Florian Gerster
Already in his school days he showed a strong interest in politics. In 1966 Gerster joined the SPD. After graduating from high school in 1968, Gerster did military service in the Bundeswehr, where he was promoted to major in the reserves. Gerster then began studying psychology and business administration at the University of Mannheim in 1970, which he completed in 1975 with a diploma in psychology. In 1974 Gerster was elected to the Worms city council for the SPD, where he was represented until 1990. In 1975 he ran for the first time in the Rhineland-Palatinate state elections.
Gerster entered professional political life in 1976 as personal advisor to the SPD parliamentary group leader in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, where he remained until 1977. In 1977 he entered the state parliament of his federal state, where he was represented until 1987 and again from 1996 to 2002. In addition to this political activity, Gerster also worked as a freelance consultant psychologist between 1981 and 1991. As a result of the 1987 federal election, Gerster entered the German Bundestag in Bonn. In the spring of 1991, Gerster was appointed Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs in the SPD-FDP state government in Mainz.
From this position, he subsequently rose to become SPD district chairman for Rhine-Hesse and deputy state chairman of his party. When the leadership of the Mainz government passed to Kurt Beck in 1994, he gave him responsibility for labor, social affairs and health. Gerster headed the department until 2002 and became a nationally recognized expert in social and labor market policy. He initiated the so-called "Mainz Model", with which he introduced low-wage jobs, combined wages for the long-term unemployed and additional private employment services with state support, which enabled him to noticeably reduce the unemployment rate in Rhineland-Palatinate.
In February 2002, Gerster was appointed new President of the Federal Employment Agency by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. As the successor to Bernd Jagoda, who had fallen as a result of the scandal surrounding the BA's embellished placement records, the new head of the Nuremberg authority was confronted with the need for a fundamental reform of unemployment administration and labor market policy, which was required in the course of the restructuring of the social systems by the red- green federal government was created. However, after only 22 months in office as CEO of the BA, Gerster was forced to resign in January 2004.
He hit the headlines in connection with the conclusion of an excessive consulting contract. Gerster's successor was Frank-Jürgen Weise in February 2004. In November 2004, the public prosecutor's office stopped the investigation against Gerster because it could not find any intentional actions on the part of the former BA boss in connection with the so-called consulting affair. From the beginning of 2010 he was deputy chairman of the Network of German Health Regions.
Gerster has been married to Ingrid Kundel since 1986 and is the father of two children.
Gerster entered professional political life in 1976 as personal advisor to the SPD parliamentary group leader in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, where he remained until 1977. In 1977 he entered the state parliament of his federal state, where he was represented until 1987 and again from 1996 to 2002. In addition to this political activity, Gerster also worked as a freelance consultant psychologist between 1981 and 1991. As a result of the 1987 federal election, Gerster entered the German Bundestag in Bonn. In the spring of 1991, Gerster was appointed Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs in the SPD-FDP state government in Mainz.
From this position, he subsequently rose to become SPD district chairman for Rhine-Hesse and deputy state chairman of his party. When the leadership of the Mainz government passed to Kurt Beck in 1994, he gave him responsibility for labor, social affairs and health. Gerster headed the department until 2002 and became a nationally recognized expert in social and labor market policy. He initiated the so-called "Mainz Model", with which he introduced low-wage jobs, combined wages for the long-term unemployed and additional private employment services with state support, which enabled him to noticeably reduce the unemployment rate in Rhineland-Palatinate.
In February 2002, Gerster was appointed new President of the Federal Employment Agency by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. As the successor to Bernd Jagoda, who had fallen as a result of the scandal surrounding the BA's embellished placement records, the new head of the Nuremberg authority was confronted with the need for a fundamental reform of unemployment administration and labor market policy, which was required in the course of the restructuring of the social systems by the red- green federal government was created. However, after only 22 months in office as CEO of the BA, Gerster was forced to resign in January 2004.
He hit the headlines in connection with the conclusion of an excessive consulting contract. Gerster's successor was Frank-Jürgen Weise in February 2004. In November 2004, the public prosecutor's office stopped the investigation against Gerster because it could not find any intentional actions on the part of the former BA boss in connection with the so-called consulting affair. From the beginning of 2010 he was deputy chairman of the Network of German Health Regions.
Gerster has been married to Ingrid Kundel since 1986 and is the father of two children.