Claudia Roth

Claudia Roth
Martin Kraft · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Claudia Roth
Caption	Roth in 2021
Office	Vice President of the Bundestag
Term start	26 October 2021
Predecessor	Wolfgang Kubicki
Office1	President of the German Bundestag (Acting)
Term start1	19 October 2023
Term end1	26 October 2023
Predecessor1	Bärbel Bas
Successor1	Bärbel Bas
Office2	Vice President of the Bundestag
Term start2	22 October 2013
Term end2	26 October 2021
Predecessor2	Wolfgang Thierse
Successor2	Aydan Özoğuz
Office3	Co-Chair of Alliance 90/The Greens
Term start3	4 December 2012
Term end3	29 January 2022
Alongside3	Cem Özdemir
Predecessor3	Renate Künast
Successor3	Ricarda Lang
Office4	Co-Chair of Alliance 90/The Greens
Term start4	15 May 2001
Term end4	3 October 2004
Alongside4	Fritz Kuhn
Predecessor4	Renate Künast
Successor4	Reinhard Bütikofer
Birth date	15 May 1955
Birth place	Ulm, West Germany
Party	Alliance 90/The Greens
Alma mater	Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Claudia Roth is a prominent German politician and longstanding figure within Alliance 90/The Greens, having served as a co-chair of the party on two separate occasions. She has been a member of the Bundestag for many years, holding the office of Vice President since 2013 and briefly acting as President of the parliament in 2023. Throughout her career, Roth has been a vocal advocate for human rights, cultural policy, and social justice, both within Germany and on the international stage.

Early life and education

Born in Ulm, she spent her youth in the Swabian Jura region before moving to Augsburg. Her political consciousness was shaped early, influenced by the German student movement and protests against the Vietnam War. Roth initially pursued a career in the arts, studying theater studies and Germanistics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. During this period, she became actively involved in the peace movement and the burgeoning anti-nuclear movement in West Germany, which paved her way into political engagement.

Political career

Roth's political career began in earnest with her work for the Green Party in the early 1980s, serving as a press spokesperson. She was first elected to the Bundestag in 1985, representing Munich. After losing her seat, she served as a political advisor to Joschka Fischer, the first Green minister in the Government of Hesse. Roth returned to the federal parliament in 1994 and was elected co-chair of Alliance 90/The Greens alongside Fritz Kuhn in 2001, leading the party through the Red-Green coalition government under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. She later served a second term as co-chair with Cem Özdemir from 2012 to 2022. As Vice President of the Bundestag, she has presided over debates and represented the parliament in numerous international delegations, including to the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Cultural policy and advocacy

A defining aspect of her work has been her commitment to cultural policy and human rights. From 1998 to 2001, she served as the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid within the Federal Foreign Office, advocating for victims of conflicts in regions like the Balkans and Rwanda. Later, as the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media from 2022, she has been a staunch defender of artistic freedom, the restitution of cultural property, and the support of cultural institutions like the Berlin State Museums and the documenta exhibition. She has consistently used her platform to champion the rights of marginalized groups, including the LGBT community and the Sinti and Roma.

Personal life

Roth is openly lesbian and has been a visible advocate for LGBT rights in Germany. She is known for her vibrant personal style and deep passion for music, having worked as a concert promoter for bands like Ton Steine Scherben and Amon Düül II before her political career. She maintains a residence in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg and is a dedicated supporter of FC Augsburg.

Awards and recognition

Her decades of service have been recognized with several honors. She was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Cross of Merit, 1st class) in 2007. In 2014, she received the Leo Baeck Prize for her commitment against antisemitism and for minority rights. Other accolades include the German Jazz Award for her cultural engagement and the M100 Media Award for her contributions to European integration and press freedom.

Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the Bundestag Category:Alliance 90/The Greens politicians