Thomas Silberhorn
{{short description|German politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Thomas Silberhorn
| office = Member of the Bundestag for Bamberg
| image = Thomas Silberhorn 2012.jpg
| caption =
| term_start = 2002
| term_end =
| predecessor = Gerhard Scheu
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1968|11|12}}
| birth_place = Kemmern, West Germany
{{small|(now Germany)}}
| party = CSU
| nationality = German
| children =
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list |University of Erlangen |University of Bayreuth |Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich}}
| occupation =
}}
Thomas Silberhorn (born 12 November 1968) is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Social Union (CSU) who has been serving as a member of the Bundestag from the state of Bavaria since 2002.
Political career
Silberhorn first became a member of the Bundestag in the 2002 German federal election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cducsu.de/abgeordnete/thomas-silberhorn|title=Thomas Silberhorn|website=CDU/CSU-Fraktion|access-date=2020-03-23}} He has served on the Committee on European Affairs (2002-2013); the Subcommittee on Foreign Trade (2005-2009); and the Committee on Legal Affairs (2009-2013). In addition to his committee assignments, he is a member of the German-Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Group.
In the negotiations to form a coalition government of the Christian Democrats (CSU together with the CDU) and the FDP following the 2009 federal elections, Silberhorn was part of the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on foreign affairs, defense, Europe and development policy, led by Franz Josef Jung and Werner Hoyer.[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/koalitionsverhandlungen-wen-union-und-fdp-zum-feilschen-schicken-a-653453.html Koalitionsverhandlungen: Wen Union und FDP zum Feilschen schicken] Spiegel Online, October 6, 2009. In the negotiations to form a Grand Coalition of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats (SPD) following the 2013 federal elections, Silberhorn was part of the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on bank regulation and the Eurozone, led by Herbert Reul and Martin Schulz.
In the third cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2013 to 2017, Silberhorn served as Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development under minister Gerd Müller.
In the negotiations to form another coalition government under Merkel's leadership following the 2017 federal elections, Silberhorn was part of the working group on foreign policy, led by Ursula von der Leyen, Gerd Müller and Sigmar Gabriel.
From 2018 until 2021, Silberhorn served (alongside Peter Tauber) as one of two Parliamentary State Secretaries at the Federal Ministry of Defence under successive ministers Ursula von der Leyen (2018–2019) and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (2019–2021).
In 2019, Silberhorn co-chaired the CSU’s convention in Munich, alongside Markus Blume and Florian Hahn.Wolfgang Wittl (30 October 2019), [https://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/csu-parteitag-muenchen-soeder-blume-1.4661866 CSU: Ein missratener Parteitag] Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Since the 2021 elections, Silberhorn has been serving as his parliamentary group’s spokesperson for Transatlantic relations.Daniela Vates (13 December 2021), [https://www.rnd.de/politik/union-in-der-opposition-wenige-frauen-auf-herausgehobenen-posten-spahn-wechselt-fachgebiet-YNADMJMASRBMBO6LR7ZTUPMTB4.html Unionsfraktion: Wenige Frauen auf herausgehobenen Posten] RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.
In the negotiations to form a Grand Coalition between the Christian Democrats (CDU together with the Bavarian CSU) under the leadership of Friedrich Merz and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) following the 2025 German elections, Silberhorn was part of the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on education, research and innovation policy, led by Karin Prien, Katrin Staffler and Oliver Kaczmarek.Daniel Delhaes and Martin Greive (12 March 2025), [https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/koalitionsverhandlungen-das-sind-die-verhandler-von-schwarz-rot/100112745.html Koalitionsverhandlungen: Das sind die Verhandler von Schwarz-Rot] Handelsblatt.
Other activities
- European Academy of Bavaria, Member of the Board of Trustees[https://www.europaeische-akademie.de/team.html Board of Trustees] European Academy of Bavaria.
- African Development Bank (AfDB), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2013-2018)[https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Generic-Documents/AfDB_Annual_Report_2017_EN.pdf Annual Report 2017] African Development Bank (AfDB).
- Deutsche Welle, Member of the Broadcasting Council (2013-2018)
- German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF), Member of the Board (2013-2018)
- German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Member of the Council (2013-2018)
- Federal Agency for Civic Education (BPB), Member of the Board of Trustees (2002-2005)
Political positions
In June 2017, Silberhorn voted against Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage.[https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article166099805/Diese-Unionsabgeordneten-stimmten-fuer-die-Ehe-fuer-alle.html Diese Unionsabgeordneten stimmten für die Ehe für alle] Die Welt, June 30, 2017.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website|https://www.thomas-silberhorn.de/}} {{in lang|de}}
- [https://www.bundestag.de/en/members/silberhorn_thomas-523692 Bundestag biography] {{in lang|en}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Silberhorn, Thomas}}
Category:Members of the Bundestag for Bavaria
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2021–2025
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2017–2021
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2013–2017
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2009–2013
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2005–2009
Category:Members of the Bundestag 2002–2005
Category:People from Bamberg (district)
Category:Parliamentary State Secretaries of Germany
Category:Members of the Bundestag for the Christian Social Union in Bavaria