Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was Germany’s federal minister of defence from 2019 to 2021. Before that, she made a successful career in Saarland state politics, where she was state premier for seven years until 2018.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (*1962) studied law and political science at the universities of Trier and Saarbrücken (1982-90). In 1981 she became a member of the CDU and the Frauen Union. After University she had various positions within the town council of her hometown Püttlingen and later on within the CDU Saar and the state parliamentary group. From 1999 to 2018, she was a member of the Saarland state parliament. In 2000 until 2004 she became Germany’s first female minister of the interior and sport. She then served as minister of the interior, family affairs, women and sport, Saarland (2004-07), minister of education, women, family affairs and culture, minister of labour, family, preventive action, social affairs and sport (2009-11), minister of justice (2011), and state Premier Saarland.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has been deputy federal chairperson of the Frauen Union since 2003, a member of the CDU presidium since 2010 and a member of her party's executive committee since 2011. She was secretary-general of the CDU before being elected party chair in 2018, succeeding Angela Merkel in this position.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was a popular and respected defence minister. After the 2021 federal elections, she gave up her seat in the Bundestag and resigned from federal politics as well as from the CDU leadership.