Frank-Walter Steinmeier, born in 1956, studied law and politics. After taking his PhD in 1991, he became the adviser for communication media and media guidelines in a state chancellery; from 1993 to 1994 he headed the personal office of the then Minister President Gerhard Schröder in Lower Saxony; in 1996 he was appointed the Undersecretary of State and Director of the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony. After Gerhard Schröder was elected Federal Chancellor, he became the Undersecretary of State in the Office of the Chancellor and Commissioner for the Intelligence Services; this was followed in 1999 by his appointment to the post of head of the Office of the Chancellor. Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been the German Foreign Minister since 2005 and, since 2007, the Vice-Chancellor.