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{{short description|German politician, Federal Minister of Finance}}
{{About|the politician|the journalist|Christian Lindner (journalist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-suffix = [[Member of the German Bundestag|MdB]]
| name = Christian Lindner
| image = 2021-12-07 Unterzeichnung des Koalitionsvertrages der 20. Wahlperiode des Bundestages by Sandro Halank–013.jpg
| caption = Lindner in 2021
| office1 = [[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Minister of Finance]]
| chancellor1 = [[Olaf Scholz]]
| term_start1 = 8 December 2021
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Olaf Scholz
| successor1 =
| office3 = [[Leader of the Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Leader of the Free Democratic Party]]
| term_start3 = 7 December 2013
| deputy3 = [[Wolfgang Kubicki]]<br/>[[Nicola Beer]]<br/>[[Johannes Vogel (politician)|Johannes Vogel]]
| term_end3 =
| 1blankname3 = {{nowrap|General<br>Secretary}}
| 1namedata3 = [[Nicola Beer]]<br/>[[Linda Teuteberg]]<br/>[[Volker Wissing]]
| predecessor3 = [[Philipp Rösler]]
| successor3 =
| office4 = Leader of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] in the [[Bundestag]]
| 1blankname4 = {{nowrap|[[Whip (politics)|Chief Whip]]}}
| 1namedata4 = [[Marco Buschmann]]
| term_start4 = 24 October 2017
| term_end4 = 7 December 2021
| deputy5 = [[Katja Suding]]<br/>[[Michael Theurer]]<br/>[[Stephan Thomae]]<br/> [[Alexander Graf Lambsdorff]]<br/>[[Christian Dürr]]<br/>[[Frank Sitta]]
| predecessor5 = [[Rainer Brüderle]] <small>(2013)</small>
| successor5 = [[Christian Dürr]]
| office6 = Leader of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] in the [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
| term_start6 = 31 May 2012
| term_end6 = 10 October 2017
| predecessor6 = Gerhard Papke
| successor6 = Christof Rasche
| office7 = Leader of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
| term_start7 = 13 May 2012
| term_end7 = 27 November 2017
| predecessor7 = [[Daniel Bahr]]
| successor7 = [[Joachim Stamp]]
| office8 = General Secretary of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| term_start8 = 24 December 2009
| term_end8 = 14 December 2011
| leader8 = [[Guido Westerwelle]] <br /> [[Philipp Rösler]]
| predecessor8 = [[Dirk Niebel]]
| successor8 = [[Patrick Döring]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Parliamentary constituencies
|titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office9 = [[Member of the German Bundestag|Member]] of the [[Bundestag]] <br /> for [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
| term_start9 = [[2017 German federal election|24 October 2017]]
| constituency9 = [[Electoral system of Germany|Free Democratic Party List]]
| successor9 =
| predecessor9 = ''multi-member district''
| office10 =
| term_start10 = [[2009 German federal election|27 October 2009]]
| term_end10 = 10 July 2012
| predecessor10 = ''multi-member district''
| constituency10 = [[Electoral system of Germany|Free Democratic Party List]]
| successor10 = Hans-Werner Ehrenberg
| office11 = Member of the {{nowrap|[[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia]]}}
| term_start11 = [[2012 North Rhine-Westphalia state election|31 May 2012]]
| term_end11 = 10 October 2017
| predecessor11 = ''multi-member district''
| successor11 = Lorenz Deutsch
| constituency11 = [[Electoral system of Germany|Free Democratic Party List]]
| term_start12 = [[2000 North Rhine-Westphalia state election|1 June 2000]]
| term_end12 = 18 November 2009
| successor12 = Ute Dreckmann
| predecessor12 = ''multi-member district''
| constituency12 = [[Electoral system of Germany|Free Democratic Party List]]
{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| birth_name = Christian Wolfgang Lindner
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|1|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wuppertal]], North Rhine-Westphalia, [[West Germany]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|[[Dagmar Rosenfeld]]|2011|2020|end=divorced}}
*{{marriage|[[Franca Lehfeldt]]|2022}}
}}
| party = [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Bonn]]
| allegiance = {{flag|Germany}}
| branch = {{flagicon image|Bundeswehr Logo.svg|50px|Emblem of German Ground Forces}} ''[[Bundeswehr]]''
| serviceyears = 2002–present
| rank = [[Major (Germany)|Major]]
| unit = {{flagicon image|Bundeswehr Logo.svg|50px|Emblem of German Ground Forces}} ''[[German Air Force|German Air Force Reserve]]''
| signature = Christian Lindner Signature.svg
}}

