Daniel Günther


Daniel Günther is a German politician of Christian Democratic Union of Germany. Since 28 June 2017 he serves as the Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein. From 1 November 2018 to 31 October 2019 he served as President of the Bundesrat, being succeeded by Dietmar Woidke.

Early life and education

Günther studied politics and psychology at University of Kiel.

Career

Career in state politics

Günther has been a member of Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein. since the 2009 state elections. In parliament, he was a member of the Committee on Education and the Finance Committee. From 2014 until 2017, he served as chairman of the CDU parliamentary group. In this capacity, he was also a member of the Council of Elders.
When Ingbert Liebing resigned in late 2016 from his role as leading candidate for the 2017 state elections after consistently bad polling results, Günther took over.
Since 28 June 2017 Günther has been serving as the 14th Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein. As one of the state's representatives at the Bundesrat, he also serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Role in national politics

Günther was a CDU delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2017. In the – failed – negotiations to form a coalition government with the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, the Free Democratic Party and the Green Party following the 2017 national elections, he was part of the 19-member delegation of the CDU. In the ensuing negotiations with the Social Democrats, he led the working group on transport and infrastructure, this time alongside Thomas Strobl and Sören Bartol.
Ahead of the Christian Democrats’ leadership election in 2018, Günther publicly endorsed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to succeed Merkel as the party’s chair. In the 2020 leadership election, he later endorsed Armin Laschet.

Other activities

Günther is married to a pediatrician. The couple has two daughters.