Torsten Albig
{{Short description|German politician (born 1963)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Torsten Albig
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Portrait Torsten Albig 11 21.jpg
| imagesize = 180px
| caption = Albig in 2021, out of office
| office = Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein
| deputy = Robert Habeck
| term_start = 12 June 2012
| term_end = 28 June 2017
| predecessor = Peter Harry Carstensen
| successor = Daniel Günther
| office2 = Lord Mayor of Kiel
| term_start2 = 11 June 2009
| term_end2 = 6 May 2012
| predecessor2 = Angelika Volquartz
| successor2 = Susanne Gaschke
| office3 = Member of the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein
| term_start3 = 5 June 2012
| term_end3 = 6 June 2017
| predecessor3 = Ralf Stegner
| successor3 = Tobias von Pein
| constituency3 = Social Democratic List
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|5|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bremen, West Germany
| nationality = {{GER}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Social Democratic Party (SPD) (1982–)
| relations =
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| profession = Civil servant
| religion =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Torsten Albig (born 25 May 1963) is a German politician from the Social Democratic Party of Germany. From 2012 until 2017 he served as the 13th Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein.
Early life and education
Albig grew up in Ostholstein and Bielefeld. After graduating from high school in 1982, he first studied history and social sciences at the University of Bielefeld but later changed to law.
Political career
= Lord Mayor of Kiel, 2009–2012 =
From 2009 to 2012 Albig was the Lord Mayor of Kiel, the state capital of Schleswig-Holstein.
= Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein, 2012–2017 =
Torsten Albig was appointed candidate for Minister-President, representing his party, the SPD, in 2011 after a member's decision. At the election in 2012, the SPD achieved 30.4% of the votes, not enough to beat the ruling CDU that got 30.8% of the popular vote. Both the SPD and CDU achieved 22 seats each, and the election result made it possible for Albig to form a coalition government with the participation of the Green Party and the SSW, which is a regional party representing the Danish and Frisian minorities. The three parties had a narrow majority in the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein with 35 of 69 seats. At the appointment in parliament though, he got 37 of 69 possible votes. The new-formed government of Schleswig-Holstein consisting of the SPD, The Green Party and the SSW had never been seen before in German history.{{cite web|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article106500808/Daenen-Ampel-steht-Albig-regiert-in-Kiel.html |title=Dänen-Ampel steht – Albig regiert in Kiel |language=German |date=12 June 2012 |accessdate=18 June 2012 |work=Die Welt}}
Albig succeeded Peter Harry Carstensen in the position as Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein.
Albig served as an SPD delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2012[https://www.bundestag.de/blob/192344/0b0787a2db63f7a3b9d158fb3c676ded/laender-data.pdf Ordentliche Mitglieder der 15. Bundesversammlung] Bundestag. and 2017. Together with Doris Ahnen, Martin Dulig, Heiko Maas and Manuela Schwesig, he co-chaired the SPD’s national convention in Leipzig in 2013.[https://www.spd.de/fileadmin/Dokumente/Beschluesse/Bundesparteitag/Protokoll_des_Bundesparteitages_2013__Leipzig.pdf Protokoll des Bundesparteitages 2013, Leipzig] Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).
In the negotiations to form a Grand Coalition of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU together with the Bavarian CSU) and the SPD following the 2013 federal elections, Albig was part of the SPD delegation in the working group on transport, building and infrastructure, led by Peter Ramsauer and Florian Pronold.
In 2015, Albig – alongside First Mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz – negotiated a restructuring deal with the European Commission that allowed the German regional lender HSH Nordbank to offload €6.2 billion in troubled assets – mainly non-performing ship loans – onto its government majority owners and avoid being shut down, saving around 2,500 jobs.Arno Schuetze and Foo Yun Chee (27 May 2015), [http://in.reuters.com/article/eu-hsh-nordbank-restructuring-idINL8N12J2SX20151019 HSH Nordbank strikes rescue deal with EU] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212225826/https://in.reuters.com/article/eu-hsh-nordbank-restructuring-idINL8N12J2SX20151019 |date=12 February 2020 }} Reuters.
Life after politics
From 2018 to 2021, Albig worked as Vice President Corporate Representation of Deutsche Post in Brussels.Ulrich Exner (6 December 2007), [https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article171336882/Warum-fuer-Albig-sein-eigenes-Gesetz-nicht-gilt.html Warum für Albig sein eigenes Gesetz nicht gilt] Die Welt. Since 2023, he has been responsible for external affairs at Philip Morris International's German subsidiary.Max Hägler und Charlotte Parnack (28 December 2023), [https://www.zeit.de/2024/01/torsten-albig-philip-morris-lobbyismus Torsten Albig: "Ich finde Rauchen blöd"] Die Zeit.
Other activities
- HSH Nordbank Art Foundation, vice chairman of the board of trustees
- Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, chairman of the board of trustees (-2017)[https://www.shmf.de/en/panels-staff Board of Trustees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209165219/https://www.shmf.de/en/panels-staff |date=9 December 2018 }} Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival.
- University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, ex-officio chairman of the board of trustees (-2017)
- Förde Sparkasse, ex-officio member of the supervisory board (2008–2010)
Personal life
See also
References
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.torsten-albig.de/}}
- [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/im-portraet-torsten-albig-eigener-kopf-1923938.html faz.de:Im Porträt Torsten Albig (german)]
{{S-start}}
{{S-bef|before=Peter Harry Carstensen}}
{{s-ttl|title=Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein|years= 12 June 2012 – 28 June 2017}}
{{S-aft|after=Daniel Günther}}
{{S-bef|before=Angelika Volquartz}}
{{s-ttl|title=Mayor of Kiel|years=11 June 2009 – 6 May 2012}}
{{S-aft|after=Peter Todeskino
Acting}}
{{S-end}}
{{Ministers-President of Schleswig-Holstein | Minister Presidents of Schleswig-Holstein}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albig, Torsten}}
Category:Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians
Category:Politicians from Bremen (city)
Category:Mayors of places in Schleswig-Holstein