'''Christian Wolfgang Lindner''' (born 7 January 1979) is a German politician of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) who has been serving as the [[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Federal Minister of Finance]] since 8 December 2021. He has been the party leader of the FDP since 2013 and a [[Member of the German Bundestag|Member of the Bundestag]] (MdB) for [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] since 2017, previously holding a seat from 2009 until 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Standardartikel/Ministerium/Leitung/christian-lindner-neuer-finanzminister.html|title=Christian Lindner ist Bundesminister der Finanzen|work=German Federal Ministry of Finance}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/geschaeftsordnung-der-bundesregierung-459846|title=Geschäftsordnung der Bundesregierung|website=[[Cabinet of Germany|Die Bundesregierung]]|accessdate=28 January 2022|language=de}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Christian Lindner was born in [[Wuppertal]], [[West Germany]]. His father Wolfgang Lindner is a teacher of mathematics and [[computer science]] at the ''Städtisches Gymnasium'' in [[Wermelskirchen]].

After graduating from [[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium]] in 1998 and an [[Zivildienst|alternative civilian service]], Christian Lindner studied political science at the [[University of Bonn]] from 1999 to 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/universitaet/aktuelles/2008/06/30-ak-sprint-studium-mathe.shtml |title=Im Sprint ins Ziel: Mathematik in vier Semestern – Juni – Universität – FernUniversität in Hagen |access-date=24 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217060237/http://fernuni-hagen.de/universitaet/aktuelles/2008/06/30-ak-sprint-studium-mathe.shtml |archive-date=17 December 2010 }}</ref> After eleven semesters he acquired the academic degree of [[Magister degree|Magister Artium]] (M.A). In his master's thesis at the Institute of Political Science, he dealt with the topic: "Tax competition and revenue sharing. Can the financial constitution be reformed?"<ref>(In german: ''Steuerwettbewerb und Finanzausgleich. Kann die Finanzverfassung reformiert werden?''), ''»Bambi« legt los.'', Der Spiegel, 29 November 2004.</ref> In 2006, he began writing his dissertation under supervision from political science professor Frank Decker, which he has so far not completed due to his political activities.<ref>Daniel Dettling (Hrsg.): ''Minima Moralia der nächsten Gesellschaft. Standpunkte eines neuen Generationenvertrags''. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden 2009, {{ISBN|978-3-531-16475-5}}, S. 168.</ref>

While studying Lindner became a reserve officer in the [[German Air Force|Air Force]]. In 2002, he was promoted to First lieutenant ([[Oberleutnant]]) in the Reserve. In 2008 he was a [[liaison officer]] to the state command Landeskommando of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf. Since September 2011 he has held the rank of Captain ([[Hauptmann]]) in the Reserve.<ref name="Post">''Verbindungsoffizier zum Landeskommando''. In: ''Rheinische Post.'' 26. Juli 2008.</ref><ref>[https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/luftwaffenreserve-de-maiziere-befoerdert-lindner-zum-hauptmann/4617000.html De Maizière befördert Lindner zum Hauptmann]. In: ''Handelsblatt'', 16. September 2011.</ref> Currently Lindner is a [[Major (Germany)|Major]] in the current, modern [[German Air Force|Luftwaffe]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Christian Lindner CV English|url=https://www.christian-lindner.de/sites/default/files/2021-07/CV%20english.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726092643/https://www.christian-lindner.de/sites/default/files/2021-07/CV%20english.pdf |archive-date=26 July 2021 }}</ref>

==Early political career==
Lindner joined the FDP in 1995.<ref name="www.christian-lindner.de" /> He has been a member of the executive board of the FDP in the state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] since 1998 and became Secretary General in 2004 (until February 2010).<ref name="www.christian-lindner.de">{{Cite web|title =Christian_Lindner_englisch.pdf|url = https://www.christian-lindner.de/sites/default/files/2021-07/CV%20english.pdf|website = www.christian-lindner.de|access-date = 23 May 2015}}</ref> At the [[2000 North Rhine-Westphalia state election|May 2000 election]] for the [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia]], the 21-year old Lindner was elected, becoming the youngest MP in the history of the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia.<ref name="www.christian-lindner.de" /> Lindner was from 2000 initially 'spokesman for Intergenerational Affairs, Family and Integration' and then from 2005 to 2009 was also vice chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the parliament and spokesman for Innovation, Science and Technology. In 2007 he also became a member of the executive board of the FDP on federal level.

