Tobias Theodor Hans (born 1 February 1978) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Minister-President of Saarland from 2018 to 2022.

Tobias Hans
Tobias Hans
Minister-President of Saarland
In office
1 March 2018 – 25 April 2022
DeputyAnke Rehlinger
Preceded byAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Succeeded byAnke Rehlinger
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in the Saarland
Assumed office
19 October 2018
General SecretaryMarkus Uhl
DeputyMichael Adam
Daniela Schlegel-Friedrich
Nadine Schön
Peter Strobel
Stephan Toscani
Preceded byAnnegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in the Landtag of Saarland
In office
24 November 2015 – 1 March 2018
Preceded byKlaus Meiser
Succeeded byAlexander Funk
Member of the Landtag of Saarland
for Neunkirchen
Assumed office
23 September 2009
Preceded bymulti-member district
Personal details
Born (1978-02-01) 1 February 1978 (age 46)
Neunkirchen, Saarland, West Germany
Political partyChristian Democratic Union
Websitewww.tobias-hans.de

Political career

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Hans became a member of the Landtag of Saarland after the Saarland state election in 2009. On 24 November 2015, Hans was elected as chairman of the CDU Parliamentary Group in the Landtag of Saarland.[1]

As one of the Saarland's representatives at the Bundesrat, Hans serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Defence and the Committee on Cultural Affairs. He is also a member of the German-French Friendship Group set up by the Bundesrat and the French Senate.

Hans was a CDU delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017 and 2022.[2]

On 1 March 2018, Hans was elected as Minister-President of Saarland by a 40 to 11 vote. He is the youngest serving head of a German state government.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Hans co-chaired – alongside Silvia Breher, Hendrik Hoppenstedt, Yvonne Magwas and Paul Ziemiak – the CDU’s first ever digital national convention in 2021.[3]

Other activities

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  • Cultural Foundation of the German States (KdL), chairman of the council[4]
  • Deutsches Museum, ex officio member of the board of trustees[5]
  • RAG-Stiftung, ex officio member of the board of trustees (since 2018)

Political positions

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Ahead of the Christian Democrats’ leadership election in 2018, Hans publicly endorsed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeed Angela Merkel as the party's chair.[6] For the 2021 national elections, he later supported Markus Söder as the Christian Democrats' joint candidate to succeed Merkel as Chancellor.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Tobias Hans ist neuer Fraktionschef der CDU im Saar-Landtag" (in German). Focus. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  2. ^ 17th Federal Convention, 13 February 2022, List of Members Bundestag.
  3. ^ Giorgio Tzimurtas (14 January 2021), Oldenburger Münsterland: Silvia Breher moderiert den CDU-Parteitag OM Online’'.
  4. ^ Board of Trustees Cultural Foundation of the German States (KdL).
  5. ^ Board of Trustees Deutsches Museum.
  6. ^ Maria Stöhr (December 6, 2018), Kampf um die Merkel-Nachfolge: Wer wählt wen? Der Spiegel.
  7. ^ Second CDU premier drops support for Laschet's German chancellery run Reuters, April 16, 2021.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Saarland
2018–present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Minister-President of Saarland
2018–2022
Succeeded by