Peer Steinbrück (born January 10, 1947 in Hamburg) is a German SPD politician. He currently serves as Minister of Finance in the cabinet of Angela Merkel.

From 1968 to 1969 he was trained as an officer of the reserve of the Bundeswehr. Afterwards he studied economics in Kiel. In 1969 he joined the SPD. Then he worked in public administration.

In 1993 Steinbrück became Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure in the State of Schleswig-Holstein until he changed to go on his career in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, where he became Secretary of Infrastructure in 1998 and Financial Secretary in 2000.