From 2009 Lindner was a member of the German Bundestag. In the negotiations to form a [[coalition government]] following the [[2009 German federal election|2009 federal elections]], he was part of the FDP delegation in the working group on families, integration of immigrants and culture, led by [[Maria Böhmer]] and Hans-Joachim Otto.

From December 2009 until his surprise resignation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20111214-39497.html|title=FDP general secretary Lindner resigns|date=14 December 2011}}</ref> in December 2011, Lindner was also Secretary General of the FDP on federal level, largely under the leadership of party chairman [[Guido Westerwelle]] and later under [[Philipp Rösler]] when Westerwelle had to resign.<ref name="www.christian-lindner.de" /> Lindner's resignation was caused by an internal party vote which had been forced by a group centered around the [[Eurosceptic]] FDP parliamentarian [[Frank Schäffler]] to determine the FDP's future course on questions pertaining to the [[European Stability Mechanism]] (ESM).<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/senior-fdp-official-resigns-merkel-s-coalition-partner-falls-further-into-crisis-a-803660.html Senior FDP Official Resigns: Merkel's Coalition Partner Falls Further into Crisis] ''[[Spiegel Online]]'', 14 December 2011.</ref>

Lindner was later chosen to chair the NRW FDP in the [[2012 North Rhine-Westphalia state election|2012 state election]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], succeeding [[Daniel Bahr]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.landtag.nrw.de/portal/WWW/Webmaster/GB_I/I.1/Abgeordnete/abgeordnetendetail.jsp?k=01404|title=Landtag NRW: Abgeordneter Christian Lindner|first=Landtag|last=Nordrhein-Westfalen|website=www.landtag.nrw.de|access-date=23 September 2013|archive-date=13 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213124753/https://www.landtag.nrw.de/portal/WWW/Webmaster/GB_I/I.1/Abgeordnete/abgeordnetendetail.jsp?k=01404|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the election, the FDP received 8.6% of the vote,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw.de/landtagswahlen/2012/aktuell/a0lw1200.html|title=Landtagswahl 2012 in NRW|website=www.wahlergebnisse.nrw.de}}</ref> surpassing all expectations at the time as the party had been fighting over all the country to reach the minimum representation of 5% for years and was losing representation in several states.<ref>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Kulish |date=13 May 2012 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/14/world/europe/in-rebuke-to-merkel-social-democrats-win-german-vote.html |title=In Rebuke to Merkel's Party, Social Democrats Win German Vote |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Following the party's victory at that election he was elected Parliamentary leader of the FDP in the NRW Landtag, succeeding Gerhard Papke on 15 May 2012, and worked in the opposition. In March 2013, he was elected one of Rösler's deputies, alongside [[Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger]] and [[Holger Zastrow]].

==FDP Chairman==
Lindner was elected the new chairman of the FDP following the resignation of Chairman [[Philipp Rösler]] after the [[2013 German federal election]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/wahl/fdp822.html|title=Aktuelle Nachrichten – Inland Ausland Wirtschaft Kultur Sport – ARD Tagesschau|last=tagesschau.de|website=tagesschau.de}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=c_lindner|author=Christian Lindner|number=382113735521099776|date=23 September 2013|title=Bewerbe mich um den Parteivorsitz, um liberale Partei zu erneuern und 2017 wieder in Bundestag zu führen. Nun Phase der Besinnung. CL}}</ref> in which the FDP failed to clear the 5% hurdle to enter the Bundestag for the first time since 1949.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.de/fdp-a-post-war-fixture-is-out-of-parliament/a-17106509|title=FDP, a post-war fixture, is out of parliament – DW – 23.09.2013|website=DW.COM}}</ref>

