Franz THÖNNES

Since 1978 Mr. Thönnes is Member of Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and from 1986 to 1992 he was Chairman of the Stormarn county branch of the SPD.

Between 1986–1994 he was Member of Stormarn county council and from 1990 to 1994 – Deputy county councillor of Stormarn county.

During 1992 – 1994: Chairman of the Ammersbek local branch of the SPD and since 1994 – Member of the German Bundestag. From 1997 to 1999 Mr. Thönnes was Deputy Chairman of the Schleswig-Holstein Land branch of the SPD and since 1998 he was Member of the delegation of the German Bundestag to the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC). During 1998 - 2000 Mr. Thönnes obtained the position of Deputy spokesman on social policy for the SPD parliamentary group and from 1998 to 2002 – the position of Chairman of the German-Scandinavian Parliamentary Friendship Group of the German Bundestag.

In April 1999 – April 2003 he was Chairman of the Schleswig-Holstein Land branch of the SPD; member of the programme committee of the executive committee of the SPD.

In November 2000 – January 2001 Mr. Thönnes was Spokesman on social policy for the SPD parliamentary group and form November 2000 to October 2002 he was Member of the executive committee of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag.

In February 2001 – October 2002 Franz Thönnes was Deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group and since 2002 he was Chairman of the delegation of the German Bundestag to the BSPC. During January 2003 – March 2006 Mr. Thönnes was Deputy chairman of the German-Nordic Parliamentary Friendship Group of the German Bundestag and from October 2002 to November 2005 he was Parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security.

In November 2005 – November 2009 Mr. Thönnes was Parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and since March 2006 was Chairman of German-Nordic Parliamentary Friendship Group of the German Bundestag.

Since August 2006 Mr. Thönnes is Member of the standing committee of the BSPC.

From December 2006 to August 2007 he was Chairman of the standing committee of the BSPC and from October 2007 to September 2009 Mr. Thönnes was Chairman of the BSPC working group on labour and social welfare.

Since February 2014 Franz Thönnes is Member of the delegation of the German Bundestag to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Deputy spokesman on foreign affairs for the SPD parliamentary group, Deputy Сhairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.