Birgit Honé (born 8 November 1960) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as Minister of Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development in the state government of Minister-President Stephan Weil of Lower Saxony from 2017 to 2022.[1] In this capacity, was also a member of the German Bundesrat.[2]
Birgit Honé | |
|---|---|
 Honé in 2018 | |
| Minister of Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development | |
| In office 22 November 2017 – 8 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Senff |
| Succeeded by | Wiebke Osigus |
| Member of the European Committee of the Regions | |
| Assumed office 15 November 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 November 1960 Bad Schwartau, West Germany (now Germany) |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Sehnde |
Career in the public sector
editFrom 1999 to 2002, Honé worked at the State Chancellery. Appointed by Minister-President Sigmar Gabriel, she later served as district president of Lüneburg from 2002 until 2004.
From 2004 to 2013, Honé served as a member of the Senate of the Lower Saxony State Audit Office.[3] In this capacity, she was responsible for auditing the annual budgets of the State Ministry of the Interior (2004–2013), the State Ministry of the Environment (2004–2010), the State Ministry of Agriculture (2004–2010) and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (2004–2013).
Political career
editAhead of the 2013 state elections, Stephan Weil included Honé in his shadow cabinet for the Social Democrats’ campaign to unseat incumbent Minister President David McAllister.[4]
As one of the state's representatives at the Bundesrat from 2017 to 2022, Honé was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on European Affairs. She was also a member of the German-French Friendship Group set up by the German Bundesrat and the French Senate. In addition, she was a member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).
Honé was nominated by her party as delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2022.[5]
Also in 2022, Honé was part of the Hannover SPD's three-member arbitration committee that decided that former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder had not violated any party rules by maintaining close ties to the Russian government and would be allowed to remain a party member.[6][7]
Other activities
edit- Business Forum of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Member of the Political Advisory Board[8]
- Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future“ (EVZ), Deputy Member of the Board of Trustees[9]
References
edit- ^ "Ministerin Birgit Honé". Niedersachsen (in German). Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ "Birgit Honé". Bundesrat (in German). Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
- ^ Honé wird Schatten-Ministerin bei Weil Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, October 7, 2012.
- ^ Honé wird Schatten-Ministerin bei Weil Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, October 7, 2012.
- ^ Drucksache 18/10450: Niedersächsische Mitglieder der 17. Bundesversammlung am 13. Februar 2022 State Parliament of Lower Saxony.
- ^ Nadine Conti (14 July 2022), Parteiordnungsverfahren gegen Ex-Kanzler: Schröder bleibt wohl Genosse Die Tageszeitung.
- ^ Andreas Rinke (2 March 2023), German ex-leader Schroeder to remain member of Scholz's SPD despite Russia ties Reuters.
- ^ Political Advisory Board Business Forum of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
- ^ Board of Trustees Archived 6 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future“.