Paul Bachmeier
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Paul Bachmeier | |
|---|---|
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| 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 March 2000 – 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 | |
| Assumed office 18 June 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Otto Bleich |
| 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 14 August 1948 Belzig, Rastede, Vierz Empire |
| Political party | Independent (1984–1990; 1999) United Republicans (1990–2000) Democratic Labour Party (2000–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Sophie Biel (1974–1983) Kathrin Bachmeier (1995-present) |
| Alma mater | Imperial University of Gidenburg Adtrüs School of Economics |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Vierz Empire |
| Branch/service | Imperial Vierz Army Imperial Security Service |
| Years of service | 1967-70 (Army) 1970-76 (KSD) |
| Rank | |
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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 time spanning from 1990 to 2010. Bachmeier was also the chairman of the Democratic Labour Party from 2000 to 2009, during which time the party commanded the 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. Despite this, he campaigned for various UR candidates across Rastede until his reentry into national politics in 2000. He left the UR during the Higmon Affair and joined the Democratic Labour Party in February 2000.
Bachmeier became the leader of the DAP, 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, and moved to join the Union of Patyrian States as an associate member. He conducted the second state visit to Luepola since the country's independence from Vierz rule in 1985. Bachmeier's government dramatically expanded social welfare programs, infrastructure and public works projects, and agricultural subsidies. His flagship projects were nationwide healthcare reform and the construction of a new international airport in Adtrus; Adtrus Capital Airport.
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.