Ahead of the [[2014 European Parliament election|2014 European elections]], Lindner and Dutch Prime Minister [[Mark Rutte]] served as 'mediators' between [[Olli Rehn]] and [[Guy Verhofstadt]], the [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]]'s candidates for the [[President of the European Commission|presidency]] of the [[European Commission]];<ref>[http://www.politico.eu/article/alde-candidates/ ALDE candidates] ''[[European Voice]]'', 8 January 2014.</ref> eventually, the candidates agreed to jointly lead the ALDE's campaign for elections, with Verhofstadt running to succeed [[José Manuel Barroso]].<ref>Toby Vogel (20 January 2014), [http://www.politico.eu/article/verhofstadt-rehn-agree-campaign-roles/ Verhofstadt, Rehn agree campaign roles] ''[[European Voice]]''.</ref> At the time, Linder was widely regarded to support Rehn.<ref>Peter Spiegel (2 January 2014), [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0607ca9e-6bf2-11e3-85b1-00144feabdc0.html Europe's leaders divided on how to pick next EC president] ''[[Financial Times]]''.</ref>

Lindner was a FDP delegate to the [[Federal Convention (Germany)|Federal Convention]] for the purpose of electing the [[President of Germany]] in 2017, where he endorsed the government's candidate [[Frank-Walter Steinmeier]].<ref>[https://www.landtag.nrw.de/portal/WWW/dokumentenarchiv/Dokument/MMD16-13713.pdf Wahl der Mitglieder für die 16. Bundesversammlung] [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia]], decision of 14 December 2016.</ref> That same year, he led his party's successful campaign for the [[2017 North Rhine-Westphalia state election|2017 state elections]] of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], which resulted in the FDP joining the state government of incoming [[List of Ministers-President of North Rhine-Westphalia|Minister-President]] [[Armin Laschet]]. Lindner himself did not take a position in the new government because of his aim to lead the FDP back to the Bundestag in September 2017, which he achieved with a result of 10.7%. After that success he was elected leader of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag.

In October 2017, [[Angela Merkel]]'s CDU and [[Katrin Göring-Eckardt]]'s and [[Cem Özdemir]]'s [[Alliance 90/The Greens|Greens]] started negotiations with the FDP to form a government, in which Lindner was widely seen as the future Minister of Finance, as the CDU had even nominated the former Minister [[Wolfgang Schäuble]] as [[President of the Bundestag]] to make place for the FDP. Such a coalition was the only realistic possibility to form a government (except for a [[Grand coalition]]) but had almost never been used before on any regional level in Germany. In November 2017, after midnight, Lindner and his party left the already prolonged negotiations after four unsuccessful weeks, which led to the longest government formation in German history and finally in March 2018 once more to a Grand Coalition with the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]], which had previously rejected any participation in the new government.

In 2021 Christian Lindner was re-elected federal chairman of the FDP with 93 percent of the vote and at the same time was chosen as the party's top candidate for the federal election.<ref>{{Cite web |last=mdr.de |title=FDP-Vorsitzender Lindner auf Bundesparteitag wiedergewählt {{!}} MDR.DE |url=https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/deutschland/politik/fdp-bundesparteitag-christian-lindner-wiederwahl-parteivorsitzender-100.html |access-date=5 July 2023 |website=www.mdr.de |language=de}}</ref>

==Federal Minister of Finance==
Following the [[2021 German federal election]], the FDP agreed to enter government with the [[Alliance 90/The Greens|Greens]] and [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democrats]], as part of a [[traffic light coalition]] led by [[Olaf Scholz]]. Lindner was named as [[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Finance Minister]], and took office on 8 December 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/meet-germany-new-government-scholz-cabinet/ |title=Meet Germany's new government |last=Posaner |first=Joshua |date=8 December 2021|website=Politico |access-date=26 December 2021}}</ref>

After the G7 countries announced that they would present strong sanctions against Russia, Lindner stated that they should target Russian oligarchs. He stated: "We are working on further sanctions. I am particularly concerned that the oligarchs should be affected. Those who have profited from [[Vladimir Putin|Putin]] and stolen the wealth of the Russian people, including through corruption, should not be allowed to enjoy their prosperity in our Western democracies".<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/verden/2022/03/06/195830744/tysk-minister-nye-g7-sanksjoner-burde-rettes-mot-russiske-oligarker | title = Tysk minister: Nye G7-sanksjoner burde rettes mot russiske oligarker | publisher = ABC Nyheter | date= 7 March 2022 | access-date= 7 March 2022 | language = Norwegian}}</ref>

