CV

• Born on 18 June 1958 in Ensdorf, Saar; single

• 1974
  Joined the Young Union, the joint youth organisation of the CDU/CSU

• 1976
  Joined the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU)

• 1978
  Abitur (higher education entrance qualification), followed by basic military service

• 1980 – 1985
  Studied Law at Saarland University in Saarbrücken

• 1985
  First state examination in law

• 1985 - 1986
  Postgraduate course on European Integration, Certificate in European Studies

• 1985 – 1987
  Research Assistant, Chair of Constitutional and International Law, Saarland University

• 1988
  Second state examination in law

• 1988 – 1990
  Regional Chairman of the Young Union Saar

• 1988 – 1990
  Research Assistant, Europa-Institut at Saarland University

• since 1990
  Civil servant at the European Commission; from 1993 to 1994 Secretary-General of the Administrative Commission of the European Communities on Social Security for Migrant Workers; on leave of absence since 1994

• since 1994
  Member of the German Bundestag

• 2000 - 2008
  Chairman of the CDU Saarlouis County Association

• 2004 – 2005
  Legal adviser to the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag

• November 2005 – October 2009
  Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior

• 2006 - 2011
  President of the Europa-Union Germany

• since 2008
  Deputy Regional Chairman of the CDU Saar

• October 2009 – May 2012
  First Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag

• May 2012 – December 2013
  Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

• 2013 - 2018
  Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks

• 2017 - 2018
  Acting Federal Minister of Finance

• since 2018
  Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy

• 
  Photos small and large: picture-alliance/dpa/Carstensen