Ilse Aigner

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Ilse Aigner

|image = 2023-10-08 Wahlabend Bayern by Sandro Halank–002.jpg

|caption = Aigner in 2023

|office = President of the Landtag of Bavaria

|term_start = 5 November 2018

|term_end =

|predecessor = Barbara Stamm

|successor =

|office1 = Deputy Minister President of Bavaria

|predecessor1 = Martin Zeil

|successor1 = Hubert Aiwanger

|term_start1 = 10 October 2013

|term_end1 = 5 November 2018

|1blankname1 = {{nowrap|Minister President}}

|1namedata1 = Horst Seehofer
Herself (Acting)
Markus Söder

|office3 = Minister President of Bavaria
Acting

|deputy3 = Herself

|term_start3 = 14 March 2018

|term_end3 = 16 March 2018

|predecessor3 = Horst Seehofer

|successor3 = Markus Söder

|office2 = Minister of Housing, Construction and Transport of Bavaria

|predecessor2 = Office established

|successor2 = Hans Reichhart

|1blankname2 = {{nowrap|Minister President}}

|1namedata2 = Markus Söder

|term_start2 = 21 March 2018

|term_end2 = 5 November 2018

|office4 = Minister of the Economy, Energy, Technology and Media of Bavaria

|term_start4 = 10 October 2013

|term_end4 = 21 March 2018

|predecessor4 = Martin Zeil

|successor4 = Franz Josef Pschierer

|1blankname4 = {{nowrap|Minister President}}

|1namedata4 = Horst Seehofer
Herself (Acting)
Markus Söder

|office5 = Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection

|term_start5 = 31 October 2008

|term_end5 = 30 September 2013

|predecessor5 = Horst Seehofer

|successor5 = Hans-Peter Friedrich (Food and Agriculture)
Heiko Maas (Consumer Protection)

|chancellor5 = Angela Merkel

|office6 = Member of the Bundestag
for Starnberg

|term_start6 = 27 September 1998

|term_end6 = 22 September 2013

|predecessor6 = Wolfgang Gröbl

|successor6 = Alexander Radwan

|office7 = Member of the Landtag of Bavaria
for Miesbach

|term_start7 = 15 September 2013

|predecessor7 = Alexander Radwan

|term_start8 = 25 September 1994

|term_end8 = 13 September 1998

|constituency8 = List

|birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1964|12|7|df=y}}}}

|birth_place = Feldkirchen-Westerham, West Germany

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Christian Social Union

}}

Ilse Aigner (born 7 December 1964) is a German politician and member of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU).

Aigner was born in Feldkirchen-Westerham, Bavaria, and entered Angela Merkel's grand coalition cabinet as Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection on 31 October 2008. She succeeded Horst Seehofer, who had become Minister President of Bavaria. She left her position on 30 September 2013 after being elected as a member of the Bavarian parliament.

From 2013, she served as Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria. In addition, she served as State Minister of Economic Affairs; and Media, Energy and Technology (2013–2018) and State Minister of Construction and Transport (2018). After Horst Seehofer resigned as Minister President in order to become Federal Minister of the Interior on 14 March 2018, Aigner became acting Minister President until the election of Markus Söder as Minister President. After the 2018 Bavarian State elections, she was elected as President of the Bavarian Landtag,{{Cite news|url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/ilse-aigner-von-der-kronprinzessin-zur-praesidentin,R6fJX9j|title=Ilse Aigner: Von der Kronprinzessin zur Präsidentin|work=BR24|access-date=21 October 2018|language=de-DE}} succeeding longterm president Barbara Stamm who had lost her seat in the election.{{Cite news|url=https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/barbara-stamm-stimmenkoenigin-und-trotzdem-raus,R6csCKD|title=Barbara Stamm: Stimmenkönigin und trotzdem raus|work=BR24|access-date=21 October 2018|language=de-DE}}

Education and professional background

Aigner completed a professional training as a telecommunications technician in 1985 and joined her parents’ electrical installation business.{{cite web |title=CV Landtagspräsidentin Aigner |url=https://www.bayern.landtag.de/fileadmin/Internet_Dokumente/Sonstiges_P/CV_Lebenslauf_LPin_Aigner_V01.pdf |website=Bayerischer Landtag |access-date=2023-11-14}}

In 1990 she graduated from the technical academy with the degree of a State Certified Engineer and worked for several years for Eurocopter in the development of helicopter electric systems.

