Wolfgang Bosbach

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Wolfgang Bosbach

| image = Bosbach, Wolfgang-0636.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Bosbach in 2012

| office = Member of the Bundestag

| term_start = 1994

| term_end = 2017

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|06|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Bergisch Gladbach, West Germany

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Christian Democratic Union

| children = 3, including Caroline

| alma_mater = University of Cologne

| profession = Lawyer

| website = {{url|wobo.de}}

}}

Wolfgang Walter Wilhelm Bosbach (born 11 June 1952) is a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which he joined in 1972. A lawyer by profession, Bosbach is working at the law firm Winter Rechtsanwälte in Bergisch Gladbach.{{cite web | url=https://www.rechtsanwaelte-bergisch-gladbach.de/impressum.aspx | title=Impressum – Winter Rechtsanwälte }}

Political career

Bosbach was a directly elected member of the Bundestag from 1994 until 2017, representing Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, and the deputy parliamentary group leader of his party from 2000 until 2009. From 1994 until 2002 and from 2009 until 2017, he served on the Committee on Internal Affairs.

Following the 2013 federal elections, Bosbach was part of the CDU/CSU team in the negotiations with the SPD on a coalition agreement.

In August 2016 Bosbach announced that he would not stand in the 2017 federal elections but instead resign from active politics by the end of the parliamentary term due to his deteriorating health.[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/cdu-politiker-wolfgang-bosbach-will-2017-nicht-mehr-kandidieren-a-1108979.html Wahlen 2017: Wolfgang Bosbach will nicht mehr] Der Spiegel, 23 August 2016. That same month, he agreed to serve as columnist for German tabloid Bild from 2017 on.[https://www.rundschau-online.de/news/politik/nach-politiker-karriere-wolfgang-bosbach-wird--bild--kolumnist-24644050?cb=1610563756498 Nach Politiker-Karriere Wolfgang Bosbach wird 'Bild'-Kolumnist] Kölnische Rundschau, 25 August 2016.

Career after politics

In 2017, Minister-President Armin Laschet of North Rhine-Westphalia appointed Bosbach as chair of a commission to advise the state government on criminal justice reforms.[https://www.land.nrw/de/pressemitteilung/ministerpraesident-laschet-beruft-regierungskommission-mehr-sicherheit-fuer Ministerpräsident Laschet beruft Regierungskommission 'Mehr Sicherheit für Nordrhein-Westfalen'] State Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, press release of 14 December 2017.

Ahead of the 2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election, CDU candidate Christian Baldauf included Bosbach in his shadow cabinet for the party's campaign to unseat incumbent Malu Dreyer as Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate.Arno Becker (13 January 2021), [https://www.rheinpfalz.de/politik/rheinland-pfalz_artikel,-cdu-promi-wolfgang-bosbach-in-baldaufs-ratgeberteam-_arid,5156027.html Landtagswahl 2021: CDU-Promi Wolfgang Bosbach in Baldaufs Ratgeberteam] Die Rheinpfalz.

Political positions

= European integration =

In August 2011, Bosbach became the first senior CDU MP to say he would not vote for legal changes to allow the European Financial Stability Facility to buy sovereign bonds on the market.Gerrit Wiesmann (30 August 2011), [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/88260546-cfe5-11e0-a1de-00144feabdc0.html Merkel fights back over Greek bail-out] Financial Times. He later criticized the permanent rescue mechanism – called European Stability Mechanism – was a step toward a European transfer union.Annette Weisbach (28 June 2012), [https://web.archive.org/web/20141214171350/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-28/germany-s-bosbach-says-esm-is-step-to-transfer-union-rp-says Germany's Bosbach Says ESM Is Step to Transfer Union, RP Says] Bloomberg News. In 2012, he told German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche that Greece should leave the euro region to overhaul its economy.Jana Randow (19 May 2012), [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-19/germany-s-bosbach-says-greece-should-leave-euro-area-wiwo-says.html Germany's Bosbach Says Greece Should Leave Euro Area, WiWo Says] Bloomberg News.

On 27 February 2015 Bosbach voted against the Merkel government's proposal for a four-month extension of Greece's bailout; in doing so, he joined a record number of 29 dissenters from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group who expressed skepticism about whether the Greek government under Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras could be trusted to deliver on its reform pledges.Stephen Brown (27 February 2015), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eurozone-greece-germany-vote-idUSKBN0LV10T20150227 Germany backs Greek extension but bailout fatigue grows] Reuters. On 17 July he voted against the government's proposal to negotiate a third bailout for Greece;Paul Carrel (17 July 2015), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eurozone-greece-idUSKCN0PR29W20150717 German lawmakers back Greek bailout despite rebellion; Tsipras sacks dissenters] Reuters. in response to the resulting discussions with fellow conservative MPs, he resigned from his office as Chairman of the Committee on Internal Affairs.

= Domestic politics =

In 2013, Bosbach rejected calls to grant Muslims living in Germany two days of official holiday a year to mark important religious festivals, saying there was "no Islamic tradition in Germany" and that religious holidays here reflected the country's Christian heritage.Gareth Jones (28 March 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-germany-muslims-idUSBRE92R0GB20130328 Germany urged to grant Muslims days off for religious festivals] Reuters.

Other activities

= Corporate boards =

1. FC Köln, Member of the Advisory Board
Deutsche Telekom, Member of the Data Privacy Advisory Board
Signal Iduna Allgemeine Versicherung, Member of the Supervisory Board
Securitas Deutschland, Member of the Supervisory Board (1998–2002)

= Non-profit organizations =

Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie, Member
Rotary International, Member
ZDF, Member of the Television Board
1. FC Köln, Member of the Advisory Board (-2019)Lars Werner (9 October 2019), [https://www.ksta.de/sport/1-fc-koeln/hat-der-vorstand-jetzt-zu-viel-macht--fragen-und-antworten-zur-reform-der-fc-gremien-33290824 Hat der Vorstand jetzt zu viel Macht? Fragen und Antworten zur Reform der FC-Gremien] Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.
Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future", Member of the Board of Trustees (2000–2006)
Ursula Lübbe Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees (2005–2009)

Recognition

2013 – "Goldenes Steuerrad" (golden steering wheel) of the Großen Mülheimer Karnevals-Gesellschaft von 1903{{cite web|url=http://www.express.de/koeln/auftritt-mit-labbese--bosbach-singt-besser-als--nahles-,2856,25448156.html|title=Auftritt mit Labbese "Bosbach singt besser als Nahles"|date=27 November 2013|website=express.de|language=de}}
2014 – Honorary senator of the Düsseldorfer Karnevalsgesellschaft Weissfräcke{{cite web|url=http://www.rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/duesseldorf/karneval/wolfgang-bosbach-legt-die-naerrische-reifepruefung-ab-aid-1.4023469|title=Wolfgang Bosbach legt die närrische Reifeprüfung ab|date=10 February 2014|last=Karius|first=Deniz|website=rp-online.de|language=de}}