Emilia Lahnsteiger

'''Dr. med. Emilia Marietta Lahnsteiger''' (*April 8, 3559) is a Hulstrian liberal politician who has been Minister of Health and Social Services since 3592 and deputy Chairwoman of the LVP since 3594.

Life
Lahnsteiger comes from an upper-middle class family from the capital Kien. Her parents were both psychologists and politically identified with the urban liberal bourgeoisie, which was without political representation before 3563. After school, she attended the Medizinische Universität Kien from 3577 to 3581, and became a medical doctor. She worked at several public and private clincis between 3581 and 3584, and specialized in neurology.

Politics
Lahnsteiger had been active in student politics at university, initially flirting with the left, but later converting to libertarianism as she was put off by what she called "a leftist ideology of authoritarianism paternalism". She was a member of the district assembly of her residential area in Kien from 3582 to 3584, and was deputy leader of the LVP caucus there. In the 3584 general election, in which the LVP hoped to make big gains, she was chosen as candidate for Kien-Korlburg-Nord, a swing district which had alternated between all major parties in the previous decade. The federal Liberal leader, Janina Stadtmann, hoped to boost her party's fortunes by fielding young and unconventional candidates (Lahnsteiger was only 25 at that time).

The sitting MP from the populist Sozialgewissenhaftigkeits Partei, Erhard Hamann, was widely seen as extremely vulnerable, and his seat was targeted by Social Democrats, Hosian Democrats and Liberals. After an unconventional campaign in which she toured bars, night clubs, discos and campuses and that was criticized as "frivolous" by her opponents, she won the district with 36.5%, a swing of seven percent, only 0.7% ahead of her nearest opponent.

She became the youngest Liberal Member of the Reichstag, and one of the youngest parliamentarians in the country. In the following five years, she worked from the backbenches and lobbied for support for decriminalization of drugs and generally looser laws on personal behavior. In 3588, she joined a group called the Liberal Alcoholics, which aimed to make it legal for 16-year-olds to buy alcohol without restrictions. She later distanced herself from the group. The episode was sharply criticized by her leading centre-left opponent in her constituency, who made it a campaign issue when she ran for re-election in 3589. However, the LVP's huge gains in Hulstria Crownland and the heavy losses of the centre-left HSP throughout the country lead to a triumphant re-election for Lahnsteiger, who won 42.7% of the vote, with an 11% margin over her nearest rival.

From 3589 to 3592, she was deputy health spokesperson of the LVP, and, shortly ahead of the cabinet formation, moved to the Liberal frontbench after the incumbent, Dr. Franz Hechl, had announced his retirement. She became Health Minister shortly thereafter as the LVP was given the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Her main achievement was the legalization of medical marijuana, which she managed to pass in a free vote in the Reichstag.

Her constant calls for looser regulation of drugs, alcohol, smoking and tobacco made her popular among the Liberal youth and party base, and she was soon considered a serious future leadership candidate. In 3597, when plans of Herbert Griesmeyer and Hans Holzinger to sack her from cabinet had gone public, a massive backlash from the party base ensued, which resulted in the two leaders backpedaling and retaining the Health ministry for Lahnsteiger in the 3598 cabinet formation under Staatsminister Matiasu Fukuyama.