Quick Facts
Biography
Franziska Giffey (née Süllke, born 3 May 1978 in Frankfurt (Oder)) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has been serving as Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel since 2018. She was the Mayor of Neukölln in Berlin from April 2015 to March 2018.
Early life and education
Giffey grew up in Briesen. After her Abitur in 1997, she started studying English and French at the Humboldt University of Berlin in order to become a teacher, but had to terminate in 1998 for medical reasons. She subsequently studied administrative law at a Fachhochschule for Public Administration in Berlin from 1998 until 2001. During her graduate studies in European administrative management from 2003 to 2005, she worked at the Representation of Berlin to the European Union in Brussels in 2003 and at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in 2005. In 2005, she started extra-occupational doctoral studies at the Free University of Berlin, where she received her PhD in 2010. Her thesis dealt with the inclusion of civil society by the European Commission in EU decision-making.
In addition to her studies, she worked as Commissioner for European Affairs in the district administration of Neukölln from 2002 to 2010.
Political career
Giffey joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 2007.
In 2015, Giffey succeeded Heinz Buschkowsky as mayor of the Berlin district of Neukölln, home to many immigrants and high unemployment.
Federal Minister of Family Affairs, 2018–present
After the formation of a grand coalition between the CDU under Chancellor Angela Merkel and the SPD in the wake of the 2017 federal election, Giffey was appointed member of the fourth Merkel cabinet in March 2018, serving as Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. She succeeded Katarina Barley in this office, who became Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection.
Following the 2018 Chemnitz protests, Giffey was the first member of Merkel's cabinet to visit the site where a 35-year old German carpenter was stabbed to death.
In 2019, allegations of plagiarism prompted the Free University of Berlin to review Giffey’s 2010 dissertation. In response, Giffey announced that she would resign if her PhD is revoked and she would not run for the leadership of her party due to the ongoing investigation.
After investigations into her PhD thesis, the Free University of Berlin decided that Giffey may keep her doctor title.
When Berlin’s governing mayor Michael Müller announced his intention not to run again for his party’s leadership in the state, Giffey and Raed Saleh expressed their intention to take over as dual leaders. Giffey has since been regarded as potential candidate to succeed Müller as mayor in the 2021 Berlin state election.
In mid-2020, Giffey presented the government’s first equality strategy, which bundled together measures that aim to get more women into leadership roles, narrow the gender pay gap and improve work-life balance.
Other activities
Corporate boards
- Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR), Member of the Advisory Board (-2018)
Non-profit organizations
- German Forum for Crime Prevention (DFK), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2018)
- German Red Cross (DRK), Member
- Lions Club, Member
- French-German Youth Office (Berlin/Paris), Chairwoman
- Total E-Quality initiative, Member of the Board of Trustees
Personal life
Giffey has been married to a veterinarian since 2009; the couple has one child. Her nephew is basketball player Niels Giffey.
