Leader of the Christian Democratic Union

Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
Vorsitzender der Christlich Demokratischen Union
Incumbent Friedrich Merz since 31 January 2022
Type	1029
Member of	Federal Executive Presidium
Seat	Konrad-Adenauer-Haus
Formation	1 March 1946
First holder	Konrad Adenauer
Website	https://www.cdu.de/ueber-uns/struktur-der-cdu

The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (Vorsitzender der Christlich Demokratischen Union) is the most senior political figure within the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. Since 31 January 2022, the office has been held by Friedrich Merz, who succeeded Armin Laschet. ^[1]

The Leader of the Christian Democratic Union Party is supported by a General Secretary who, since 12 July 2023, has been Carsten Linnemann.

List of leaders of the Christian Democratic Union (1946–present)

A list of leaders since 1946: ^[2]

	Portrait	Name (Born–Died) Home State	Leadership			Chancellor
			Term	Tenure	Elections
1		Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) North Rhine-Westphalia	1 March 1946 – 23 March 1966	20 years, 22 days	1949 1953 1957 1961		Konrad Adenauer (1949-63)
							Ludwig Erhard (1963-66)
2		Ludwig Erhard [a] (1897–1977) Baden-Württemberg	23 March 1966 – 23 May 1967	1 year, 61 days	1965
							Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1966-69)
3		Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1904–1988) Baden-Württemberg	23 May 1967 – 5 October 1971	4 years, 135 days	1969
							Willy Brandt (1969-74)
4		Rainer Barzel (1924–2006) North Rhine-Westphalia	5 October 1971 – 12 June 1973	1 year, 250 days	1972
5		Helmut Kohl (1930–2017) Rhineland-Palatinate	12 June 1973 – 7 November 1998	25 years, 148 days	1976 1980 [b]
							Helmut Schmidt (1974-82)
					1983 1987 1990 1994		Helmut Kohl (1982-98)
6		Wolfgang Schäuble (1942–2023) Baden-Württemberg	7 November 1998 – 16 February 2000	1 year, 101 days	1998		Gerhard Schröder (1998-2005)|
7		Angela Merkel (born 1954) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	10 April 2000 – 7 December 2018	18 years, 241 days	2002 [c]
					2005 2009 2013 2017		Angela Merkel (2005-21)|
8		Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (born 1962) Saarland	7 December 2018 – 22 January 2021	2 years, 46 days
9		Armin Laschet (born 1961) North Rhine-Westphalia	22 January 2021 – 31 January 2022	1 year, 9 days	2021
							Olaf Scholz (2021-25)|
10		Friedrich Merz (born 1955) North Rhine-Westphalia	since 31 January 2022	3 years, 332 days	2025
							Friedrich Merz (since 2025)

Timeline

See also

• Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
• Christian Social Union of Germany (CSU)
• Alliance '90/The Greens

Notes

1. There is uncertainty over the question whether Erhard was ever actually a member of the CDU. Reports at the time suggested that he joined the party when he became chairman, although his membership was backdated by three years. However, reports in 2007 suggested that Erhard never actually joined the CDU. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which holds the party archives, reported that the question could "not be answered conclusively." ^[3]
2. Kohl opted not to seek the nomination as chancellor candidate due to internal criticism, instead nominated Lower Saxony premier Ernst Albrecht, who went on to lose the nomination to Bavaria premier and CSU leader Franz Josef Strauss.
3. After being outmaneuvered, Merkel yield the nomination as the Union's Chancellor candidate to Bavaria premier and CSU leader Edmund Stoiber.

References

1. "Friedrich Merz takes over as leader of Germany's Christian Democrats". The Economist. 22 January 2022. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 22 January 2022.
2. "Startseite". Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (in German). Retrieved 24 April 2018.
3. Kellerhoff, Sven Felix (25 April 2007). "Der Kanzler, der nie Mitglied seiner Partei war". Die Welt . Retrieved 25 April 2018.