin Sellering. Because of this, she left her job as a federal minister in June 2017. On July 4, 2017, she officially became the Minister President.

As Minister President, she also represents her state in the Bundesrat. This is like a second parliament in Germany where representatives from each state work together.

In 2019, she became one of the interim (temporary) leaders of the SPD party at the national level. However, she stepped down from this role in September 2019. This was because she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She later announced in May 2020 that she had successfully overcome the illness.

In 2021, Manuela Schwesig led her party in the state election for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Her campaign focused on her strong leadership, using the slogan "The woman for MV." Her party won a big victory. They then formed a new government with another party called The Left.

What She Cares About

Protecting Children

Manuela Schwesig is a member of the German Child Protection League. She works hard to help children, especially those living in poverty. She also wants to make sure there are good childcare facilities for everyone.

She believes that people working in nurseries should promise to follow Germany's basic laws, which are like the country's constitution.

Helping Women Succeed

Manuela Schwesig has worked to help women in Germany. In 2015, she helped pass a law that requires big companies to have a certain number of women on their main boards. She also wanted a law that would let women see if they are paid the same as men for the same work.

She has also pushed for more government-supported childcare options for families. In 2016, she helped update laws to better protect women who are pregnant or new mothers, including students and interns.

Standing Up Against Extremism

Manuela Schwesig has spoken out against political extremism. In 2014, she said that a far-right party should not get into parliament. This party complained to a court, saying she was not being neutral.

However, the court decided that her comments were part of the "political struggle of opinion." This means that as a politician, she has the right to express her views on other political parties.

Other Things She Does

Manuela Schwesig is involved in many other organizations:

• Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO), a group that helps young people from France and Germany connect.
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), a foundation that supports democracy and education.
• Deutsche Telekom, Yes, I can! Initiative for Children and Young People, a group that helps young people.
• Deutsches Museum, a large science and technology museum.
• Plan International Deutschland, an organization that works for children's rights.
• Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie (Against Forgetting – For Democracy), a group that promotes democracy.
• German Association for the Protection of Children (DKSB).
• German Forum for Crime Prevention (DFK).
• Mecklenburg State Theatre, a theater in her home state.
• Total E-Quality initiative, which promotes equal opportunities in the workplace.

Her Personal Life

Manuela Schwesig is married and has two children.

In September 2019, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She stepped down from her national political roles to focus on her health. In May 2020, she shared the good news that she had recovered from the illness.

Images for kids

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  Schwesig in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Manuela Schwesig para niños