As Chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schroder is seeking to invigorate the German economy and the aging German social institutions. An effective orator with a knack for rolling with the political punches, Schroder has always been something of an outsider in German politics. He is a former Marxist that is now a left-leaning Social democrat. Schroder's "new Germany" policies borrow heavily from President Clinton's program in the States, as well as Prime Minister Tony Blair's "Cool Britannia" in the UK. In style and in substance, Schroeder is attempting to build what has been called "a new center" by broadening his party's influence with technology advancement, entrepreneurial spirit and youthful professionalism.

Schroder’s political career began in 1963, when at the age of 19 he joined the Young Socialists and the Social Democratic Party. After his Marxist activist group contributed to the defeat of the center-left government of former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, Schroeder began to gravitate more towards the political center himself. Eventually, as a more of a moderate Socialist, he was elected premier of the state of Lower Saxony in 1990.

Over time, Schroder developed a smooth political demeanor that, in his eventual climb through the German political ranks, projects a sense of social justice, familiarity and success. In public speeches and on television, he has attempted to distract attention from the accomplishments of past governments - in domestic affairs and on the world stage - by concentrating on the negatives, such as the severe unemployment of these governments. German voters have continued to support Schroder's pragmatic policies and, after his three unsuccessful marriages, have not punished him for his difficulty in keeping his family life on track. However, even with Schroeder's new "Zeitgeist," Germany has yet to take promised and necessary steps toward diminishing the state's role in the economy and inspiring a new spirit into the private sector.
Climb to Fame
Chancellor of Germany (1998-present)
Work History
"1958-1961 Retail trade apprentice clerk. 1962-1964 Employed at a hardware store while studying for high school equivalency exam and diploma. 1969-1970 Chairman of the Young Socialists, Gottingen, Germany. 1977 Member of the executive committee for the Hannover Social Democratic Party, SPD. 1978-1980 Federal Chairman of the Young Socialists. 1978- Began practicing law, self-employed. 1979- Member of the SPD advisory council. 1983-1993 Chairman of the Hanover SDP. 1986- Member of the executive committee for the federal SDP party. 1989- Member of the SDP executive committee board. 1990 Elected minister-president of Lower-Saxony. 1994-1998 Chairman of the Lower-Saxony state. 1998 Elected Chancellor of the German Bundestag.
Affiliations
1963- Social Democratic Party of Germany. 1978-1980 Young Socialists of Germany.