Bernd Lucke

Bernd Lucke
Name	Bernd Lucke
Birth date	19 August 1962
Birth place	Berlin, West Germany
Nationality	German
Occupation	Economist, Professor, Politician
Known for	Co-founding the Alternative for Germany
Party	Alternative for Germany (2013–2015), Alliance for Progress and Renewal (2015–present)
Alma mater	University of Hamburg, University of California, Berkeley
Spouse	Susanne, 1990

Bernd Lucke. Bernd Lucke is a German economist, professor, and politician who gained national prominence as a co-founder and the first federal spokesman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). A former member of the Christian Democratic Union, his political career has been defined by his advocacy for euroscepticism and criticism of the European Central Bank's monetary policy. Following internal party conflicts, he left the AfD in 2015 to form the short-lived Alliance for Progress and Renewal.

Early life and education

Bernd Lucke was born on 19 August 1962 in Berlin, then part of West Germany. He completed his secondary education at the Heinrich-Hertz-Gymnasium in his hometown. Lucke subsequently pursued higher education in economics and mathematics at the prestigious University of Hamburg, where he laid the foundation for his academic career. He furthered his studies abroad as a doctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, an institution renowned for its economics department. His doctoral dissertation, completed in 1991, focused on economic growth theory under the supervision of prominent economists.

Academic career

Following his doctorate, Lucke held various academic positions, establishing himself as a specialist in macroeconomics and econometrics. He served as a research assistant at the University of Hamburg before becoming a professor of economics at the University of Bonn. In 2003, he accepted a professorship at the University of Hamburg, where he has taught and conducted research for many years. His scholarly work has been published in numerous international journals, and he has been a visiting scholar at institutions like the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.. Lucke's research often critically engaged with the policies of the European Central Bank and the architecture of the eurozone.

Political career

Lucke's political engagement began within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), where he was a member for over two decades. His growing dissent from the chancellor Angela Merkel's handling of the European debt crisis, particularly her support for bailout packages for countries like Greece, led him to become increasingly active in eurosceptic circles. He was a founding member of the Whistleblower network, a group of economists critical of the Euro, and later the Electoral Alternative 2013, which served as a precursor to a new political movement. This activism positioned him as a leading voice against the prevailing pro-European consensus in Berlin.

Founding of the Alternative for Germany

In early 2013, Lucke, alongside Konrad Adam and Frauke Petry, officially founded the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party's initial platform was centered on the dissolution of the eurozone and a return to national currencies, coupled with classical liberal economic policies. Lucke was elected as one of its three federal spokespersons and became its leading candidate for the 2013 federal election. Under his leadership, the AfD narrowly missed the five percent electoral threshold but gained significant media attention and entered the European Parliament in the 2014 election, where Lucke served as a Member of the European Parliament.

Later political activities

Internal strife within the AfD between Lucke's moderate, economically-focused wing and a more national-conservative faction led by Frauke Petry and Jörg Meuthen culminated in a dramatic party conference in Essen in July 2015. Following his defeat in a leadership vote, Lucke and his supporters left the AfD. He subsequently founded the Alliance for Progress and Renewal (ALFA), later renamed the Liberal Conservative Reformers. The party failed to achieve significant electoral success, failing to enter the Bundestag in the 2017 election. Lucke largely withdrew from frontline politics thereafter, though he remains a critical commentator on European affairs.

Personal life

Bernd Lucke is married to Susanne, and the couple has four children. He resides with his family in Hamburg, where he continues his professorial duties at the University of Hamburg. A devout Protestant, his faith has been noted as an influence on his political worldview. Outside of academia and politics, he has an interest in classical music and is a supporter of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:German economists Category:German eurosceptics Category:University of Hamburg alumni Category:Alternative for Germany politicians