Gesine Schwan

Gesine Schwan (born the May 22nd 1943 with Berlin), is a political woman German member of the left social democrat SPD and senior the European Université Viadrina with Frankfurt-on-the Oder. It was supported candidate by the social democrats and the ecologists with the presidential election of 2004 against Horst Köhler.

Biography

Gesine Schwan was the girl of a future General inspector of Teaching in Berlin Reinickendorf. She was born in a socially engaged family and which during the years of national-socialisme belonged to the Protestant and socialist circles of resistance; thus his/her parents during the last year of war hid a Jewish little girl. Peace returned the family worked in favor of the friendship with the Poland.

Gesine Schwan is widowed and mother of the two children. Of September 3rd, 2004, it was remariée with Peter Eigen, founder of the Organization anti-corruption Transparency International . In 1999 it indicated like hobbies the theater, the music and the ski.

November 28th, 2004, Gesine Schwan accepted the Marion-Dönhoff price equipped with 20.000 euros for its contribution to the good agreement between the people.

Gesine Schwan is protective since April 2005 of Association for the Exchanges of Students in Central and Eastern Europe (GFPS), voluntary association of students which works to support exchanges of young people between Poland, the Czech Republic, the Belarus and Germany.

Since September 2005, she sponsors the Girls' Hope , organization of humanitarian aid who encourages the schooling of young girls to the Kenya.

Academic career

Until its baccalaureat she attended the French Collège from Berlin in West Berlin and in 1962 started to study the linguistics of the Romance languages, the history, philosophy and political sciences with Berlin and Freiburg-in-Brisgau. It finished its studies by stays with Warsaw and Cracow. Influenced by the studied movement of the end of the year sixty it entered in 1970 to SPD.

In 1977 it started to teach as professor of political sciences at the Otto-Suhr Institute of the Libre university of Berlin. Its main themes are the political theories of socialism and the Marxism as well as philosophy. In the same time, as a Member of the Commission of the fundamental values of the SPD it took part in the development of the basic principles. Within the framework of its teaching, she exerted for twelve months in 1980 in Washington, D.C. (The USA). She had also activities of teaching in New York and Cambridge.

In 1989 died her husband, Alessandro Schwan, specialist in political sciences, with which it had made some publications.

Political course

With the beginning of the year 80 catholics and anticommunists had decided in favor of the double resolution of NATO. In September 1984, Gesine Schwan was excluded from the commission of the fundamental values of the SPD, because she criticized the kindness of which its party made proof with the Communist regimes. At this time, it represented a position opposed to that of Willy Brandt which, thought she, was not opposed to the tendency of this time which was to minimize the opposition between democracy and dictatorship by looking it like purely theoretical. These are only in 1996, therefore twelve years later only, that she was rehabilitated by the SPD and again allowed at the commission. From 1985 up to 1987, it was president of the German Company for Political sciences.

In 1993, the cross of 1st class about the Merit of the Federal republic was conferred to him. September 13rd, 1999, the burgomaster of Berlin in exercise, Eberhard Diepgen, gave him the Urania medal for its work in favor of the education of the people and the training of the adults.

Since October 1st, 1999, it is president of the European University Viadrina with Frankfurt-on-L' Oder. Its election by the Academic Senate of the council of the Universities of Brandebourg had taken place a little more than two months before, on July 22nd, 1999; a few months earlier, when it had been a question of electing a president of the free University of Berlin, it had been beaten by another candidate, Peter Gaehtgens.

January 16th, 2004, in an interview with DeutschlandRadio of Berlin, she judged that the debate in progress concerning the élitistes universities in Germany was at short sight.

Candidature for the presidency of the Republic in 2004

March 4th, 2004, she was proposed jointly by the SPD and the Greens for the presidency of the Republic. For this reason she faced on May 23rd Horst Köhler, candidate of CDU, the CSU and the FDP, who carried it. As one expected it, Gesine Schwan was beaten as of the first ballot per Horst Köhler which, with 604 votes, obtained a voice moreover than the absolute majority. On her side its rival collected 589 votes, result which would indicate that 10 votes of opposing side (CDU/CSU/FDP) voted for it, which constitutes a small moral victory. In any event, thanks to its candidature, it drew the attention to it; all the parties appreciated its intelligence and the rigor of its argumentation.

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