from Germany first head of government of a federal state is dead. the social democrat Heide SimonisMinister President of Schleswig-Holstein until 2005, died at home in Kiel on Wednesday, a few days after her 80th birthday, according to state SPD leader Serpil Midyatli.
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Simonis was elected Prime Minister on May 19, 1993 in Kiel. She replaced Björn Engholm (SPD), who failed due to the consequences of the Barschel scandal in 1987. First, Simonis led a one-party SPD government, then from 1996 to 2005 a red-green coalition.
His political career ended in spectacular fashion: in the Prime Ministerial election on March 17, 2005, a dissident rejected his vote in four rounds; because of this, his re-election in the state parliament failed. At that time, after a close state election, Simonis wanted to continue governing with a red-green minority government – backed by the Southern Schleswig Voters Association (SSW), the Danish minority party.
Simonis’ re-election was prevented
After that failed, then CDU state chairman Peter Harry Carstensen took charge in Kiel at the head of a grand coalition with the SPD. It remains unclear who prevented Simonis from being re-elected – the votes were secret.
Simonis, who was born in Bonn, completed his studies in Erlangen, Nuremberg and Kiel in 1967 in the city of Förde as a qualified economist. In 1969 she joined the SPD, for which she was elected to the Kiel Council in 1971. In 1976 Simonis moved to the Bundestag, where she later became spokesperson for the budget committee. In 1988, Engholm brought her into Kiel’s cabinet as finance minister.
Simonis led the state government for 12 years
From 1993, the self-assured politician led the state government for twelve years, which also included Peer Steinbrück, who later became an SPD chancellor candidate, as economics minister until 1998. With frequently spot-on statements on various political topics, Simonis frequently attracted media attention, but he also occasionally offended his own party leadership.
after your Fall as prime minister In 2005, Simonis assumed the honorary presidency of the children’s charity Unicef Germany. In early 2008, she resigned from her position. On 30 June 2014, Prime Minister Torsten Albig (SPD) granted Simonis honorary citizenship in the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
She was the first woman to be honored. In recent years, Simonis has increasingly suffered from a Parkinson’s disease. On the occasion of her 75th birthday (July 4, 2018), she was honored by the SPD with the Willy Brandt Medal.
Great advocate of social justice
Politicians and parties reacted to the news of his death with sadness and great respect. The SPD party leadership recognized Simonis as an important advocate of social justice in Germany. “With Heide Simonis, social democracy is losing an important personality who made history,” said party leaders Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil.
Schleswig-Holstein Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) said: “I am sorry for the loss of a great politician and a passionate woman from Schleswig-Holstein.” The Prime Minister expressed his sincere condolences to the family. Günther said that Heide Simonis made Schleswig-Holstein even more lovable with her personality, her commitment, her humanity and her openness.
An extraordinary social democrat
Bundestag Vice-President Wolfgang Kubicki praised Simonis as a strong personality, a great prime minister, an extraordinary Social Democrat and a friend. With her many years of political work, she shaped Schleswig-Holstein and significantly increased the state’s weight in federal politics.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Monika Heinold (Greens), Schleswig-Holstein has lost a committed Social Democrat in Heide Simonis. “As Germany’s first female prime minister, she encouraged many women to demand and assume leadership responsibilities,” said Heinold. She fondly remembers the nine years working together in the red-green coalition. “Heide would have deserved to be able to enjoy his well-deserved retirement for longer and in better health.”