The FDP member of the Bundestag Bijan Djir-Sarai is to become the new general secretary of his party.
(Photo: imago / Oryk HAIST)
Berlin The FDP member of the Bundestag Bijan Djir-Sarai (45) is to become the new general secretary of his party. Party leader Christian Lindner proposed him provisionally for the office on Monday, according to the party’s federal executive committee.
According to the statutes, the federal chairman has the sole right to propose, but a party congress decides later. Djir-Sarai is to be the successor to Volker Wissing, who is digital and transport minister in the new federal government.
The nomination is considered a surprise, as Djir-Sarai comes from North Rhine-Westphalia just like many other top liberal politicians. In addition to party leader Lindner, this also includes the first parliamentary managing director, Johannes Vogel, and the liberal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.
The state association of North Rhine-Westphalia is thus clearly over-represented in the party leadership of the FDP. In addition, Lindner missed the opportunity to significantly expand the previously weak proportion of women in the leadership of the party and parliamentary group.
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Djir-Sarai has been a member of the German Bundestag since 2009 – interrupted by the absence of his party there between 2013 and 2017. The 45-year-old is well connected within the parliamentary group, as he also heads the internal, 20-member regional group from North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hinge to the union
In addition, Djir-Sarai is considered compatible with conservative circles, which could have been an important reason for his nomination. After all, in the coming year, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia will have state elections in two federal states in which the FDP will govern together with the Union.
The Grevenbroich resident is also known as his party’s foreign politician and has often spoken out on human rights issues – a position that he also based on his childhood experiences. Djir-Sarai grew up in Iran until he was twelve years old before moving to Germany to live with his uncle. At the age of 18 he joined the FDP.
After graduating from high school, Djir-Sarai studied business administration in Cologne, where he did his doctorate in 2008. However, the university revoked his title in 2012 because of allegations of plagiarism. Until the 2017 federal election, he worked as a full-time department head for information technology, infrastructure, technology, controlling and organization in the Rhine district of Neuss.
For the FDP, Djir-Sarai’s life story also embodies the liberal promise of promotion to be able to make a career with the help of education. A central point in the liberal program, especially to win younger voters from all social classes for the party.
With agency material
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