Hans Eichel

Hans Eichel is a German politician (SPD) and the co-founder of the G20.

As of January 2016, he is Germany's second longest serving Minister of Finance since WWII reconstruction. Eichel was chairman of the G7 in 1999 and chairman of the G20 in 2004. Before that, Eichel served eight years as Premier of Hesse, home to Frankfurt and the European Central Bank and Germany's wealthiest state per capita with an economy larger than Finland, Vietnam and Pakistan.

During his time in office, Eichel played a very important role in two landmark reforms - the far reaching reform of German society and economy (also known as Agenda 2010) and the creation of the G-20 to reflect the rebalancing of world power. Agenda 2010 helped turn Germany from the 'sick man of Europe' into the best performing major Western economy in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. It is widely regarded as the most successful economic reforms in Germany in over half a century, and the most successful economic reforms in any G7 country in 30 years.

Hans

Hans may refer to:

See also

Markus Lanz

Markus Lanz (born 16 March 1969 in Bruneck, South Tyrol, Italy) is presenter on German television.

Early life

Lanz is a member of the German speaking majority in the Italian province of South Tyrol. He grew up in Geiselsberg, a village that lies 1,344 metres above sea level in the central Alps. He has stated that his family was poor, and that his father died at an early age, leaving his mother to care for 3 children. His good school grades earned him a scholarship to the monastery of Neustift, where he went to Brixen secondary school. He finished high school in Bruneck and completed military service as a radio operator in the alpine division of the Italian army before working at the radio station Radio Holiday. In 1992 he graduated from the Bayerische Akademie für Werbung und Marketing in Munich with a degree in Business Communications.

Early career

In 1992 he started a two year trainee program at Radio Hamburg in Hamburg. In 1995 he became the news announcer at the regional TV station RTL North and in 1997 started as presenter of a regional evening news show in Schleswig-Holstein.

Dirk Müller

Dirk Müller may refer to:

Cultural diplomacy

Cultural diplomacy a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding." The purpose of cultural diplomacy is for the people of a foreign nation to develop an understanding of the nation's ideals and institutions in an effort to build broad support for economic and political goals. In essence "cultural diplomacy reveals the soul of a nation," which in turn creates influence. Though often overlooked, cultural diplomacy can and does play an important role in achieving national security aims.

Definition

Culture is a set of values and practices that create meaning for society. This includes both high culture (literature, art, and education, which appeals to elites) and popular culture (appeals to the masses). This is what governments seek to show foreign audiences when engaging in cultural diplomacy. It is a type of soft power, which is the "ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments. It arises from a country's culture, political ideals and policies." This indicates that the value of culture is its ability to attract foreigners to a nation. Cultural diplomacy is also a component of public diplomacy. Public diplomacy is enhanced by a larger society and culture, but simultaneously public diplomacy helps to "amplify and advertise that society and culture to the world at large.” It could be argued that the information component of public diplomacy can only be fully effective where there is already a relationship that gives credibility to the information being relayed. This comes from knowledge of the other’s culture.” Cultural diplomacy has been called the “linchpin of public diplomacy” because cultural activities have the possibility to demonstrate the best of a nation. In this way, cultural diplomacy and public diplomacy are intimately linked.