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Biography of Oskar LafontaineName: Oskar LafontaineBirth Date: September 16, 1943 Death Date: N/A Place of Birth: Saarlouis, Germany Nationality: German Gender: Male Occupations: politician, prime minister Oskar Lafontaine The German politician Oskar Lafontaine (born 1943) was prime minister of the West German Land of Saar and the unsuccessful Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for chancellor in 1990. He was German Finance Minister from October 1998 until his resignation in March 1999.In many ways Oskar Lafontaine was a highly unusual politician. He was a trained scientist with a Masters degree in physics from the University of Bonn, rather than a lawyer, and he built his political power base in an unlikely locale, the Saar, the smallest of the West German Länder (states).Lafontaine reached political maturity in the era of the SPD's history that was dominated by Willy Brandt. Indeed, he was often described as Brandt's protégé and chosen successor. Lafontaine was born on September 16, 1943, in Saarlouis, a regional center in the Saar. After his university education he did not pursue a career in science, but became …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…continued differences with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder over the direction of Germany's coalition government. The resignation had broad economic implications within Europe as Germany is the European Union's most powerful economy. Associated Organizations Further Reading There was no English-language full-scale biography of Oskar Lafontaine. Good introductions to the problems and prospects of the SPD under his leadership are William E. Paterson, "The German Social Democracy," in Paterson, editor, The Future of Social Democracy (Oxford: 1986); and Andrei Markovits and Anton Pelinka, "Social Democracy in Austria and West Germany in the 1980s: A Comparative Assessment," German Studies Review (1989). For those able to read German, Lafontaine himself published some of his speeches in Reden (Saarbrücken: 1980), and more recently his vision of the future of German and European society, Die Gesellschaft der Zukunft (Hamburg: 1988).See also The Financial Times (October 5, 1994); The Independent (November 17, 1995); The Economist (November 18, 1995; March 23, 1996; and April 12, 1997); and The Guardian (February 26, 1997). |