2016-11-17 - Cornelia Willius-Senzer - 0479

Cornelia Willius-Senzer (born 13 July 1943) is a German entrepreneur, dance instructor and politician ( FDP). She was the chair of the FPD parliamentary group in the

Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate The Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag is the state diet of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Article 79, Section 1 of the Rhineland-Palatinate constitution provides: "The Landtag is the supreme organ of political decision-making, el ...

from 2017 to 2021.

Life and dance career

Willius-Senzer, née Scherning, was born in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

. In her youth, she studied languages and worked as an interpreter in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. In 1971 she met her future husband,

dance studio A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose. Overview A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used fo ...

heir Horst Willius-Senzer, who asked to marry her on the condition that she had to become a dance instructor. She is honorary president of the , the association of German ballroom dance instructors, and president of the European Dance Council.

Career in politics

Willius-Senzer entered politics as a FDP member in 2003. She was elected a member of the Landtag in the

2016 Rhineland-Palatinate state election The 2016 Rhineland-Palatinate state election was held on 13 March 2016 to elect the members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. It was held on the same day as the Baden-Württemberg state election and Saxony-Anhalt state election. The incum ...

. As Mother of the House, she opened the parliamentary session. In 2017, she was elected chair of the FDP group. In the

2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election The 2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election was held on 14 March 2021 to elect the 18th Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. The outgoing government was a " traffic light coalition" of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Free Democratic Party (FDP), ...

, Willius-Senzer retained her seat, elected as third on her party's statewide list. She continued in her role as Mother of the House, opening the first session of the new parliament, but was succeeded as chair of the party's parliamentary group by Daniela Schmitt in March 2021.

References

Members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate Free Democratic Party (Germany) politicians 21st-century German politicians 1943 births Politicians from Rhineland-Palatinate Women members of State Parliaments in Germany Living people 21st-century German women politicians {{Germany-FDP-politician-stub