FDP leader Guido Westerwelle became the unofficial leader of the opposition by virtue of the FDP's position as the largest opposition party in the Bundestag.

Philipp Rösler is FDP chairman, having succeeded Guido Westerwelle, the party's second-longest serving chairman, in May 2011.

The FDP supports gay rights ; former party leader Guido Westerwelle is openly gay.

Because of the losses Guido Westerwelle had to resign as chair of the FDP in favor of Philipp Rösler, Federal Minister of Health, who was consequently appointed as vice chancellor.

** People: Guido Westerwelle ( Chancellor-Candidate of the FDP )

Wulff's candidacy for President of Germany in the 2010 presidential election was formally confirmed by Angela Merkel, Guido Westerwelle and Horst Seehofer, the heads of the CDU, FDP and CSU parties, during the evening of 2010.

On election night party leader Westerwelle said his party would work to ensure that civil liberties were respected and that Germany got an " equitable tax system and better education opportunities.

Westerwelle stepped down as party leader in 2011 after the party was wiped out in Saxony-Anhalt, Rhineland-Palatinate and lost half its seats in Baden-Württemberg.

Angela Merkel was re-elected as chancellor, and Guido Westerwelle served as the Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany.

Guido Westerwelle (; born 27 December 1961 ) is a German liberal politician, who, since 28 October 2009, has served as the Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and who was Vice Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011.

Guido Westerwelle was born in Bad Honnef in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In 1996, Westerwelle was first elected a member of the Bundestag, filling in for Heinz Lanfermann, who had resigned from his seat after entering the Ministry of Justice.

In 1998, Westerwelle was re-elected to parliament.

Westerwelle, the youngest party chairman at the time, emphasized economics and education, and espoused a strategy initiated by his deputy Jürgen Möllemann, who, as chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of party, had led his party back into the state parliament, gaining 9. 8 % of the vote.

In the federal elections of 2005, Westerwelle was his party's frontrunner.

When neither Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats and Greens nor a coalition of Christian and Free Democrats, favored by Angela Merkel and Westerwelle, managed to gain a majority of seats, Westerwelle rejected overtures by Chancellor Schröder to save his chancellorship by entering his coalition, preferring to become one of the leaders of the disparate opposition of the subsequently formed " Grand Coalition " of Christian and Social Democrats, with Merkel as Chancellor.

Westerwelle became a vocal critic of the new government.

In 2006, according to an internal agreement, Westerwelle succeeded Wolfgang Gerhardt as chairman of the parliamentary group.

In the federal elections of 2009, Westerwelle committed his party to a coalition with Dr Merkel's CDU / CSU, ruling out a coalition with Social Democrats and Greens, and led his party to unprecedented 14. 6 %.

Westerwelle then stepped down as party leader.

By July the party was only receiving 3 % support in opinion polls, a record low, reflecting what political insiders had called his " last stand " in January, comparing Westerwelle and his party to Captain Ahab and the Pequod.

In July 2011 Westerwelle was the President of the United Nations Security Council as he headed the German delegation to the United Nations.

Westerwelle is a staunch supporter of the free market and has proposed reforms to curtail the German welfare state and deregulate German labour law.

Westerwelle himself, who was made party chairman particularly because his predecessor Wolfgang Gerhardt had been viewed by many as dull and stiff, has labelled his approach as Spaßpolitik ( fun politics ) in the past.

In 1952, Genscher fled to West Germany, where he joined the Free Democratic Party ( FDP ).

In October 1982, the SPD-FDP coalition fell apart when the FDP joined forces with the CDU / CSU to elect CDU Chairman Helmut Kohl as Chancellor in a Constructive Vote of No Confidence.

In 1959, the Free Democrats joined the other major parties in agreeing the ' magic formula ' to divide up the seats of the Federal Council, with the FDP permanently receiving two of the seven seats.

A number of non-voting members ( elected in 1949: 2 CDU, 5 SPD, 1 FDP ; joined in February 1952 by: 3 CDU, 4 SPD, 4 FDP ) indirectly elected by the West Berlin legislature ( Stadtverordnetenversammlung ) are included below in parentheses.

After graduation in 1980, he joined the Atlanta Constitution as an editorial staff artist.

In 1976, candidates supported by BJU faculty and alumni captured the local Republican party with unfortunate short-term political consequences, but by 1980 the religious right and the " country club " Republicans had joined forces.

After a year honing his inquisitorial skills, he joined the front bench in November 1980 as a Scottish affairs spokesman when Michael Foot became party leader.

She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to perform solo.

At one point during his career, in an effort to get fit after an injury, in March 1980 he joined the football club Scunthorpe United, where he played as a centre half and made 11 appearances in the Football League.

Öngür joined Dadaşlar, a band with Ersen Dinleten between 1974 – 1975 and 1979 – 1980 and Dervişan ( Dervishes ), a band with Cem Karaca between 1974 and 1978 ; in 1975, Danga participated in Erkin Koray's ' Elektronik Türküler ' ( Electronic Songs ) album.

In 1980 Paul Bottomley joined the GE Research Center in Schenectady NY.

For his third expedition in February 1980, Powell was joined by Roy P. Mackal.

When the NFL declined to approve the Raiders ' move from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1980, the team joined the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission in a lawsuit against the league alleging a violation of antitrust laws.

Oman has developed close ties to its neighbors ; it joined the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council when it was established in 1980.

Rush joined with fellow Toronto-based rock band Max Webster on July 28, 1980 to record " Battle Scar " for their 1980 release, Universal Juveniles.

Daewoo joined the shipbuilding industry in 1980 and finished a 1. 2-million-ton facility at Okpo on Geoje Island, south of Busan, in mid-1981.

Winfield took over where Colbert left off, starring in the Padres outfield from 1973 until 1980, when he joined the New York Yankees.

Susanna Hoffs joined sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson to form a band in Los Angeles in December, 1980.

In 1980 he directed Lion of the Desert, in which Quinn and Irene Papas were joined by Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, and John Gielgud.

In early 1980, Falcone joined the ‘ Office of Instruction ’ ( Ufficio istruzione ), the investigative branch of the Prosecution Office of Palermo.

Early in the incarnation of the Blues Brothers, Belushi joined the Grateful Dead on stage on April 2, 1980, for a rendition of " Good Morning Little School Girl " at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, N. J ( coinciding with the Dead performing on SNL that weekend ).

Following the Iowa caucuses, Meese joined the 1980 Reagan presidential campaign full-time as chief of staff in charge of day-to-day campaign operations and senior issues adviser.

Four more Canadian-based teams joined the fold in 1979 – 80 and 1980 – 81, three of them the result of the 1979 " merger " of the NHL and World Hockey Association, further increasing coverage.

When Jan departed in 1980, North's brother Oliver joined on guitar, completing the final lineup.

By 1980, despite the interest of Major Label, they disbanded, and Littler joined White Brothers.

Despite these drastic measures, by the end of 1980, out of the 80, 000 soldiers strong Afghan Army, more than half had either deserted or joined the rebels.

As he ran to the square, he was joined on the road by many people, including National Hockey League star Darryl Sittler, who presented Fox with his 1980 All-Star Game jersey.