Julia Klöckner is a member of the Christian Democratic Union, held the position of Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration from 2018 to 2021. She has been a prominent figure in the CDU leadership since 2012.
Bio/Wiki
Age-51 years
Height-5 ft 6 in
Weight-60kg
Born-16 December 1972
Birthplace-Bad Kreuznach, Germany
Spouse-Ralph Grieser (m. 2019)
Profession-Politician, Member of the German Bundestag
Office-Member of the German Bundestag since 2021
Party-Christian Democratic Union of Germany
Nationality-German
Family
Julia Klöckner’s upbringing was in Guldental as the youngest child of a vintner’s family. Her parents are Aloys Klöckner and Doris Klöckner.
Husband
Julia Klöckner has been married to Ralph Grieser in 2019, who works as an antique cars dealer.
Education
Klöckner pursued a degree in political science, Catholic theology, and education. She completed her first Staatsexamen in Social Studies and Religion in 1998 and earned her Master of Arts (MA) from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz.
Career
After completing her intermediate examination, Klöckner worked as a religious education teacher at a primary school in Wiesbaden from 1994 to 1998, alongside starting her journalism training. She gained recognition as the “Wine Queen of the Nahe valley” in 1994 and subsequently as the German Wine Queen in 1995. During this time, she notably presented Pope John Paul II with a bottle of Riesling.
From 1998 to 2002, Klöckner freelanced at SWR television in Mainz and served as the editor of the magazine “weinwelt” from 2000 to 2002. She then took on the role of chief editor at Sommelier magazine from 2001 to 2009. Concurrently, she was actively involved in various political organizations, including the Junge Union, the Frauen Union, and the Christian Democratic Union party.
Klöckner entered the Bundestag in October 2002 and secured the constituency of Kreuznach for the CDU in the 2005 federal elections. She was appointed as Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in October 2009. Klöckner resigned from this position in February 2011 to focus on leading the CDU in Rhineland-Palatinate.
During the 2016 state elections, Klöckner campaigned for the office of Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, emphasizing her stance on immigration in response to the European migrant crisis. She urged Turks in Germany to boycott a speech by Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan in 2014 and advocated for a review of Germany’s refugee policy in light of reports of abuse at refugee shelters.
In late 2014, Klöckner voiced support for banning the burka, citing the importance of an open society where individuals’ faces are visible. She reiterated this stance in 2019.
Julia Klöckner’s Controversy
During the German presidential election, Klöckner faced backlash for prematurely sharing the election results on Twitter, about 15 minutes before the official announcement. She tweeted a message suggesting people could watch football in peace, indicating the election’s success. Other parliament members also shared the results prematurely, citing they hadn’t participated in the vote counting. Klöckner resigned from her position as secretary to the Bundestag following criticism.
In June 2019, Klöckner received criticism for a video that seemed like an endorsement for Nestlé. In the clip, she congratulated Nestle Germany leader for their contributions to a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing fat, sugar, and salt in food products.
Net Worth
Julia Klöckner is estimated to have a net worth or net income of $10 million dollars.