New Chairmen in Two Top EPP Branches
EU - During the autumn meetings in October, the two biggest national EPP branches – Germany and the Netherlands – elected new chairmen.
25 November 2011
3 minute read
Within their general assembly in Hamburg the German branch has elected Jürgen Winkelmann (53) as successor for Franz Meyer zu Holte who resigned after 21 years as chairman in Germany. Dirk Bonekamp, Birgit Scharlau and Bernd Schiefer complete the new board (Photo 1).
40 Members of the German branch visited within this meeting the ADM Company at the harbor in Hamburg and got information about the worldwide trade with raw materials and the price development for feed after harvest 2011.
The Dutch Branch has elected Gerard Driessen (52) as the new chairman of the board in The Netherlands (Photo 2).
Erik Thijssen has been chairman for six years and decided to resign because it was difficult for him to combine his position as a chairman with the work on his farm in Germany.
After being elected, Gerard Driessen, held his maiden speech and pointed out the great added value for pig farmers to be a member of EPP and his goal to recruit more young pig farmers in our club. About 120 members joined the meeting in Hardenberg, during which the former Minister of Agriculture, Cees Veerman, held a lecture about the topic: “Being an entrepreneur in stormy weather”. The lively discussion after the speech showed that this topic was on everyone’s mind.
