Nina Hauer is at the helm of the Federal Agency for Civic Education. The agency announced on 11 November 2026 that the former SPD member of the Bundestag and teacher had taken up her post at the beginning of November. The federal cabinet confirmed the appointment; Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced it. Hauer is the first woman to hold the position.
The new president takes over after her predecessor Sönke Rixserved only briefly. The former SPD MP took up the post in March 2026 and stepped down again in July for personal reasons. Before him, Thomas Krüger headed the Federal Agency from 2000 to 2025. The vice-president is Volker Ullrich, also a former member of the Bundestag.
Hauer was a member of the Bundestag from 1998 to 2009 and at one time was the SPD parliamentary group's chief whip. After her parliamentary career, she returned to teaching. Her appointment means that a politician and educator is taking responsibility for an institution whose remit combines political information and educational work.
According to its own account, the Federal Agency aims to promote understanding of political issues, strengthen democratic awareness and encourage political participation. It publishes materials, organises and supports educational activities, and runs the Wahl-O-Mat. The online service lets people compare their own views with those of participating parties ahead of elections. The agency is based in Bonn, Berlin and Gera .
Commenting on her appointment, Hauer said that civic education was necessary to recognise disinformation and anti-democratic hate speech. She also stressed the importance of active participation: democracy was not meant to be something people merely watched. These remarks indicate the direction of her future work; they do not yet amount to any specific new programmes.
The appointment comes amid a political debate about the agency's status and remit. In September 2026, the Bundestag considered a bill that would remove the Federal Agency from the ministerial organisational structure and place it under the President of the Bundestag. The proposing parliamentary group said the aim was to increase institutional independence. However, a bill is not the same as an enacted change to the law.
According to the Bundestag, an AfD parliamentary group motion was also on the agenda for 12 November 2026, calling for the agency's funding to be capped and, in the longer term, for it to be wound up. The motions reflect differing political views on how state-organised civic education should be safeguarded and overseen.
For Hauer, taking up the post means assuming responsibility for leading the agency's work in this contentious environment. In March 2026, the federal government had already said that the role required not only professional qualifications but also a high degree of political and personal trust across party lines.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).