Thomas Kossendey | |
|---|---|
 Thomas Kossendey in 2013 | |
| Member of theBundestag forOldenburg – Ammerland | |
| In office 18 February 1987 – 22 October 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Gesine Multhaupt |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Rohde |
| Parliamentary State Secretary for Defence | |
| In office 27 October 2006 – 22 October 2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1948-03-04)4 March 1948 (age 77) Ammerland, then part ofWest Germany |
| Party | CDU |
| Spouse | Claudia Kossendey |
| Children | Jonas Kossendey |
| Alma mater | |
| Committees | Committee for Defence |
Thomas Kossendey (born 4 March 1948) is a German politician, lawyer, and former member of theBundestag. A member of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU), he was elected to the Bundestag in 1987 and served until 2013. Kossendey was elected via thestate list ofLower Saxony until 2009, when he was elected directly to the constituency ofOldenburg – Ammerland. He served as theParliamentary State Secretary to theFederal Minister of Defence between 2006 and 2013.
Thomas Kossendey was born inAmmerland on 4 March 1948.[1][2] He graduated fromgymnasium school in 1967.[1][3]
Kossendey served in theBundeswehr for 18 months following his graduation from high school and completed basic military training.[1][4] After his military service, Kossendey studied political science and law at theUniversity of Cologne and theUniversity of Münster.[5]
Between 1974 and 1980, Kossendey was the chairman of theYoung Union Oldenburg State Association.[1][4] He also served as chairman of the CDU's district association in Ammerland.[1] In 1979, Kossendey passed the secondStaatsexamen and joined theLower Saxony civil service in 1980.[4][5] He served as head of the minister's office in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education. While part of the Ammerland CDU association, his attempt to become the CDU candidate for theOldenburg – Ammerland constituency created tension with the Oldenburg CDU association. While he lost the internal selection process to the Oldenburg candidate in 1983, he won in 1987. This led to increased bitterness between the two associations, and the Oldenburg CDU association attempted to nominate someone to replace Kossendey in 1990, although this was unsuccessful.[2]
In 1987, Kossendey was elected to the Bundestag for the CDU.[1] He was elected via the state list in every election until 2009,[6] when he won thedirect mandate for his constituency.[2][7][8]
He was a member of the Defense Committee between 1987 and 2006, and was its deputy chairman from 1998 onwards.[1] Kossendey was the chairman of the German–Turkish Parliamentary Group between 2006 and 2009, and focuses extensively on German–Turkish relations.[1][9] From 2006 until his retirement in 2013, he served as theParliamentary State Secretary to theMinister of Defence.[1][10]
In 2013, Kossendey retired from the Bundestag after 27 years.[10]
From 2013 to 2017, he was the spokesperson for the Advisory Board on Leadership Principles in the German army.[5] He also served as chairman of the Oldenburg Landscaping Association.[11]
Kossendey is married to his wife Claudia and has one son, Jonas.[1][3][12] He isCatholic.[1] He hobbies include tennis and gardening.[3]