Aigner was elected first in 1994 to the Bavarian State Parliament.

= Member of the German Bundestag, 1998–2013 =

From 1998 Aigner was a member of the German Bundestag, always winning an absolute majority of the votes in her electoral district.

class="wikitable" style="width:50%; text-align: center;" ! colspan="5" \| Election results for the Bundestag
Year !Electoral District !Votes for Aigner !Votes for opposing Candidate (SPD)
1998 \|Starnberg \|{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|57,0% \|{{Party shading/Republican}} \|26,2%
2002 \|Starnberg \|{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|63,5% \|{{Party shading/Republican}} \|21,9%
2005 \|Starnberg \|{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|59,7% \|{{Party shading/Republican}} \|22,0%
2009 \|Starnberg \|{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|54,0% \|{{Party shading/Republican}} \|15,8%

class="wikitable" style="width:50%; text-align: center;"

! colspan="5" | Election results for the Bundestag

Year

!Electoral

District

!Votes for Aigner

!Votes for opposing

Candidate (SPD)

1998

|Starnberg

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |57,0%

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |26,2%

2002

|Starnberg

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |63,5%

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |21,9%

2005

|Starnberg

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |59,7%

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |22,0%

2009

|Starnberg

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |54,0%

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |15,8%

From 2002 to 2005, she was a member of the Budget Committee, where she served as her parliamentary group's rapporteur on the budgets of the Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMELV) and the aerospace technology portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). From 2005 to 2008, she served as her parliamentary group's spokesperson for education and research policy.

= Federal Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, 2008–2013 =

Aigner was a little-known member of parliament with no previous ministerial experience when she took over as Federal Minister for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture in the cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2008,Michael Hogan (30 September 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/germany-politics-agriculture-idUSL6N0HQ2P020130930 German farm minister steps down to re-enter local politics] Reuters. replacing Horst Seehofer.Paul Hockenos (2 March 2011), [http://www.politico.eu/article/farmers-friend/ Farmers’ friend] European Voice.

During her time in office, Aigner steered through a 2011 dioxins scare that saw contaminated eggs and meat from Germany going to six neighbouring countries.Jennifer Rankin (19 January 2011), [http://www.politico.eu/article/germany-seeks-support-for-dioxin-action-plan/ Germany seeks support for dioxin action plan] European Voice. In response, she imposed tough new safety standards for animal feed manufacturers, a move widely supported in the market to retain public confidence.

She took a tough line against cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Germany but received praise from commodity traders when she supported imports of GMOs approved in the United States and South America to secure German supplies of soybeans for animal feed. Meanwhile, she repeatedly expressed concern that outside financial investment in agricultural commodity markets distorts prices, instead calling for more transparency in commodity markets and clear visibility of the difference between futures investment by industrial food buyers and financial investors.Michael Hogan (23 January 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/deutschebank-commodities-minister-idUSL6N0AS3KK20130123 German minister criticises Deutsche Bank food commodities trade] Reuters. Accessed 5 October 2022.

In 2009, Aigner caused a controversy when she called for requirements to publish the names and location of recipients of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies to be “suspended” until the implications for data protection have been assessed. In response, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel threatened Germany with legal action.Simon Taylor (24 April 2009), [http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-warns-germany-over-transparency/ EU warns Germany over transparency] European Voice. Accessed 5 October 2022.Hans-Jürgen Schlamp (29 April 2009), [http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/who-gets-eu-agriculture-subsidies-german-minister-blocking-push-for-transparency-a-621469.html Who Gets EU Agriculture Subsidies? German Minister Blocking Push for Transparency], Spiegel Online. Accessed 5 October 2022.

