He studied social sciences and education in Cologne. After his traineeship, he worked as a teacher at a grammar school in Wermelskirchen. From 1985 to 2004, Reul was a member of the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament. From 1985 to 1991, he was the CDU parliamentary group's spokesman on school policy. In 1987, he became a member of the state executive of the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia, and from 1991 to 2003 he was Secretary General of the state party.
From 2004 to 2017, Herbert Reul was a Member of the European Parliament. From 2009 to 2012, he was Chairman of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, and from 2012 to 2014, he was Chairman of the delegations for relations with the Korean peninsula. Most recently, he was Chairman of the CDU/CSU Group in the European Parliament.
On June 30, 2017, Herbert Reul was appointed Minister of the Interior of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
He is married, has three daughters and lives in Leichlingen.
Interview with the new Minister of the Interior Herbert Reul on June 30, 2017:
Mr. Reul, let's pretend we're on Twitter. Please introduce yourself in 140 characters!
Reul: Rhinelander by birth, committed European, new Minister of the Interior. A big task that I'm looking forward to, but which also makes me humble. Does that fit?
Almost. But really good for a politician! Do you see any links between your new role as Minister of the Interior and your previous role as a member of the EU Parliament?
Reul: There are indeed thematic links: Terrorism, protection of external borders or data retention. But it's clear that I have to familiarize myself first - quickly and thoroughly. To do this, I need the knowledge, experience and help of the employees in my division.
With Jürgen Mathies as your new State Secretary, you have an experienced police officer and security expert at your side. What does this mean for your work?
Reul: That together we can achieve a lot for the security of the people in NRW. It's about shaping a new start for security policy in NRW. Politically, there will be a lot of hard work to do. That's why it's good to have a State Secretary who is recognized and respected as an expert far beyond the borders of the police force.
How do you rate the work of the NRW police force?
Reul: The NRW police do an excellent job. I want to ensure that the ever-increasing workload is spread across even more shoulders in future. That is why we will increase the number of new recruits to 2,300 per year.
Will there be far-reaching changes to the security architecture in NRW with you?
Reul: There will be a far-reaching review of the security architecture in NRW. With the Bosbach Commission in the State Chancellery, we have a body of very smart and experienced experts. NRW can only benefit from this.