Rainer Wend

Rainer Wend in 2012

Rainer Wend (born 8 March 1954 in Gütersloh) is a German politician (Social Democratic Party of Germany) and currently lobbyist for Deutsche Post DHL. 2002-2005 he was chairmen of the Bundestag-Committee Economics and Labour as well as spokesman of the SPD parliamentary party on Economic Affairs from 2005 till 2009. In July 2012 he has been elected President of European Movement Germany. ^[1]

Work and Life

After graduating from high school, Wend started studying law which he successfully completed in 1979 with the first state examination. After his legal practical training he completed the second state examination and started his doctoral thesis at the Bielefeld University. Wend has been qualified as lawyer since 1984.^[2] Furthermore, he was curator of the New Social Market Economy Initiative.

Wend is married and has three daughters.^[3]

Political career

Dr Rainer Wend has already been a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany since 1980. Throughout his studies he had been actively engaged in the respective campus group and became Head of the Young Socialists in Ostwestfalen/Lippe and later on Head of the SPD district Bielefeld (1988-1998). From 1998 till 2008 he had been a member of German Bundestag. In 2002 he became chairmen of the Bundestag-Committee Economics and Labour and was named as spokesman of the SPD parliamentary party on Economic Affairs in 2008.^[3] In 2008 he did not run for the reelections anymore and became the Head of Corporate Public Policy and Sustainability at Deutsche Post DHL.^[4][5]

European politics

Rainer Wend (centre) with State Minister Michael Georg Link (left) and EBD's Honorary President Dieter Spöri (right)

Since Wend has been working for the Bundestag his political priorities are related to financial and economical topics as well as to the euro-crisis. According to Wend important elements of crisis management are besides budget discipline and structural reforms in the affected countries a greater convergence of economic and financial policies of the EU members towards a “political union”.^[6] Wend supports the introduction of a financial transaction tax on a broad base.^[7] In the course of the debates on the Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, Wend and his British counterpart call for a growth-oriented budget framework.^[8] Wend also represents the idea of a social Europe, as a political union only can succeed if the living conditions within Europe are comparable.^[6] Since July 2012 Rainer Wend is the president of EM Germany and thus followed SPD politician Dieter Spöri.^[9]

Public Office

From 1994 until 2003 he was mayor of Bielefeld.^[10]

References

1. "Die EBD hat gewählt: Präsident, Vizepräsidenten, Schatzmeister und Vorstandsmitglieder:". Netzwerk Europäische Bewegung Deutschland. 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
2. "Vorstand:". Netzwerk Europäische Bewegung Deutschland. 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
3. "Dr. Rainer Wend, SPD:". German Bundestag. 2012-04-27. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
4. "Der Neue bei der Post:". Frankfurter Rundschau. 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
5. "Werben für die Post:". Süddeutsche.de. 2010-05-17. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
6. "Gespräch mit Rainer Wend, Präsident der Europäischen Bewegung Deutschland (EBD)" (PDF). German Civil Service Federation. October 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
7. "Wenn Bürger die EU als Monster wahrnehmen". euractiv.de. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
8. "Mehr Solidarität statt Austerität beim EU-Budget: gemeinsames Statement der Präsidenten von EBD und EM-UK zum Treffen von Merkel und Cameron". European Movement Germany. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
9. "Dr. Rainer Wend ist neuer Präsident der EBD - Mitgliederversammlung bestimmt Kurs bis zur Bundestagwahl 2013". European Movement Germany. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
10. "Rainer Wend legt sein Amt als Bürgermeister nieder:". NRW SPD. 2003-07-07. Retrieved 2012-11-11.