On the night of 24 February 2022, right after Russia started its invasion of Ukraine, Lindner according to the Ambassador of Ukraine in Germany told Ukraine's ambassador [[Andriy Yaroslavovych Melnyk|Andriy Melnyk]] that "Ukraine has only a few hours" left, so he opposed arms supplies to Kyiv and Russia's disconnection from [[SWIFT]].<ref name=faz1>{{Cite news |last=Gerster |first=Livia |title=Ukrainischer Botschafter: Sie wollen seine Worte nicht hören |language=de |work=FAZ.NET |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/andrij-melnyk-ukrainischer-botschafter-in-verzweifelter-mission-17909743.html |access-date=29 March 2022 |issn=0174-4909}}</ref><ref name=prav1>{{Cite web |title=У Берліні давали Україні "кілька годин" після вторгнення РФ, тому не допомагали – посол |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/03/29/7335467/ |access-date=29 March 2022 |website=Українська правда |language=uk}}</ref> On 17 May 2022, Lindner said he is "politically open to the idea of seizing" the frozen [[List of countries by foreign-exchange reserves|foreign-exchange reserves]] of the [[Central Bank of Russia]] —which amount to over $300 billion— to cover the costs of rebuilding Ukraine after the war.<ref name=eura1>{{cite news |title=Germany open to Russian Central Bank asset seizure to finance Ukraine's recovery |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/eastern-europe/news/germany-open-to-russian-central-bank-asset-seizure-to-finance-ukraines-recovery/ |work=[[Euractiv]] |date=17 May 2022}}</ref>

In August 2022, Lindner announced a "big step" to improve anti-money laundering and sanctions enforcement in Germany: he wanted to create a "Federal Financial Criminal Investigation Office" to end the good conditions for money laundering in Germany.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=16 September 2022 |title=Sanktionen durchsetzen und Geldwäsche bekämpfen |url=https://www.gdp.de/gdp/gdpbupo.nsf/id/DG_13_BZGZoll_Sanktionen-durchsetzen-und-Geldwaesche-bekaempfen |access-date=5 October 2023 |website=www.gdp.de |language=de}}</ref><ref name=dir1>{{Cite web |title=Christian Lindner treibt Pläne für Bundesfinanzkriminalamt voran – diruj |url=https://www.diruj.net/news/christian-lindner-treibt-plaene-fuer-bundesfinanzkriminalamt-voran-2/ |access-date=5 October 2023 |language=de-DE}}</ref> The [[Gewerkschaft der Polizei|GdP]] warned of fragmented responsibilities and authorities at federal and state levels; rather, Lindner should strengthen the existing Federal Customs Office. To this day there is no "Federal Financial Criminal Investigation Office".<ref name=":0" /> Experts criticize that the new agency lacks the authority to seizure suspicious assets by administrative order and the exclusion of tax-related offences from its jurisdiction, according to a draft published until September 2023.<ref name=sud1>{{Cite web |title="Lindner schafft es nicht zu liefern" |date=21 September 2023 |access-date=8 June 2024| url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/christian-lindner-kriminalitaet-geldwaesche-1.6246893 |language=de-DE }}</ref>

Lindner has been a staunch defender of the constitutionally-enshrined [[Debt brake (Germany)|debt brake]] and seen as reluctant to agree another suspension in 2024.<ref name=rtr1>Christian Kraemer and Maria Martinez (1 December 2023),[https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-finance-minister-defends-2023-debt-brake-suspension-forced-by-court-2023-12-01/ German finance minister defends 2023 debt brake suspension forced by court ruling] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref>

In July 2024 Lindner argued that Germany would need to halve its aid to Ukraine.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kr91zqp0lo |title=Germany plans to halve military aid for Ukraine }}</ref> In August 2024 Lindner halted new aid to Ukraine, saying the aid would in future be supplied from the frozen funds in the west of the [[Russian Central Bank]]. [[Robert Habeck]], among others, thought that this might stress the ruling coalition,<ref name="peu1">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-halt-new-ukraine-military-aid-report-war-russia/ |title=Germany to halt new Ukraine military aid: Report }}</ref> and this had already impacted the promised [[Diehl]] [[IRIS-T]] system, which turned out not to have been funded by Germany after all because of the restrictions put in place by Lindner.<ref name="tvp1">{{cite news |url=https://tvpworld.com/79939063/germany-to-limit-military-aid-to-ukraine-due-to-budget-cuts |title=Germany to limit military aid to Ukraine due to budget cuts }}</ref>

