Edelgard Bulmahn: Vice-President of the Bundestag © pa/dpa

Edelgard Bulmahn of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) was elected as Vice-President of the German Bundestag on 22 October 2013. She was born on 4 March 1951 in the town of Petershagen in North Rhine-Westphalia. After gaining her Abitur (higher-education entrance qualification), she studied political science and English language and literature at the University of Hanover. From 1981 to 1987 she worked as a school teacher in Hanover. She was directly elected the Member of the German Bundestag representing Stadt Hannover II constituency in 1987.

Chairwoman of the Lower Saxony Land branch of the SPD

On her website, Bulmahn says: "Throughout my political career, I have taken a strong interest in education and research policy and have responsibly guided my party in this policy area for many years."

She joined the SPD in 1969 and was a member of the party executive committee from 1993 to 2011. From 1998 to 2003 she was chairwoman of the Lower Saxony Land branch of the SPD, and from 1995 to 2011 chaired the Science Forum of the SPD.

Chairwoman of the Committee on Education and Research

From 1987 to 1990 Bulmahn served as deputy chairwoman of the Bundestag’s Study Commission on Technology Assessment and from 1990 to 1994 as deputy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group on the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment.

From 1994 to 1996 she chaired the Committee for Education, Science, Research, Technology and Technology Assessment, and from 1996 to 1998 was spokeswoman of the SPD parliamentary group for education and research.

Federal Minister for Education and Research

When the coalition government of the SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens took power in 1998, Bulmahn was appointed Federal Minister of Education and Research, a position she held until 2005. During the subsequent grand coalition government of the SPD and the CDU/CSU from 2005 to 2009, she chaired the Committee on Economics and Technology.

From 2011 to 2013, she was spokeswoman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Study Commission on Growth, Wellbeing and Quality of Life. From 2009 to 2013 she was a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and spokeswoman of the SPD parliamentary group in the Subcommittee on Civilian Crisis Prevention and Integrated Conflict Management.