Volkmar Klein (born 13 January 1960 in

Siegen Siegen () is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region. The university town (nearly 20,000 students in the 2018–2019 winter semest ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He is a member of the

German Bundestag German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

since 2009 and was a member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1995 until 2009.

Early life and education

Parallel to his studies in the

University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine ...

, Klein worked as an assistant to a member of the German Bundestag. In 1986, Klein finished his studies in the University of Bonn as a graduate economist and took on a several month internship in the consulting company Henkell Brothers in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia. After returning to Germany, Klein continued working for the same Australian consulting company as a freelancer. From 1988 until 1989, Klein was the branch manager of another Australian company Exicom Ltd (electronic company) in Düsseldorf. From 1989 until 1995, Klein was the executive manager of the Wittgensteiner Kuranstalt GmbH & Co. KG, an operator of rehabilitation clinics and hospitals in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Political career

Career in state politics

In 1978, Klein became a member of the CDU. He has been a member of the federal board of the CDU since 2001 and the chairman of the CDU in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein since 2003. From 2004 until 2015 he was the chairman of the federal board of the Protestant Working Group of the CDU in

. From 1984 until 2005, he was a member of the council of the Burbach municipality and from 1992 until 1996, he was the mayor of this municipality. Klein was a member of the

Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia The Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia is the state parliament (''Landtag'') of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which convenes in the state capital of Düsseldorf, in the eastern part of the district of Hafen. The parliament ...

from 1995 until 2009, where, in the 14th legislative period, he was a member of the Budget control committee, Budget committee, Finance committee and the Subcommittee of the Budget- and Finance committee "Personnel“. Besides that he was the speaker of his party in the Budget and Finance committees.

Member of the German Parliament, 2009–present

In the 2009 national elections, Klein was directly elected with 41.53% votes into the German Parliament, followed by 45.8% votes in the federal election in 2013. In his first two legislative terms in the German Parliament, he served on the Budget Committee and the Subcommittee on

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

issues. Klein also was a member of the parliamentary Financial market committee, a committee that monitored the federal bank rescue package worth 480 billion euros passed on 17 October 2008 and advised on fundamental and strategic issues as well as long-term developments in financial market policy. In 2017 Klein was directly elected with 40,13% votes into the German Bundestag. In the current, 19th legislative period of the German Parliament, he is the Chairman of the Economic Cooperation and Development Task Force of the

CDU/CSU CDU/CSU, unofficially the Union parties (german: Unionsparteien, ) or the Union, is a centre-right Christian-democratic political alliance of two political parties in Germany: the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Soc ...

parliamentary group, member of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development, Deputy member of the Budget Committee and deputy member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In addition to his committee assignments, Klein chairs the German-Pacific Parliamentary Friendship Group of the German

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Common ...

Other activities

* German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs), Member of the Parliamentary Advisory Board (since 2018) *

University of Siegen The University of Siegen (german: Universität Siegen) is a public research university located in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia and is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities. The Univers ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees * German Africa Foundation, Member of the Board * Friends of the

Siegerland Airport Siegerland Airport or ''Siegerlandflughafen'' in German is a small regional airport in Burbach in the Siegerland region near Siegen, Germany. It was formerly served by the Scheuerfeld–Emmerzhausen railway and is presently used as the mainten ...

Dreiländereck, Member of the Board * Foundation for Basic Values and International Understanding, Deputy Chairman * Central Council of Oriental Christians in Germany, deputy chairman of the Advisory Board * Development and Peace Foundation (SEF), Member of the Board of Trustees *

German Foundation for World Population DSW (german: Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung) is an international non-governmental organisation addressing Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH) and population dynamics. DSW funds its project and advocacy work from private donations and the finan ...

(DSW), Member of the Parliamentary Advisory BoardAdvisory Board

(DSW). * GIZ, Member of the supervisory board (until 2018)

Personal life

Klein is married and has four children. He lives in the town of Burbach.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Volkmar 1960 births Living people People from Siegen Members of the Bundestag for North Rhine-Westphalia Members of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia University of Bonn alumni Members of the Bundestag 2021–2025 Members of the Bundestag 2017–2021 Members of the Bundestag 2013–2017 Members of the Bundestag 2009–2013 Members of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union of Germany