In September 2024, Lindner argued that Germany needs a fundamental change in asyl- and migration law. He wants a stop of asyl-migration at German borders.<ref>[https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/lindner-platzt-der-kragen-die-leute-haben-die-schnauze-voll-66d58e0588d63f428ad45fcb Bild.de: Lindner platzt der Kragen, Die Leute haben die Schnauze voll], September 2024</ref><ref>[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/hanks-welt/landtagswahlen-in-thueringen-und-sachsen-die-ampel-am-ende-19952423.html Faz.net: Die Ampel am Ende]</ref>

==Other activities==
===International organizations===
* [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (EBRD), ex-officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)<ref>[http://www.ebrd.com/shareholders-and-board-of-governors.html Board of Governors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228141219/http://www.ebrd.com/shareholders-and-board-of-governors.html |date=28 February 2017 }} [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (EBRD).</ref>
* [[European Investment Bank]] (EIB), ex-officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)<ref>[http://www.eib.org/about/governance-and-structure/statutory-bodies/board_of_governors/index.htm Board of Governors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616103358/http://www.eib.org/about/governance-and-structure/statutory-bodies/board_of_governors/index.htm |date=16 June 2018 }} [[European Investment Bank]] (EIB).</ref>
* [[European Stability Mechanism]] (ESM), ex-officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)<ref>[https://www.esm.europa.eu/profile/christian-lindner Board of Governors: Christian Lindner] [[European Stability Mechanism]] (ESM).</ref>
* [[Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank]] (AIIB), ex-officio Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)<ref>[https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/governance/board-governors/index.html Board of Governors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029173748/https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/governance/board-governors/index.html |date=29 October 2017 }} [[Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank]] (AIIB).</ref>
* [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF), ex-officio Alternate Member of the Board of Governors (since 2021)<ref>[http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.aspx Members] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111021542/http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.aspx |date=11 November 2011 }} [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF).</ref>

===Corporate boards===
* [[KfW]], Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Supervisory Directors (since 2021)<ref>[https://www.kfw.de/About-KfW/Arbeitsweise-und-Unternehmensf%C3%BChrung/Verwaltungsrat-und-seine-Aussch%C3%BCsse/ Board of Supervisory Directors and its Committees] [[KfW]].</ref>
* RAG-Stiftung, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2021)<ref>[https://www.rag-stiftung.de/en/about-us/board-of-trustees/ Board of Trustees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820173606/http://www.rag-stiftung.de/en/about-us/board-of-trustees/ |date=20 August 2017 }} RAG-Stiftung.</ref>

