Matthias Berger

Matthias Berger
Member of the Landtag of Saxony
for Leipzig Land 3
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 September 2024
Mayor of Grimma
Incumbent
Assumed office
2001
Personal details
Born (1968-01-02) January 2, 1968 (age 57)
Political partyFree Voters (since 2023)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (until 2023)
CDU (2001)
OccupationLawyer, politician

Matthias Berger (born 2 January 1968) is a German politician who is a member of the Landtag of Saxony. On 1 December 2023 Berger was selected as the top candidate for the Free Voters of Saxony for the 2024 Saxony state election in which he was elected.[1]

Political career

As an independent politician, Berger was first elected mayor of Grimma on 10 June 2001: he received 57.6 percent of the vote as an independent candidate with the nomination from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). A year later, Berger became known nationwide with his fight against the effects of the "flood of the century" on his city. On 8 June 2008, Berger received 98.2 percent of the vote in the mayoral election. On 7 June 2015, he was confirmed in office with almost 90 percent of the vote and on 12 June 2022 with 85.9 percent.[2]

Together with Antje Hermenau [de], Berger has been involved in the "Citizens' Movement for Saxony" since autumn 2018, a self-described political "collective movement of the centre". On 1 December 2023, Berger was nominated as the top candidate of the State Association of Free Voters Saxony for the 2024 Saxony state election on 1 September 2024. In the election he was directly elected in the constituency of Leipzig-Land III.[3][4] He stood for election as Minister-President of Saxony and proposed a technocratic government.[5]

Matthias Berger is a lawyer in a law firm in Grimma; due to his elected office as mayor, his legal practice is suspended.

Personal life

Berger is married and has two children.

References

  1. ^ dpa, wma (2023-12-01). "Sachsen: Matthias Berger wird neuer Spitzenkandidat der Freien Wähler". lvz.de. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  2. ^ "Matthias Berger ist neuer Oberbürgermeister in Grimma". mdr.de (in German). 2022-06-13. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  3. ^ Achterberg, Beatrice (2024-09-02). "Landtagswahlen 2024: Koalitionsmöglichkeiten in Sachsen und Thüringen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  4. ^ "Germany: Thuringia and Saxony elections propel far-right AfD". Deutsche Welle. 1 September 2024. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Berger bewirbt sich um Amt des Regierungschefs". DieSachsen (in German). 13 December 2024.