Petra Erler

Petra Erler (born 1958) earned her doctorate at the Institute of International Relations of the Academy for Political and Legal Studies in Potsdam. After the 1990 Volkskammer election, she worked as an adviser and member of Foreign Minister Markus Meckel’s planning staff before becoming State Secretary in Minister-President Lothar de Maizière’s office, responsible for European Community affairs. From 1991, she headed the European Community policy division at the representation of the state of Brandenburg in Bonn. In 1999, she joined the close staff of EU Commissioner Günter Verheugen and headed his cabinet from 2006 to 2010. From 2010, she was managing director of a strategy consultancy in Potsdam and also worked as a writer.