===Non-profit organizations===
* [[Borussia Dortmund]], Member of the Business Advisory Board (since 2018)<ref>Lothar Schmalen (28 November 2018), [https://www.nw.de/nachrichten/zwischen_weser_und_rhein/22310442_Im-Glanz-des-Fussballerfolgs.html FDP-Chef Lindner sitzt jetzt im BVB-Wirtschaftsrat – kein Einzelfall] ''Neue Westfälische''.</ref>
*''Aktive Bürgerschaft'', Member of the Board of Trustees<ref>{{Cite web|title = Aktive Bürgerschaft|url = http://www.aktive-buergerschaft.de/aktive_buergerschaft/stiftungsrat/lindner|website = www.aktive-buergerschaft.de|access-date = 23 May 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305023033/http://www.aktive-buergerschaft.de/aktive_buergerschaft/stiftungsrat/lindner|archive-date = 5 March 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref>
*[[Friedrich Naumann Foundation]], Member of the Board of Trustees<ref>{{Cite web|title = www.en.freiheit.org – Organization|url = http://www.freiheit.org/The-Board-of-Trustees/867c11142i780/index.html|website = www.freiheit.org|access-date = 23 May 2015|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111120220403/http://www.freiheit.org/The-Board-of-Trustees/867c11142i780/index.html|archive-date = 20 November 2011}}</ref>
*[[ZDF]], Member of the Television Board<ref name="Tagesspiegel 2014">{{cite web | title=ZDF-Fernsehrat beschneidet Politikerzahl nicht | website=Tagesspiegel | date=16 May 2014 | url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/medien/alte-besetzung-zdf-fernsehrat-beschneidet-politikerzahl-nicht/9905338.html | language=de | access-date=26 July 2021}}</ref>
* [[University of Düsseldorf|Heinrich Heine University]] (HHU), Institut für Deutsches und Internationales Parteienrecht und Parteienforschung, Member of the Board of Trustees
* Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung, Member of the Board of Trustees<ref>[https://aids-stiftung.de/infos-%C3%BCber-die-stiftung/die-stiftung/gremien/kuratorium Board of Trustees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213115653/https://aids-stiftung.de/infos-%C3%BCber-die-stiftung/die-stiftung/gremien/kuratorium |date=13 December 2018 }} Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung.</ref>
* [[Walther Rathenau Institut]]e, Member of the Advisory Board<ref>[http://www.rathenau-stiftung.de/organisation/ Advisory Board] [[Walther Rathenau Institut]]e.</ref>
* Deutsche Nationalstiftung, Member of the Senate
* NRW Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees<ref>[http://www.nrw-stiftung.de/foerderverein/gremien-kuratorium.php?sid=69a03dda8d7107cac89f18a8da19cfb7?sid=11a71a6298eb96ea978cca0201f13ae3 Board of Trustees]{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} NRW Foundation.</ref>
* Captain in the [[German Air Force]]s reserve<ref name="www.christian-lindner.de" />
* [[Rotary International]], Member

==Political positions==
===Foreign policy===
In 2022, Lindner called for renewed talks over a free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, aiming to revive discussions on the so-called [[Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership]] (TTIP).<ref>Tom Sims (20 March 2022), [https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-calls-new-talks-transatlantic-trade-deal-handelsblatt-2022-03-20/ Germany calls for new talks on transatlantic trade deal] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref>

===Entrepreneurship===
In early 2015, an impassioned response to heckling by Lindner, defending entrepreneurs and startup culture made it onto newspaper front pages and became one of the most watched political speeches in months. Lindner was speaking before the [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia|state legislature]] in North Rhine-Westphalia about the importance of entrepreneurship and how failed entrepreneurs deserve a second chance when a Social Democratic member in the audience heckled: "That [failure] is something you have experience in." That was a reference to an Internet company co-founded by Lindner that failed after the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s. Lindner responded with a 2½-minute speech, saying: "If one succeeds, one ends up in the sights of the Social Democratic redistribution machinery and, if one fails, one can be sure of derision and mockery." He added that this particular member preferred to have a secure job in public service for his entire life, rather than daring to found a company, and how the message of that heckling attempt was the total opposite of what had been announced just minutes earlier by the president of the state legislature, who also happened to be an SPD member.<ref name="Troianovski-2015">{{Cite news|last=Troianovski|first=Anton|author-link=Anton Troianovski|date=3 February 2015|title=Video Rant Wins Praise for Struggling German Political Party|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/video-rant-buoys-german-pro-business-party-1422972567|access-date=23 May 2015|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skvOKFbtr3E| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201184210/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skvOKFbtr3E&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=1 February 2015 | url-status=dead|title=YouTube|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

''[[Bild]]'', the highest-circulation daily newspaper in Germany, praised Lindner on its front page. The Berlin daily ''[[Tagesspiegel]]'' said the rant offered a welcome contrast to the "persistent fog of alternative-less Merkelism" that characterized debate in the Bundestag.<ref name="Troianovski-2015" /> What they were referring to was the situation that because of the narrow defeats of the FDP and the [[Alternative for Germany|AfD]], the opposition in the Bundestag only included left parties. Many policies of Merkel's government directly came from their centre-left coalition partner SPD or were at least negotiated and harmonised with them, and then only left parties reacted on them, who usually criticized that those policies were not enough and advocated for more investment into them or stronger policies but did not oppose them on a principled basis.

