Josefine Paul
{{Short description|German politician (born 1982)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Josefine Paul
| image = ColognePride 2022-Freitag-Hauptbühne-1400-Eröffnung-8263 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Paul in 2022
| office = North Rhine-Westphalia State Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration
| term_start = 29 June 2022
| term_end =
| predecessor =
| office1 = Member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia
| term_start1 = 2010
| term_end1 =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1982|03|02}}
| birth_place = Helmstedt, West Germany
| party = Greens
| nationality = German
| children =
| alma_mater = University of Münster
| occupation =
}}
Josefine Paul (born 2 March 1982) is a German politician who is a member of Alliance 90/The Greens. She has been a member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2010 and has been serving as North Rhine-Westphalia State Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Asylum and Integration in the Second Wüst cabinet since 2022.
Early life and education
Paul comes from the Helmstedt district of Barmke.{{cite book |author=Natalie Tenberg |title="Da bin ich erzkonservativ". Josefine Paul, 23, Nachwuchspolitikerin der Grünen, setzt sich als Quotenlesbe in Männerwelten durch. Notfalls muss sie auf den Tisch hauen |work=Die Tageszeitung |number=402/2005 |date=2005-06-18 |chapter=tazmag. Das Wochenendmagazin der Tageszeitung. Ganz normal |edition=IV}} In 2001 she passed her Abitur exams at the Gymnasium Julianum and then studied history, political science and sociology until 2008, first at the Technical University of Braunschweig, then from 2005 at the University of Münster. Paul wrote her master's thesis on "The beginnings of soccer in Germany as a school game. A study using the example of the city of Braunschweig."{{cite web|work=Deutsche Akademie für Fußball-Kultur|url=https://www.fussball-kultur.org/adresse/address/josefine-paul/|title=Josefine Paul|date=20 May 2021 }}
Political career
=Joining the Alliance 90/The Greens=
Paul joined the Alliance 90/The Greens in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.gruene.landtag.nrw.de/pressemitteilung/27-08-2012/gruene-fraktion-mit-neuem-vorstand|title=Pressemitteilung: Grüne Fraktion mit neuem Vorstand|website=gruene.landtag.nrw.de|date=31 August 2012}} During her studies in Münster, she was the coordinator of the specialist forum "LesBiSchwul" of the Green Youth.
=Member of the Landtag=
In the 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2022 state elections, Paul was elected to Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia via her party's state list. From 2010 to 2012 and from 2015 to 2020, she was deputy parliamentary group leader, from 2017 to 2020 at the same time parliamentary group secretary. On 26 October 2020, she was elected together with Verena Schäffer as the new group leader.{{cite web |url=https://www.aachener-zeitung.de/nrw-region/paul-und-schaeffer-neue-fraktionsvorsitzende-bei-nrw-gruenen_aid-54261015 |title=Paul und Schäffer neue Fraktionsvorsitzende bei NRW-Grünen |work=aachener-zeitung.de |date=2020-10-26 |accessdate=2020-11-01}} In the 17th electoral term of the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament (2017 to 2022) she was also spokeswoman for her parliamentary group for children, youth and family, spokeswoman for women's and queer politics and spokeswoman for sports politics.{{cite web|url=http://gruene-fraktion-nrw.de/fraktion/abgeordnete/josefine-paul.html|title=gruene-fraktion-nrw.de|work=Grünen Landtagsfraktion|accessdate=31 August 2012|archive-date=30 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930013453/http://gruene-fraktion-nrw.de/fraktion/abgeordnete/josefine-paul.html|url-status=dead}}
In December 2018, Paul attracted media attention with statements about Knecht Ruprecht. She stated that "Ruprecht no longer fits into today's image of non-violent upbringing, so he can still help carry the sweets".{{cite web |author=Christian Schwerdtfeger |url=https://rp-online.de/nrw/panorama/gruenen-politikerin-knecht-ruprecht-ist-nicht-mehr-zeitgemaess_aid-34935977 |title=Experten warnen zum Nikolaustag: Knecht Ruprecht nicht mehr zeitgemäß |date=6 December 2018 |language=de |accessdate=2018-12-06}}
=Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration=
On 29 June 2022, Paul was appointed Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Flight and Integration in the Second Wüst cabinet (black-green coalition) at the suggestion of Alliance 90/The Greens. She was sworn in before the state parliament on the same day.{{cite web |author=WDR |url=https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/schwarz-gruen-in-nrw-moegliche-minister-100.html |title=Erste NRW-Minister von Schwarz-Grün stehen fest |date=2022-06-24 |language=de |accessdate=2022-06-24}}{{cite web|url=https://rp-online.de/nrw/landespolitik/das-sind-die-neuen-nrw-minister_aid-72050587|title=These are the new NRW ministers|date=29 June 2022|language=de|website=Rheinische Post}}
Personal life
Paul is openly lesbian and is in a relationship with Saxon Minister of Justice Katja Meier.{{Cite news |title=ZEIT ONLINE |url=https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2F2021%2F15%2Fkatja-meier-josefine-paul-outing-politiker-homosexualitaet-beziehung%2Fkomplettansicht |access-date=2021-04-07 |archive-date=7 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407151559/https://www.zeit.de/zustimmung?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zeit.de%2F2021%2F15%2Fkatja-meier-josefine-paul-outing-politiker-homosexualitaet-beziehung%2Fkomplettansicht |url-status=live}}
References
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Category:People from Helmstedt
Category:German lesbian politicians
Category:Alliance 90/The Greens politicians
Category:Members of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia
Category:Women ministers of state governments in Germany
Category:LGBTQ legislators in Germany