Matthias Berger (born 2 January 1968) is a German politician who is a member of the
Landtag of Saxony. On 1 December 2023 Berger was selected as the top candidate for the
Free Voters of Saxony for the
2024 Saxony state election in which he was elected.
Political career
As an
independent politician
An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or Bureaucracy, bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent.
Some politicia ...
, Berger was first elected mayor of
Grimma on 10 June 2001: he received 57.6 percent of the vote as an independent candidate with the nomination from the
Christian Democratic Union (CDU). A year later, Berger became known nationwide with his fight against the effects of the "
flood of the century" on his city. On 8 June 2008, Berger received 98.2 percent of the vote in the mayoral election. On 7 June 2015, he was confirmed in office with almost 90 percent of the vote and on 12 June 2022 with 85.9 percent.
Together with , Berger has been involved in the "Citizens' Movement for Saxony" since autumn 2018, a self-described political "collective movement of the centre". On 1 December 2023, Berger was nominated as the top candidate of the State Association of
Free Voters
Free Voters (, FW) is a political party in Germany. It originates as an umbrella organisation of several Free Voters Associations (), associations of people which participate in an election without having the status of a registered party. These a ...
Saxony for the
2024 Saxony state election on 1 September 2024. In the election he was directly elected in the constituency of
Leipzig-Land III.
He stood for election as
Minister-President of Saxony
This article lists the leaders of the Government () in the Kingdom of Saxony from 1831 to 1918 and minister-presidents () of the Saxony, Free State of Saxony since 1918.
List of minister-presidents
Kingdom of Saxony (until 1918)
Political party:
...
and proposed a
technocratic government.
Legal career
Matthias Berger is a lawyer in a law firm in Grimma; due to his elected office as mayor, his legal practice is suspended.
Personal life
Berger is married and has two children.
References
External links
''Grimma: OBM Berger wirft Landratsamt Behinderung beim Hochwasserschutz vor''. Leipziger Internet Zeitung, March 3, 2014.
* Bernhard Honnigfort
''Grimma – Schwerer Neuanfang nach dem Hochwasser''. Frankfurter Rundschau. 5. June 2013.
* Jens Falkowski
''Grimma nach der Flut''.Mediendienst Ost, June 2013.
* Roland Herold
''Grimma, die Flut und der Held: Wie aus dem Oberbürgermeister „unser Matthias" wurde''. Leipziger Volkszeitung, 8. August 2012.
* Marcus Jauer
''Grimma nach der Flut – Eine Stadt schlägt die Schlammschlacht''.Süddeutsche Zeitung
The ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' (; ), published in Munich, Bavaria, is one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany. The tone of ''SZ'' is mainly described as centre-left, liberal, social-liberal, progressive-liberal, and ...
, 19. August 2002.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Matthias
1968 births
Living people
People from Grimma
German lawyers
21st-century German politicians
Independent politicians in Germany
Mayors of places in Saxony
Free Voters politicians
Members of the Landtag of Saxony