Winfried Kretschmann

Winfried Kretschmann, born May 17, 1948 in Spaichingen, is a German politician (Alliance '90 / The Greens). Since May 2011, he is the ninth Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg.

Political Career[edit]

In 1979, Kretschmann co-founded the Greens in Baden-Württemberg. In 1980 he was first elected for the Greens in the parliament of Baden-Württemberg. In 1983 he succeeded Wolf-Dieter Hasenclever as Group Chairman. Kretschmann represents the constituency of Nürtingen in the Diet of Baden-Württemberg and was from 1983 to 1984 and from 2002 to 2011, Chairman of the Green parliamentary group.

From 1982 to 1984 Kretschmann was a substitute to the district council of Esslingen. In 1986 and 1987 he served as Ministerial speaker at the first Green Ministry in Hessen.

In 1988, 1996 and 2001 he was re-elected to the parliament of Baden-Württemberg. From 1996 to 2001, Kretschmann was chairman of the Committee on Environment and Transport in Baden-Württemberg Landtag.

Winfried Kretschmann was the top candidate of the Green Party for the regional elections in Baden-Württemberg 2011 with 24.2 percent of the On 12 May 2011 Winfried Kretschmann was elected by the Members of Parliament to be the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg. He was the first Greens Prime Minister for any German State.