At the same time, the general meeting elected the current president, former prime minister of the Länder Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia Mr. Bernhard Vogel, to be honorary chairman of the foundation.

The change of office will take place on 1 January, 2010.

The two current vice-presidents, the president of the German Bundestag Mr. Norbert Lammert and Mrs. Beate Neuss, professor for international politics at the University of Chemnitz, were re-elected in office. The former minister of the Land Brandenburg and current president of the CDU Brandenburg, Mrs. Johanna Wanka, was elected as the third vice-president of the foundation.

Moreover, the budget and the strategic work plan for the year 2010 were approved. The newly elected President Hans-Gert Pöttering stated with regards to the main focus: “I envisage the international consolidation of the principles of the social market economy, the intercultural dialogue and the protection of the environment as most important issues of the foundation’s work in 2010.”