Aigner has been outspoken in her criticism of Facebook, which she has said needs to do to protect its users′ privacy.[http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/streit-um-datenschutz-ilse-aigner-beendet-facebook-mitgliedschaft-a-698666.html "In dispute over data protection, Ilse Aigner terminates Facebook membership"], spiegel.de. Accessed 5 October 2022.[http://www.netzwelt.de/news/88398-facebook-nutzung-ilse-aigner-fordert-kabinett-verzicht.html Ilse Aigner asks Germans not to use Facebook], Netzwelt.de (in German). Accessed 5 October 2022.

In September 2011, she asked all federal ministers in Germany not to use Facebook for public relations and communication. In 2010, she criticized Google over plans to give property owners a four-week deadline to stop their buildings from showing up on the company's then newly launched Street View mapping service, demanding that all requests be considered instead.Stephanie Bodoni (11 August 2010), [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-08-11/google-gets-rebuke-from-privacy-watchdogs-for-street-view-plans-in-germany Google Criticized in Germany Over Street View Plans] Bloomberg Business. Accessed 5 October 2022.

Amid the German debate on the country's energy transition to an energy portfolio dominated by renewable energy, Aigner called in later 2012 for the partial nationalization of the country's electrical grid in order to ensure that high-voltage power lines required to transport green energy from offshore windfarms and other sources to the industry-heavy regions of southern Germany are built.Frank Dohmen and Gerald Traufetter (16 January 2013), [http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/member-of-merkel-cabinet-calls-for-nationalization-of-german-power-grid-a-877576.html Power Play: Politician Calls for Nationalization of Electricity Grid] Der Spiegel. Accessed 5 October 2022.

In 2012, Aigner announced she would leave her post to return to local politics in her home state of Bavaria following the 2013 national elections, prompting speculation that she was eyeing the post of Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer. This seemed even more likely as she had been elected chairwoman of her party's Upper Bavaria district association in 2011, the largest and most powerful CSU subdivision.{{cite web |last1=Hengst |first1=Björn |last2=Meiritz |first2=Annett |title=Aufstieg mit Risiko |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/moegliche-seehofer-nachfolgerin-aigner-der-karriere-check-a-918196.html |website=spiegel.de |access-date=2023-11-14 |language=de |date=2013-08-30}}

=Deputy Minister-President of Bavaria, 2013–2018=

Following her return to Bavaria after the state's 2013 elections, Aigner was named Minister-President Horst Seehofer′s deputy as well as Bavarian Minister for Economic Affairs, Media, Energy and Technology. As one of Bavaria's representatives at the Bundesrat, she served on the Committee on Cultural Affairs; the Committee on Economic Affairs; and the Committee on the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety.

In the negotiations to form a grand coalition following the 2013 national elections, Aigner led the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on economic affairs; her co-chair from the SPD was Hubertus Heil.Madeline Chambers, Markus Wacket and John O'Donnell (31 October 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-coalition-bavaria-idUSBRE99U0T520131031 Bavarian conservatives get boost from EU on foreign-driver road toll plan] Reuters. On 17 December 2013, she became the first woman to ever chair a meeting of the Bavarian State Government.Björn Hengst (17 December 2013), [http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/muenchner-staatskanzlei-frauen-geniessen-fuer-einen-tag-die-macht-a-939619.html Kabinettssitzung ohne Seehofer: Ist die Katze aus dem Haus...] Spiegel Online.

In the cabinet of Minister-President Markus Söder, Aigner briefly served as State Minister of Construction and Transport in 2018. On the Bundesrat, she became a member of the Committee on Transport and of the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Regional Planning.

