Norbert Röttgen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Norbert Röttgen
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Röttgen in 2021
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| Member of the CDU Committee | |
| Assumed office 16 January 2021 Serving with Bernd Althusmann, Monika Grütters, Michael Kretschmer, Karl-Josef Laumann, Annette Widmann-Mauz and Reiner Haseloff
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| Leader | Armin Laschet Friedrich Merz |
| Preceded by | Jens Spahn |
| Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 15 January 2014 – 15 December 2021 |
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| Deputy | Franz Thönnes Daniela De Ridder |
| Preceded by | Ruprecht Polenz (2013) |
| Succeeded by | Michael Roth |
| Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety | |
| In office 28 October 2009 – 16 May 2012 |
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| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Sigmar Gabriel |
| Succeeded by | Peter Altmaier |
| Deputy Leader of the Christian Democratic Union | |
| In office 15 November 2010 – 5 December 2012 |
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| Leader | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Roland Koch |
| Succeeded by | Armin Laschet |
| Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| In office 6 November 2010 – 13 May 2012 |
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| General Secretary | Oliver Wittke |
| Deputy | Ursula Heinen-Esser Armin Laschet Karl-Josef Laumann Michaela Noll Sven Volmering |
| Preceded by | Jürgen Rüttgers |
| Succeeded by | Armin Laschet |
| Chief Whip of the CDU/CSU Group in the Bundestag | |
| In office 25 January 2005 – 26 October 2009 |
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| Leader | Angela Merkel Volker Kauder |
| Preceded by | Volker Kauder |
| Succeeded by | Peter Altmaier |
| Member of the Bundestag for Rhein-Sieg-Kreis II |
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| Assumed office 10 November 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Franz Möller |
| Personal details | |
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Norbert Alois Röttgen
2 July 1965 Meckenheim, West Germany (current-day Germany) |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
| Spouse | Ebba Herfs-Röttgen |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Bonn |
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Norbert Alois Röttgen (born 2 July 1965) is a German lawyer and politician. He was the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from 2009 to 2012. This means he was in charge of protecting nature and the environment for the whole country. He served in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Norbert Röttgen is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) political party. From 2014 to 2021, he led the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, which deals with Germany's relationships with other countries.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Norbert Röttgen finished high school in Rheinbach, Germany. After that, he started studying law at the University of Bonn in 1984. He passed his first law exam in 1989 and his second in 1993. He then worked as a lawyer in Cologne.
In 2001, he earned a special law degree from the University of Bonn. His research focused on the Court of Justice of the European Union, which is like a top court for European countries.
Political Career
Norbert Röttgen joined the CDU party in 1982, while he was still in high school. From 1992 to 1996, he led the Junge Union, which is the youth group of the CDU, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Röttgen was first elected to the Bundestag (Germany's parliament) in 1994. From 2002 to 2005, he was the main spokesperson for legal policies for the CDU/CSU group in parliament. From 2005 to 2009, he was the Chief Parliamentary Secretary for his party group. In this role, he helped manage the government's work in parliament. He also worked on a special committee that watched over Germany's intelligence services.
Minister for the Environment (2009–2012)
After the 2009 national election, Norbert Röttgen became the Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. This meant he was responsible for Germany's environmental policies.
As Environment Minister, he led Germany's teams at important international meetings about climate change. These included conferences in Copenhagen (2009), Cancún (2010), and Durban (2011).
In 2011, after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Röttgen announced that Germany planned to close all its nuclear power plants by 2022. This big decision was based on advice from experts. Later that year, he helped start the Bonn Challenge. This project aimed to reforest a huge area of land (150 million hectares) by 2020. This challenge was later supported by many countries.
State Election and Leaving Office
In 2012, Norbert Röttgen decided to run for the leader of the state government in North Rhine-Westphalia. He was the CDU's candidate for Minister-President. He ran against the current leader, Hannelore Kraft. Röttgen wanted to reduce the state's debt.
However, the CDU party lost the election in North Rhine-Westphalia. After this loss, Röttgen resigned from his position as the head of the CDU in that state. On May 16, 2012, Chancellor Angela Merkel removed him from his job as Minister for the Environment. This happened because he had not promised to stay and lead the opposition in North Rhine-Westphalia if he lost the election.
Peter Altmaier took over as Environment Minister, and Armin Laschet became the new head of the CDU party in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Leading the Foreign Affairs Committee
Since 2014, Norbert Röttgen has been the chairman of the Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs. This committee deals with how Germany interacts with other countries.
In 2014, Röttgen traveled with the German President Joachim Gauck to India and Myanmar. He also visited Kyiv, Ukraine, with other European politicians to show support for Ukraine's independence.
In 2020 and 2021, Röttgen ran to become the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. He placed third in the January 2021 election and second in the December 2021 election.
Political Views
European Cooperation
Norbert Röttgen believes in strong cooperation within Europe. In 2011, he suggested that people should directly elect the leader of the European Commission. He also wanted a two-part political system for the EU and for all European parliamentary elections to happen at the same time.
After the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, Röttgen helped write a plan for a "continental partnership." This plan suggested a way for the UK to stay connected with the EU, allowing free movement of money, goods, and services, but giving the UK some control over people moving between countries.
Relations with Russia
Röttgen thinks Germany should be more direct in its foreign policy. He has raised concerns about Germany relying too much on Russia for energy. He also suggested reviewing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, saying it could divide Europe.
He supported the European Union's decision to put sanctions (restrictions) on Russia after events in Crimea in 2014. He wanted Europe to respond strongly to violence in Ukraine. However, he did not support sending weapons to Ukraine, saying it could make the conflict worse.
Relations with the Middle East
In 2014, Röttgen said that sending weapons to the Iraqi government would go against Germany's rules for exporting weapons.
In 2016, he suggested that Germany might need to change its strong support for Israel. This was due to concerns about some of Israel's policies.
In 2019, Röttgen warned that Germany could upset its European partners if it kept a temporary ban on selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Relations with Iran
In 2014, Röttgen was part of a group that visited Tehran, Iran. He later joined other European leaders in asking for a nuclear deal with Iran. They believed it was a very important chance to make a lasting agreement.
Climate Change and the Environment
After a climate conference in 2009, Röttgen criticized both the U.S. and China for not doing enough to lead on climate action. In 2010, he urged the European Union to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, which was more than the original goal.
He was a key person behind Germany's plan to quickly stop using nuclear power. In 2012, his plan to reduce government support for solar power caused some debate.
Relations with the African Continent
Norbert Röttgen has often voted for Germany to take part in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa. These missions help keep peace and provide training in countries like Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Liberia.
Relations with China
In 2020, Röttgen criticized European ambassadors for allowing Chinese state media to censor an open letter they had written. He said it was important for Europe to speak with one voice, but that voice must reflect European values.
In 2021, Röttgen and other politicians from Europe and the US asked their leaders to be firm with China. They urged them to avoid becoming too dependent on China for important technologies like artificial intelligence and 5G.
Other Activities
Norbert Röttgen is involved in many other organizations. He is the co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), which is a think tank that studies foreign policy. He is also involved with the Atlantik-Brücke, which works to strengthen ties between Germany and the United States. He is a member of the board of trustees for the Hertie School of Governance, a university in Berlin.
Personal Life
Norbert Röttgen is married to Ebba Herfs-Röttgen, who is also a lawyer. They have three children. When he was a child, Norbert Röttgen played the accordion.
See also
In Spanish: Norbert Röttgen para niños
