Paul Bachmeier

Paul Bachmeier OVF
Bachmeier in 2005
Chancellor of Vierzland
In office 18 June 2000 – 16 January 2010
Deputy	Sahra Fellner Erhardt Preisner
Preceded by	Gregor Naumann
Succeeded by	Erhardt Preisner
Chairman of the Democratic Labour Party
In office 2 October 1999 – 19 December 2009
Deputy	Hugo Koeppen Patrick Kroeger
Preceded by	Per Koehne
Succeeded by	Erhardt Preisner
Member of the Federal Assembly from Rastede's 4th district
In office 18 June 2000 – 14 January 2012
Preceded by	Philip Plessner
Succeeded by	Lydia Brenner
Representative of Rastede to the National Assembly
In office 14 March 1990 – 4 January 1992
Preceded by	None (office created)
Succeeded by	None (office abolished)
Mayor of Gidenburg
In office 3 April 1984 – 13 January 1986
Preceded by	Helge Nemetz
Succeeded by	Otto Abicht
In office 24 April 1986 – 5 April 1992
Preceded by	Otto Abicht
Succeeded by	Jacob Baumer
Personal details
Born	Paul Josef Bachmeier (1948-08-14) 14 August 1948 Belzig, Rastede, Vierz Empire
Political party	Independent (1984–1990) United Republicans (1990–1996) Democratic Labour Party (1996–present)
Spouse(s)	Sophie Biel (1974–1983) Kathrin Bachmeier (1995-present)
Alma mater	Imperial University of Gidenburg Adtrus School of Economics
Military service
Allegiance	Vierz Empire
Branch/service	Imperial Vierz Army Imperial Security Service (KSD)
Years of service	1967–70 (Army) 1970–76 (KSD)
Rank	Gefreiter (Army) Hauptmann (KSD)
Unit	10th Army Civil Investigation Squadron

Paul Josef Bachmeier (born 14 August 1948) is a Vierz statesman who served as Chancellor of Vierzland from 2000 to 2010. He was an elected representative in both the National Assembly and Federal Assembly for a timespan from 1990 to 2010. He was the chairman of the Democratic Labour Party from 2000 to 2009, during which time the party commanded a majority of seats in the Federal Assembly.

Bachmeier was born in 1948 to a lower-middle class family in Belzig, Rastede, in what was then the Vierz Empire. He was conscripted into the Imperial Vierz Army in 1967, briefly seeing combat in Caraq, until he was transferred to the Imperial Security Service. He left the military in 1976 and studied at the Imperial University of Gidenburg. He graduated in 1980 and attained his master's degree in economics from the Adtrus School of Economics in 1983. In 1984, at age 35, Bachmeier was elected mayor in Gidenburg, the youngest person ever elected to that position. He quickly gained national attention for his outspoken criticism of the Vierz military intervention in Luepola, drawing the ire of Kaiser Viktor IV and the military government in power. In January 1986 he was dismissed from his office by the Kaiser, sparking mass outrage that culminated in the 1986 Vierz protests demanding his reinstatement. He was reinstated as mayor in April 1986. In 1988, he was reelected mayor with a record 76.3% of the vote.

During his mayoral term, Bachmeier was elected as one of Rastede's representatives to the newly-formed National Assembly in 1990 as a member of the United Republicans. He worked closely with then-chancellor Heinrich Werner to author the new constitution, arguing strongly for republicanism and deimperialization, and identifying with the left-wing of the party. With the National Assembly's dissolving and the end of his second mayoral term in 1992, Bachmeier declined to participate in the 1992 elections. He left the UR and joined the Democratic Labour Party in November 1996.

Bachmeier became the leader of the DAP in 1999 and led the party to a landslide victory in the June 2000 elections, securing a supermajority in the Federal Assembly. As Chancellor, Bachmeier was strongly committed to reshaping Vierzland's foreign policy. He conducted the first state visit to Luepola since the country's liberation from Vierz client rule in 1985. Bachmeier's government dramatically expanded social welfare programs and infrastructure and public works projects. His flagship projects were nationwide healthcare reform and the construction of a new international airport in Adtrus.

Bachmeier is considered one of the most popular Vierz chancellors of all time, commanding a high level of popular support during both of his terms. He was known for his moderate social democratic stance that allowed him to bring various political factions to compromise on significant policy proposals. Bachmeier was praised by the left for his commitment to the working class, and to the right for upholding the legacy of Heinrich Werner. After his refusal to run for a third term in the 2010 election, he was followed by his groomed successor Erhardt Preisner as chancellor and DAP chairman. Bachmeier currently chairs the Social Democracy Institute in Adtrus, a centre-left think tank associated with the DAP.