Erik Tautenbach

Erik Tautenbach
Tautenbach in 1997
11th Prime Minister of Besmenia
In office September 25, 1993 – October 1, 2001
Preceded by	Kurt Stöger
Succeeded by	Laura Kummstein
Leader of the Besmenian People's Party
In office 2 September, 1985 – October 9, 2002
Preceded by	Michael Jackul
Succeeded by	Frank Bauer
Leader od the BVP group in the Federal Chamber
In office 1980–1993
Preceded by	Helmut Attland
Succeeded by	Andreas Schneider
Member of the Federal Chamber
In office 1972–2005
Personal details
Born	Erik Herbert Tautenbach February 8, 1937 Eisenberg, Lower Besmenia, East Besmenia
Died	September 27, 2019 (aged 82) Eisenberg, Lower Besmenia, Besmenia
Nationality	Besmenian
Political party	Besmenian People's Party
Spouse(s)	Annette Liefer (m. 1968, div. 1982) Karina Folgmann (m. 1985, died. 2004) Alberta Kahler (m. 2010)
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Eisenberg

Erik Tautenbach (February 8, 1937 – September 27, 2019) was a Besmenian politician who was Prime Minister of Besmenia from 1993 to 2001. He also was from 1985 to 2000 the Leader of the Besmenian People's Party.

After the federal election 1993, Tautenbach formed between 1993 and 2001 the first blue-green coalition between the Besmenian People's Party and the Green Party of Besmenia. It was the first time in Besmenia that the GPB was involved in the federal government.

Early life and education

Erik Tautenbach was born in 1937 as the second child of Karla Tautenbach (1899-1976, nee Bergner) and Friedrich Tautenbach (1892-1969) in Eisenberg, Lower Besmenia. The family lived in the Eisenberg district of Guntsheim, where Tautenbach grew up with his older brother Georg Tautenbach (1933-1952) and his younger sister Annegret Tautenbach (1940-). According to his own statement, one of the terrible events in Tautenbach's youth was the early death of his brother Georg in the World War, who died as a soldier in October 1952.

Political career

File:Tautenbachelectionposter1988.png

Tautenbach on a BVP election poster from the 1989 Besmenian federal election.

BVP leadership (1985-2002)

At the BVP party convention on 2 September, 1985, Tautenbach was elected as the new BVP party chairman. Even before that, a large majority preferred Tautenbach as a possible party chairman. After taking office, Tautenbach's aim was to give the BVP a new image, as the party was still in some difficulties due to the Gleitzmann scandal back in September 1983. Under his leadership, BVP distanced itself completely from Gleitzmann and his politics. A new party logo was also introduced in October 1985.

Prime Minister (1993-2001)

First term (1993-1997)

Tautenbach with the actress Lena Franitzky at an event during the 1997 election campaign.

On April 15, 1994, Tautenbach signed the Abarrakesh Agreement, as representative of Besmenia, together with 100 other nations, with which Besmenia became a founding member of the Coalition Trate Organization on January 1, 1995.

As a result of the Treviso Nuclear Crisis in January 1992, Tautenbach advocated a nuclear phase-out for Besmenia during the 1993 election campaigns. The Besmenian nuclear phase-out officially began in November 1995 with the signing of a contract between the federal government and the energy suppliers after a referendum in which the majority voted for an Besmenian atomic phase-out. During Tautenbach's tenure, 3 nuclear power plants were shut down.

Last years

After the end of his time as Prime Minister Tautenbach remained party chairman of the BVP until October 2002. In December 2002 he announced that he intended to retire from politics after the end of the 21st Federal Chamber legislature. This happened after the 2005 Besmenian federal election.

Tautenbach died in the early morning of September 27, 2019 at the age of 82. A state funeral for Tautenbach was held on 27 September in Laitstadt.

Personal life

Rautenbach married his childhood friend Annette Liefer in 1968. The two daughters Regina Tautenbach (born: 1971) and Nikola Tautenbach (born: 1974) come from the marriage. The marriage was divorced in 1982. In 1985 Tautenbach married Karina Folgmann, with whom he was married until her death in 2004 due to cancer. In 2010 Tautenbach married his long-time friend Alberta Brügloch, with whom he was married until his death.

Legacy

Today, Erik Tautenbach is considered to be the founder of the blue-green coalition. When he set up the first blue-green coalition in Besmenia in 1992, opinions differed. Especially many BVP politicians, who at that time still saw skepticism in the green party. In the later 1990s a positive opinion arose in the population and in domestic politics about a blue-green coalition, which led to such coalitions appearing frequently in regional state governments since the beginning of the 2000s.

Tautenbach enjoys great recognition within the BVP to this day. He is admired by the fact that during his time as party chairman he brought the BVP forward again after the Gleitzmann scandal and its consequences and gave the party a new image. Tautenbach is also popular with some middle-left politicians these days.

Tautenbach has been honorary chairman of BVP since 2002,