User:Freud/Markus Söder

Markus Söder (born 4 January 1967 in Nuremberg) is a German politician (CSU) and Minister of Finance of Bavaria.

Life
Söder was born as son of Max Söder, bricklayer, and Renate Söder, housewife. His mother died 1994, his father 2002. After university-entrance diploma 1986 he fulfilled the then-military service. 1987, he began academic studies at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität in Erlangen-Nuremberg which he completed 1991 with the first Staatsexamen. After a job as research assistant at the faculty of law at the same university, he worked as editor for the Bayerischer Rundfunk, a Bavarian broadcasting institution regulated by public law. 1998, he received a doctor's degree in jurisprudence.

Party career
1983, Söder became member of the CSU. In the party's youth organisation Junge Union, he was chairman for Bavaria from 1995 until 2003, when he had to leave because of age. He then was made the CSU's general secretary by then-CSU-chairman Edmund Stoiber. 2008, he became regional chairman of the CSU. Since 1995, he is member of the board of the CSU.

Member of Landtag of Bavaria
Since 1994, with then 27 years, Söder is member of the Bavarian Parliament for the electoral district Nuremberg-West.

Public Offices
Söder became Bavaria's minister for Federal and European affairs under Minister President Günther Beckstein in October 2007. After election in September 2008, Söder became Bavaria's minister for environment and health under the new Minister President Horst Seehofer. In November 2011 he became Minister of Finance.

Private life
The protestant Markus Söder got married 1999 with Karin Baumüller-Söder. He is father of four childs.

Weblinks
Official page of the Landtag of Bavaria