Christian Hirte | |
|---|---|
 Hirte in 2021 | |
| Leader of theChristian Democratic Union inThuringia | |
| In office 19 September 2020 – 17 September 2022 | |
| Deputy | Raymond Walk Beate Meißner Thadäus König |
| Preceded by | Mike Mohring |
| Succeeded by | Mario Voigt |
| Parliamentary State Secretary forSmall Enterprises and the New States | |
| In office 14 March 2018 – 8 February 2020 | |
| Minister | Peter Altmaier |
| Preceded by | Iris Gleicke(New States, Small Enterprises and Tourism) |
| Succeeded by | Marco Wanderwitz(New States) |
| Member of theBundestag forEisenach – Wartburgkreis – Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis (CDU List; 2008–2009) | |
| Assumed office 15 May 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Bernward Müller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1976-05-23)23 May 1976 (age 49) |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
| Education | University of Jena |
| Website | Official website |
Christian Hirte (born 23 May 1976) is a German lawyer and politician of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as member of the GermanBundestag since 2008. From 2020 to 2022, he has been the chairman of the CDU inThuringia and co-deputy Chairman since then.
From 2018 to 2020, Hirte served asParliamentary State Secretary in theFederal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and additionally as commissioner of the federal government for thenew states in thegovernment ofChancellor Angela Merkel.[1]
Hirte studied law at theUniversity of Jena with a scholarship from theKonrad Adenauer Foundation and passed the first state examination in 2001 and the second in 2003. In 2004 he became an associate in the law firm Dr. Muth & Partner inFulda, and specialized in tax law.[2]
Hirte joined the centre-rightJunge Union in 1993 and the CDU in 1995.
Hirte has been a member of theBundestag since 2008. In parliament, he has served on the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (2008-2013), the Committee on Tourism (2009-2013), the Budget Committee (2013-2017) and the Audit Committee (2013-2017). On the Budget Committee, he was his parliamentary group'srapporteur on the annual budget of theFederal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
In the negotiations to form acoalition government under the leadership ofChancellorAngela Merkel following the2017 federal elections, Hirte was part of the CDU delegation.[3] Following the formation of the government, he became Parliamentary State Secretary under the leadership of ministerPeter Altmaier. As federal commissioner for the new states, he advocated increased focus on rehabilitating and compensating victims of theEast German Communist Party.[4]
For the2021 elections, Hirte was elected to lead the CDU campaign in Thuringia.[5] Following the elections, he unsuccessfully ran for a position as one of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s deputy chairs; in an internal vote, he lost againstSepp Müller.[6]
Hirte was removed from his office as Parliamentary State Secretary and commissioner for the new states after he posted a congratulatory message onTwitter toFDP politicianThomas Kemmerich for his election as Minister-President in Hirte's home state of Thuringia. Kemmerich had been elected with the votes of the CDU, the FDP and the AfD, marking the first time a Minister-President has been elected with the votes of the AfD. Due to AfD's involvement, the election was widely condemned, including by Chancellor Merkel and CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.[7] Hirte's dismissal was condemned by theValues Union, a faction within CDU, which defended him and accused Merkel of silencing party critics.[8]
A RussianFederal Security Service (FSB) agent (confirmed by German security services), worked for Hirte from March 2023 until 2024. He worked in Hirte's parliamentary office and helped write his speeches regarding theRusso-Ukrainian war. Despite being an FSB agent, Khrapov had connections withRussian opponents of Vladimir Putin and helped Hirte invite them to the Bundestag.[9] According toiStories, the agent was also associated with theCenter for Social and Economic Research (CASE) think tank.[10] Khrapov denies the allegations, claiming the reporting of the allegations by theFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung was due to German political infighting.[11][12]
In June 2017, Hirte voted against Germany’s introduction ofsame-sex marriage.[14]
Ahead of the Christian Democrats’leadership election in 2021, Hirte expressed support for a candidacy ofRalph Brinkhaus.[15] In the run-up to the Christian Democrats’ leadership election in 2022, he publicly endorsedFriedrich Merz to succeedArmin Laschet as the party’s chair.[16]
Hirte is Catholic, married and has three children.[17]
