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Frauke PetryGerman politician
Date of Birth: 01.06.1975
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Business Career
- Political Career
- Controversial Views
- Party Conflicts and Withdrawal
- Personal Life
Early Life and Education
Frauke Petry was born in Dresden, Germany, in 1975. Her family lived in Schwarzheide, East Germany, until 1989. Her mother was a chemist, and her father was an engineer. He made three unsuccessful attempts to escape to West Germany, finally succeeding in 1989. In 1992, Petry and her family moved to Bergkamen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Petry earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Reading in England in 1998. In 2004, she obtained a doctorate from the University of Göttingen.
Business Career
In 2007, Petry founded PURinvent, a chemical company in Leipzig. However, the company went bankrupt in 2014.
Political Career
In 2013, Petry co-founded the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. She served as the party's state chairman in Saxony and became one of its three federal spokespersons.
In 2014, Petry was elected to the Saxon Landtag. In 2015, she became the AfD's federal leader, replacing Bernd Lucke.
Controversial Views
Petry has been criticized for her populist and anti-immigration views. She has called for tax cuts, reforms to the European Union, Germany's exit from the Eurozone, and stricter enforcement of laws against migrants.
Party Conflicts and Withdrawal
Following the AfD's success in the 2017 federal elections, Petry announced that she would not join the party's parliamentary group, becoming an independent member of parliament. This move reportedly stemmed from internal party conflicts.
Petry advocated for purging the party of radical nationalist elements and promoting cooperation with other parties. Her opponents accused her of betrayal and called for her expulsion.
In September 2017, Petry left the AfD and launched her own party, The Blue Party.
Personal Life
Petry's first husband, Sven Petry, was a Lutheran pastor. They had four children together before divorcing in 2015. She is currently in a civil partnership with Markus Pretzell, another AfD leader. Petry resides in Frohburg, Saxony.
