Ludolf Ostermann

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Ludolf Franz Ritter von Ostermann
Helmut Schmidt at Andrews AFB 1981 (cropped).JPEG
Official portrait of Ludolf Ostermann
36th Premier of Werania
In office
8 March 1980 – 16 July 1987
MonarchOtto X
Charlotte II
Preceded byRenatas Vinkauskas
Succeeded byAdolf Stahl
Federal Chairman of the Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania
In office
4 June 1982 – 16 May 1992
Preceded byPostion established
Succeeded byWolfgang Löscher
Minister-President of Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken
In office
5 December 1972 – 4 June 1982
Preceded byGustav Marek
Succeeded byErnst Stemmler
Personal details
Born(1927-11-14)November 14, 1927
Gothberg, Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken, Werania
Political partySPO, SRPO
Spouse(s)Erika Spielmann (1952-1995)
Veronika Nesselrode (1997-2016)
Children4
Military career
Allegiance Werania
Service/branchAir force
Years of service1945–1950
RankOberleutnant
Battles/warsValduvian-Weranian War

Ludolf Franz Ostermann (November 14, 1927) is a Weranian politician who served as Premier of Werania form 1984 to 1992. He was also the leader of Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania (SRPO) from 1982 to 1992 and Minister-President of Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken from 1972 to 1982. Ostermann sat in the House of Deputies from 1984 to his retirement from active politics in 1992.

Ostermann was born in a working class family in Gothberg joining the airforce in 1945 where he fought in the Valduvian-Weranian War. In 1956 he became a member of the Bonnlitz-Ostbrücken Landtag as a member of the Social Democratic Party of Werania. Proving himself to be a popular and innovative Landtag member Ostermann became Minister-President in 1972. As Minister-President he proved himself to be an effective economic moderniser who also expanded social programmes. Ostermann pushed for a merger between the SPO and the Radical Party to form the Social Democratic Radical Party of Werania (SRPO) in 1977. Ostermann subsequently in 1982 was elected as SRPO leader and led the party to win the 1984 election in a coalition with the Weranic Section of the Workers' International (OSAI) beating the National Consolidation Party.

Being elected on a avowedly socialist programme Ostermann implemented radical economic policies, nationalising key strategic industries and attempting to guide the economy through price and wage controls. These measures did not increase economic growth and saw the government become estranged from the Euclean Community worried about Werania's debt and inflation issues. As such in 1986, a year before the next federal election Ostermann undertook a radical u-turn in economic policy emphasising the privatisation of state-owned enterprise, deregulation of economic sectors especially banking and housing and liberalising labour laws. These policies are considered to have laid the groundwork of late 1980's economic recovery. The policies saw the SPRO lose ground in the 1988 election as the OSAI collapsed as a political force; as a result Ostermann formed a purple government with the Modern Centre Party.

In his second government Ostermann proposed deeper Euclean integration and several pioneering socially liberal policies, decriminalising homosexuality and abortion and promoting more comprehensive women's rights. In 1990 his popularity declined as his Minister of Finance and the Economy Lothar Holzmeister resigned due to differences in economic policy. In 1992 he was ousted as premier by party opponents led by Westbrücken Mayor Wolfgang Löscher. Ostermann retired following the 1995 election. Ostermann has continued to comment on political issues.

As Werania's longest serving centre-left premier, Ostermann was considered a controversial figure in Weranian politics. His supporters laud his economic reforms as having led to the prosperous Weranian economy of the 1990's and 2000's, that he was a crucial figure in supporting Euclean integration and that he was a pragmatic and shrewd politician being one of the most successful social democratic leaders in history. Ostermann's opponents meanwhile accuse his government of leading to greater inequality and social division, for overseeing the "neoliberalisation" of the left and later in his tenure be willing to turn back on his electoral promises to sponsor the coalition government. The Statesmen newspaper characterised Ostermann as "undisputedly the most important Weranian premier since the war".

Early life

Political career

Election as leader

1979 election

Premier

Economic policy

Social policy

Foreign policy

Fall from leadership

Post-premiership

Views

Controversies

Personal life