===Financial policy===
Shortly after the [[2017 German federal election|2017 elections]], Lindner ruled out taking on new debt to manage the balancing act of cutting income taxes and increasing investment on digital infrastructure. He criticized outgoing Finance Minister [[Wolfgang Schäuble]] for not being tough enough on [[Greece]] and not cutting income taxes for middle-class workers.<ref>Michael Nienaber (6 October 2017), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-politics-fdp/fdp-leader-wants-tougher-euro-zone-policy-no-new-german-debt-idUSKBN1CB12R FDP leader wants tougher euro zone policy, no new German debt] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref>

===German farmers' protests===
Lindner criticized some of the actions taken during the [[2023–2024 German farmers' protests]], especially after the blockade of [[Robert Habeck]] on a ferry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-06 |title=Lindner appelliert an Landwirte: "Sie haben sich verrannt, bitte kehren Sie um" |url=https://www.stern.de/politik/deutschland/christian-lindner-appelliert-an-landwirte---bitte-kehren-sie-um--34342792.html |website=stern.de |language=de}}</ref>

== Reception ==

US-economist [[Joseph Stiglitz]] and British economist [[Adam Tooze]] criticized in 2021 that Lindners fiscal position, if put into practice, would pose a threat to the economic future of Germany and Europe. They called his positions an “accumulation of conservative clichés” from a “bygone era” that had become obsolete “after three decades of crisis on the financial markets, in geopolitics [and] in the environmental field”.<ref>{{Cite news| title= "Es wäre ein Fehler, ihm seinen Wunsch zu erfüllen"| newspaper=Die Zeit | date=27 October 2021 | url=https://www.zeit.de/2021/44/christian-lindner-finanzminister-ampel-koalition-kritik-europa-digitalisierung | access-date=8 June 2024 | language=de-de | last1=Stiglitz | first1=Joseph E. | last2=Tooze | first2=Adam }}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 2011, Lindner married journalist [[Dagmar Rosenfeld]]; they had started dating in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.focus.de/panorama/vermischtes/christian-lindner-fdp-generalsekretaer-heiratet-dagmar-rosenfeld_aid_655556.html|title=FDP-Generalsekretär heiratet Dagmar Rosenfeld|work=FOCUS Online|access-date=19 April 2018|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/panorama/fdp-chef-wieder-single-so-koennte-christian-lindners-datingprofil-aussehen-30042946|title=FDP-Chef: Christian Lindner ist wieder Single|work=Berliner Zeitung|access-date=19 April 2018|language=de-DE}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On 19 April 2018, they announced their separation.<ref>Matthew Karnitschnig (18 May 2018), [https://www.politico.eu/article/christian-lindner-german-liberal-fdp-angela-merkel-leaders-bakery-tale-goes-a-rye/ German liberal leader's 'midlife crisis'] ''[[Politico Europe]]''.</ref> In 2018, he started dating journalist [[Franca Lehfeldt]], whom he married in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/german-finance-minister-gets-married-at-exclusive-island-of-sylt/ar-AAZkl6g|title= German finance minister gets married at exclusive island of Sylt |work=MSN.com|access-date=10 July 2022}}</ref>

== Publications ==

=== Editor ===
* {{cite book | last=Knüppel | first=Hartmut | title=Die Aktie als Marke | publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Verl.-Bereich Buch | publication-place=Frankfurt am Main | date=2001 | isbn=978-3-933180-83-4 | language=de}}
* {{cite book | last=Lindner | first=Christian | title=Avatare | publisher=Springer | date=2012-10-14 | isbn=978-3-642-62397-4 | language=de}}
* {{cite book | last1=Rösler | first1=Philipp | last2=Lindner | first2=Christian | title=Freiheit: gefühlt - gedacht - gelebt | publisher=Springer-Verlag | publication-place=Wiesbaden | date=2009-03-25 | isbn=978-3-531-16387-1 | language=de}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.bundestag.de/abgeordnete/biografien/L/521640-521640 German Bundestag – Abgeordneter Christian Lindner] (German)
*[http://www.christian-lindner.de Lindner's personal website] (mostly in German)
*[https://www.christian-lindner.de/content/about-christian-lindner English section on his personal website]
*[https://www.fdp.de/person/christian-lindner Lindner's profile on the party website]

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{{s-ttl|title=[[Federal Ministry of Finance (Germany)|Minister of Finance]]|years=2021–present}}
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[[Category:1979 births]]
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Revision as of 07:54, 3 September 2024

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