Nico Lange
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Nico_Lange_KAS.jpg/220px-Nico_Lange_KAS.jpg)
Nico Lange (born 23 March 1975) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as Federal Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer’s chief of staff since 2019.
Early life and education
Lange was born 1975 in Berlin and studied political science at the University of Greifswald.[1] As part of his military service, he served in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo.
Career
On a scholarship of Robert Bosch Foundation, Lange taught international relations at Saint Petersburg State University from 2004 until 2006.
From 2006 to 2012 Lange headed the CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation office in Kyiv.
From 2012 until 2017, Lange led the foundation's domestic policy team in Berlin.[2] In this capacity, he was appointed by CDU Secretary General Peter Tauber to a commission tasked with drafting proposals for reforming the party between 2013 and 2017.[3] In 2014, he chaired a task force on the future of political parties in Germany. He was also member of a CDU working group committee on domestic policy reforms.[4] After the CDU lost elections in Baden-Württemberg in 2016, Lange accompanied the party's deputy chairman Thomas Strobl when he toured the state visiting local chapters and discussing with members.[5]
From 2017 until 2018, Lange headed the foundation's Washington office.
In April 2018 Lange became deputy general manager of the CDU, under the leadership of newly elected chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.[6] Since 2019, he has been serving as Kramp-Karrenbauer's chief of staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence.
Controversy
In June 2010 Lange was arrested for supposed espionage by the Ukrainian counterespionage agency, the Security Service of Ukraine.[7] After a harsh diplomatic intervention by the German government, Lange was released after some hours, citing Ukrainian officials, that a ´misapprehension´ had taken place.[8]
References
- ^ "Der Maschinist" Cicero August 2019, p. 38 (in german)
- ^ Nico Lange (March 18, 2016), 3 reasons why Angela Merkel won’t change on migration Politico Europe.
- ^ Melanie Amann and Ralf Neukirch (January 30, 2018), After Angela: A New Leader in the Race to Succeed Merkel Der Spiegel.
- ^ Nico Lange Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies.
- ^ Melanie Amann and Ralf Neukirch (January 30, 2018), After Angela: A New Leader in the Race to Succeed Merkel Der Spiegel.
- ^ Roßmann, Robert. "Kramp-Karrenbauer baut CDU-Zentrale um". Süddeutsche.de.
- ^ "Kritische Äußerungen: Ukraine hält deutschen Stiftungschef stundenlang fest - SPIEGEL ONLINE".
- ^ Tagesspiegel. 30.06.2010 p. 6 (in german)