Wolfgang Schmidt (politician)

Schmidt was born 23 September 1970, in Hamburg. He began studying Jurisprudence at the University of Hamburg in 1991, and graduated in 1995 finishing his first Staatsexam. In 1995, he then studied Jurisprudence at the University of the Basque Country for 2 years. In 1997, he became a Research associate at the University of Hamburg until 2000. Schmidt then, in 2002, served a two year legal clerkship term at the Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht finishing his second Staatsexam.[3]

From 2002 until 2005, Schmidt worked as advisor and later as chief of staff to Olaf Scholz in his capacity as the SPD’s secretary general.[4] He followed Scholz as chief of staff when the latter was appointed as whip of the SPD parliamentary group.

In the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Schmidt again served as Scholz’s chief of staff at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.[4]

From 2010 to 2011, Schmidt served as director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) representative office in Germany.[4]

Schmidt joined the youth organization of the Social Democratic Party, called the Jusos, in 1989 due to his interest in the third world.[5]

On December 6th 2021, Schmidt was nominated as Federal Minister for Special Affairs and Head of the Chancellery in Scholz's cabinet,[6][7][8][9] and was inaugrated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on December 8th.[10][11][12]

Schmidt is married to a Mexican woman and has two daughters with whom he currently resides with in Berlin.[13]