Cornelia Pieper

Cornelia Pieper (born February 4, 1959 in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, née Richter) is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), currently serving as Minister of State at the Foreign Office under Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in the Second Cabinet Merkel (since 28 October 2009). She was secretary general of her party from 2001 to 2005. Since 2005, she has been deputy chairwoman of the FDP.

Background

Pieper was born in Halle in the former German Democratic Republic. After her Abitur she studied Polish and Russian in Leipzig and Warsaw. She finished in 1982 with a Diplom. Since 1996 she has worked as a freelance translator.

Party career

From 1987 to 1990 Pieper was engaged at the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany. In 1990 she joined the FDP and since that time she has been a member of the party's executive board in the State of Saxony-Anhalt. In 1995 she became chairwoman of the FDP in Saxony-Anhalt, what she still is today. She has also been a member of the federal executive board since 1993. From 1997 to 2001 she was deputy chairwoman of the federal FDP, from 2001 to 2005 she was secretary general. In May 2005 Pieper once again was elected deputy chairwoman of the FDP.

Parliamentary career

From 1990 to 1994 Pieper was a member of the Landtag in Saxony-Anhalt.

In 1998 she was for the first time elected into the Bundestag. There she was deputy chairwoman of the FDP's parliamentary group from 1998 to 2001.

Pieper was elected top candidate of...
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