Peter Aloysius Müller (born 25 September 1955 in Illingen, Saar Protectorate) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as a judge at the German Federal Constitutional Court from 2011 to 2023.
From 1999 to 2011, Müller held the position of Premier (Ministerpräsident) of the state of Saarland, serving as President of the Bundesrat in 2008/09.
Education and early career After sitting the Abitur (German final exams) in 1974 at the Realgymnasium in Lebach, Müller studied jurisprudence and politics in the Bonn and Saarbrücken. He sat for the two required State Examinations in Law, the first in 1983, and the second in 1986. From then until 1994, he served as a judge at the district court of Saarbrücken, as well as a research fellow for Saarland University.
Political career Müller is a member of the CDU. In 1995, he was elected chairman of the CDU in Saarland. He was also part of the CDU's informal internal grouping, the "Jungen Wilden" (Young Turks), as well as of the "Andenpakt" (Andes Pact).
Saarland Legislative Assembly, 1990–2011 From 1990, Müller was a Member of the Landtag of the Saarland. From 1994 through 1999, he was the chairman of the CDU parliamentary group in the assembly, making him the leader of the opposition against the governments of Ministers-President Oskar Lafontaine (1990–1998) and Reinhard Klimmt (1998–1999). In this capacity, he publicly spoke out against Angela Merkel and instead endorsed Edmund Stoiber as the party's candidate to challenge incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in the 2002 federal elections.Zwei sind einer zu viel Die Tageszeitung, January 7, 2002.
On 17 August 2005 the then Chancellor-candidate Angela Merkel chose Müller to be a member of her shadow cabinet as a prospective minister of economics and trade. In the federal election of 2005, he obtained a federal party ticket in Saarland. He was part of the CDU/CSU team in the negotiations with the SPD on a coalition agreement,Am Montag soll auch Merkels Liste stehen Hamburger Abendblatt, October 14, 2005. which paved the way to the formation of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s first government. However, on 26 November 2005 he decided not to take up his post as a Member of Parliament (Bundestag). He was succeeded by Hermann Scharf.
Minister-President of Saarland, 1998–2011 After the CDU received 45.5% of the votes, a narrow majority government, he became Minister-President of Saarland. On 3 September 2004 the CDU was able to expand upon its advantage in the parliament elections. In 2009, he formed a so-called Jamaica coalition with the liberal FDP and the Greens before leaving office in 2011 to accept an appointment to the Federal Constitutional Court.
Between 2003 and 2007, Müller also served as Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Germany for Cultural Affairs under the Treaty on Franco-German Cooperation. During his time in office, the first joint French-German history textbook, by French and German authors, was unveiled in May 2006.Franco-German textbook launched BBC News, May 5, 2006.
Judge of the Federal Constitutional Court, 2011–2023 Ahead of the 2014 European elections, Müller issued a dissenting opinion on the Second Senate's judgement that a three-percent electoral threshold in the law governing European elections is unconstitutional. He argued that “the impairment of the European Parliament's ability to function is sufficiently important to justify an interference with the principles of electoral equality and equal opportunities of political parties.“Three-Percent Electoral Threshold in the Law Governing European Elections Unconstitutional Under the Current Legal and Factual Circumstances Federal Constitutional Court, Press Release No. 14/2014 of 26 February 2014.
In 2018, the Second Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court decided that it must render its decision on a constitutional complaint directed against the prohibition of assisted suicide services (§ 217 StGB) without participation of Müller on the grounds of possible bias. During his time as Minister-President, his government (unsuccessfully) submitted a draft law prohibiting assisted suicide services in 2006.Proceedings concerning the prohibition of assisted suicide services (Geschäftsmäßige Förderung der Selbsttötung, § 217 of the Criminal Code) will be decided without participation of Justice Müller Federal Constitutional Court, press release no. 11/2018 of 13 March 2018.
Other activities European Foundation for the Speyer Cathedral, Member of the Board of Trustees donum vitae, Member of the Board of TrusteesBoard of Trustees donum vitae. Gesellschaft für Rechtspolitik (GfR), Member of the PresidiumPresidium Gesellschaft für Rechtspolitik. Gewerkschaft der Polizei, MemberKatie Reid (August 30, 2005), Highlights of the FT’s interview with Peter Müller Financial Times. ZDF, Member of the Board of Directors (2007–2011) RAG-Stiftung, Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees (2007–2011)
Awards and Distinctions In 2003 Peter Müller was given the Premier of the Year (Ministerpräsident des Jahres) Award in Berlin for the years 2000 to 2002 for his article "Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft" (New Social Free Market Initiative), which was published in the economic magazine WirtschaftsWoche.
Personal life Müller and his wife Astrid have three children.
References
Based on the German article from March 1, 2006
External links Peter Müller, CDU Saar