=President of the Bavarian Landtag, 2018–present=

On 5 November 2018, Aigner was elected with 198 of 205 votes as new President of the Bavarian Landtag.{{Cite web|url=https://www.zeit.de/news/2018-11/05/bayerischer-landtag-waehlt-ilse-aigner-zur-praesidentin-20181105-doc-1al38z|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105202545/https://www.zeit.de/news/2018-11/05/bayerischer-landtag-waehlt-ilse-aigner-zur-praesidentin-20181105-doc-1al38z|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2018|title=ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl}}

After the 2023 Bavarian state election she was re-elected with 164 of 200 votes.{{cite web |title=Ilse Aigner erneut zur Landtagspräsidentin gewählt |url=https://www.bayern.landtag.de/aktuelles/aus-dem-plenum/30102023-ilse-aigner-erneut-zur-landtagspraesidentin-gewaehlt/ |website=Bayerischer Landtag |access-date=2023-11-14 |language=de |date=2023-10-30}}

Other activities

=Regulatory bodies=

Bavarian Regulatory Authority for Commercial Broadcasting (BLM), Ex-Officio Chairwoman of the supervisory board (2013–2018)
Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Posts and Railway, Ex-Officio Member of the advisory board (2013–2018)

=Corporate boards=

FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, Ex-Officio Chairwoman of the supervisory board (2013–2018)
LfA Förderbank Bayern, Ex-Officio Member of the supervisory board (2013–2018)
Messe München, Ex-Officio Chairwoman of the supervisory board (2013–2018)
Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, Ex-Officio Member of the supervisory board (2005–2013)
KfW, Ex-Officio Member of the supervisory board (2008–2013)[https://www.kfw.de/PDF/Download-Center/Finanzpublikationen/PDF-Dokumente-Berichte-etc/1_Gesch%C3%A4ftsberichte/Gescha%CC%88ftsbericht_2008_D.pdf 2008 Annual Report] KfW.

=Non-profit organizations=

Hanns Seidel Foundation, Member of the Board[https://www.hss.de/fileadmin/user_upload/190701_HSS-Vorstand_und_Mitglieder.pdf Board and Members, 2019] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806070515/https://www.hss.de/fileadmin/user_upload/190701_HSS-Vorstand_und_Mitglieder.pdf |date=6 August 2019 }} Hanns Seidel Foundation.
Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), Member of the supervisory board (since 2018)
Deutsches Museum, Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2004)
Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Member of the Board of Trustees[http://www.cesifo-group.de/de/ifoHome/CESifo-Group/ifo/ifo-Gremien/Kuratorium.html Board of Trustees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104142938/http://www.cesifo-group.de/de/ifoHome/CESifo-Group/ifo/ifo-Gremien/Kuratorium.html |date=4 November 2016 }} Ifo Institute for Economic Research.
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Ex-Officio Member of the Senate[https://www.helmholtz.de/ueber_uns/die_gemeinschaft/satzung_und_governance/senat_und_senatskommission/senatsmitglieder/ Senate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114073736/https://www.helmholtz.de/ueber_uns/die_gemeinschaft/satzung_und_governance/senat_und_senatskommission/senatsmitglieder/ |date=14 January 2018 }} Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.
Technical University of Munich (TUM), Member of the Board of Trustees[http://www.tum.de/die-tum/die-universitaet/hochschulrat/ Board of Trustees] Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Bavarian Research Foundation, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees (2013–2018)
Max Planck Society, Ex-Officio Member of the Senate (2013–2018)
Munich International Film Festival, Ex-Officio Member of the supervisory board (2013–2018
Association of the German Army (FKH), Member of the Presidium (2002–2008)
German Energy Agency (DENA), Ex-Officio Member of the supervisory board (2005–2011)
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Member of the Board of Trustees (2005–2008)
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Member of the Board of Trustees (2005–2008)
Wasserwacht of the Bavarian Red Cross, Chairwoman (2001–2009)

Personal life

Aigner is a Roman Catholic. She is single and has no children.{{Cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/wahl-in-bayern/ilse-aigner-almauftrieb-12545584.html?printPagedArticle=true#pageIndex_2|title=Ilse Aigner: Almauftrieb|newspaper=Faz.net|last1=Fritzen|first1=Florentine}}