Dr. Gregor Gysi
© Inga Haar
Dr Gregor Gysi, born 1948 in Berlin, is an accredited cattle breeder who graduated in law at the Humboldt University in Berlin, started working as a lawyer in 1971 and, in recent years, has been increasingly in demand as a writer, moderator and columnist.
He became chairman of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) in 1989, influencing the political landscape towards the end of the DDR (East Germany). He was a member of the DDR's Volkskammer, leading the PDS party, from March to October 1990, a directly elected member of Germany's Bundetag from 1990 to January 2002 who soon became chairman of the PDS. He entered regional politics in Berlin in 2002, shaping the city’s policies as mayor and senator for the economy, labour and women's rights. He joined the Bundestag again in October 2005, directly elected once more by the Berlin Treptow Köpenick constituency, leading the DIE LINKE in the Bundestag from 2005 - 2015. He was president of the European Left from 2016 to 2019 and then appointed foreign policy spokesperson by his parliamentary group, a position he held until 2025. As the most senior member, he opened the 21st German Bundestag on March 25 2025 and has been cultural spokesperson for DIE LINKE party since May 2025.
Dr. Gysi is deputy chairman of the culture and media committee, chairman of the German-Central American and deputy chairman of the German-Swiss parliamentary groups.
He is a divorced father of two sons and a daughter.