Ulrich Kelber | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ulrich Kelber in 2014 | |
| Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information | |
| In office 7 January 2019 – 16 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Andrea Voßhoff |
| Succeeded by | Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider |
| Member of theBundestag forBonn | |
| In office 1 September 2000 – 6 January 2019 | |
| Succeeded by | Nezahat Baradari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1968-03-29)29 March 1968 (age 57) |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | SPD |
| Alma mater | University of Bonn |
Ulrich Wolfgang Kelber (born 29 March 1968) is a German former politician of theSocial Democratic Party (SPD) who served as theFederal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information from 2019 to 2024. From 2000 to 2019, he was themember of the Bundestag forBonn.
Ulrich Kelber was born inBamberg and grew up inBonn. From 1987 to 1993 he studiedcomputer science andbiology at theUniversity of Bonn. He worked in IT until 2002.[1]
Kelber became a member of the SPD in 1985 and was the local party chairman in Bonn from 2001 to 2008, and a member of the SPD executive board 2009 to 2011.
Kelber became a member of the Bundestag on 1 September 2000, replacingRudolf Dreßler who left. He won re-election as directly elected member for the constituency ofBonn in each of the elections from 2002 to 2017.
In parliament, Kelber was a member of the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from 2000 until 2005, where he served as the SPD parliamentary group'srapporteur on theEuropean Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS).[2] From 2005 until 2013, he served as the group's deputy chairman under the leadership of successive chairmenPeter Struck (2005-2009) andFrank-Walter Steinmeier (2009-2013). In this capacity, he coordinated the group's policy initiatives on the environment, energy, sustainability, agriculture and consumer protection.
In the negotiations to form aGrand Coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU together with the BavarianCSU) and the SPD following the2013 elections, Kelber was part of the SPD delegation in the working group on the environment and agriculture, led byKatherina Reiche andUte Vogt. In thecoalition government ofChancellorAngela Merkel, he subsequently served as Parliamentary State Secretary at theFederal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection under the leadership of ministerHeiko Maas from 2014 until 2018.
In the negotiations to form afourthcoalition government under Merkel's leadership following the2017 federal elections, Kelber was part of the working group on internal and legal affairs, led byThomas de Maizière,Stephan Mayer and Heiko Maas.
Kelber was elected to becomeFederal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in 2018[3] and took up the office on 7 January 2019 after giving up his Bundestag seat.[1] In 2024, he was succeeded byLouisa Specht-Riemenschneider.[4]
