Josefine Paul

Josefine Paul (born 2 March 1982) is a German politician who is a member of Alliance 90/The Greens. She has been a member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2010 and has been serving as North Rhine-Westphalia State Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Asylum and Integration in the Second Wüst cabinet since 2022.

Josefine Paul
Paul in 2021
North Rhine-Westphalia State Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration
Assumed office
29 June 2022
Member of the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia
Assumed office
2010
Personal details
Born (1982-03-02) 2 March 1982
Helmstedt, West Germany
Political partyGreens
Alma materUniversity of Münster

Early life and education

Paul comes from the Helmstedt district of Barmke.[1] In 2001 she passed her Abitur exams at the Gymnasium Julianum and then studied history, political science and sociology until 2008, first at the Technical University of Braunschweig, then from 2005 at the University of Münster. Paul wrote her master's thesis on "The beginnings of soccer in Germany as a school game. A study using the example of the city of Braunschweig."[2]

Political career

Joining the Alliance 90/The Greens

Paul joined the Alliance 90/The Greens in 1999.[3] During her studies in Münster, she was the coordinator of the specialist forum "LesBiSchwul" of the Green Youth.[1]

Member of the Landtag

In the 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2022 state elections, Paul was elected to Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia via her party's state list. From 2010 to 2012 and from 2015 to 2020, she was deputy parliamentary group leader, from 2017 to 2020 at the same time parliamentary group secretary.[3] On 26 October 2020, she was elected together with Verena Schäffer as the new group leader.[4] In the 17th electoral term of the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament (2017 to 2022) she was also spokeswoman for her parliamentary group for children, youth and family, spokeswoman for women's and queer politics and spokeswoman for sports politics.[5]

In December 2018, Paul attracted media attention with statements about Knecht Ruprecht. She stated that "Ruprecht no longer fits into today's image of non-violent upbringing, so he can still help carry the sweets".[6]

Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration

On 29 June 2022, Paul was appointed Minister for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Flight and Integration in the Second Wüst cabinet (black-green coalition) at the suggestion of Alliance 90/The Greens. She was sworn in before the state parliament on the same day.[7][8]

Personal life

Paul is openly lesbian and is in a relationship with Saxon Minister of Justice Katja Meier.[9]

References
  1. Natalie Tenberg (18 June 2005). "tazmag. Das Wochenendmagazin der Tageszeitung. Ganz normal". "Da bin ich erzkonservativ". Josefine Paul, 23, Nachwuchspolitikerin der Grünen, setzt sich als Quotenlesbe in Männerwelten durch. Notfalls muss sie auf den Tisch hauen. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. "Josefine Paul". Deutsche Akademie für Fußball-Kultur. 20 May 2021.
  3. "Pressemitteilung: Grüne Fraktion mit neuem Vorstand". gruene.landtag.nrw.de. 31 August 2012.
  4. "Paul und Schäffer neue Fraktionsvorsitzende bei NRW-Grünen". aachener-zeitung.de. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  5. "gruene-fraktion-nrw.de". Grünen Landtagsfraktion. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  6. Christian Schwerdtfeger (6 December 2018). "Experten warnen zum Nikolaustag: Knecht Ruprecht nicht mehr zeitgemäß" (in German). Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  7. WDR (24 June 2022). "Erste NRW-Minister von Schwarz-Grün stehen fest" (in German). Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  8. "These are the new NRW ministers". Rheinische Post (in German). 29 June 2022.
  9. "ZEIT ONLINE". Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
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