Editing Christian Democratic Union of Germany

{{Short description|Centre-right political party in Germany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Christian Democratic Union of Germany
| native_name      = Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands
| native_name_lang = de
| logo             = CDU Logo 2023.svg
| logo_size        = 200
| colorcode        = {{Political party data|color}}
| abbreviation     = CDU
| leader1_title    = [[Leader of the Christian Democratic Union|Leader]]
| leader1_name     = [[Friedrich Merz]]
| leader2_title    = General Secretary
| leader2_name     = [[Carsten Linnemann]]
| foundation       = {{Nowrap|{{start date and age|1945|6|26|df=yes}}}}
| headquarters     = [[:de:Konrad-Adenauer-Haus (Berlin)|Konrad-Adenauer-Haus]], Klingelhöferstraße 8, 10785 [[Berlin]]
| newspaper        = ''Union''
| youth_wing       = [[Young Union]]<ref>Philipp Mißfelder (editor): ''60 Jahre Junge Union Deutschlands'', Berlin 2007 {{ISBN|978-3-923632-06-0}}</ref>
| membership_year  = 2024
| membership       = {{decrease}} 363,100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/spd-green-party-fdp-cdu-left-party-afd/a-38085900|title=A guide to Germany's political parties|website=Deutsche Welle|first1=Rina|last1=Goldenberg}}</ref>
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 | [[Christian democracy]]
 | [[Conservatism]] ([[Conservatism in Germany|German]])}}
| position         = [[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]]
| national         = [[CDU/CSU]]
| european         = [[European People's Party]]
| international    = [[Centrist Democrat International]]<br />[[International Democracy Union]]
| europarl         = [[European People's Party Group]]
| colours          = {{ublist
 | {{color box|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany (2023)}}|border=darkgray}} Turquoise (official){{efn|Since September 2023<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ci.cdu.de/sites/www.ci.cdu.de/files/downloads/cdu-manual-2023-3.pdf | title=CDU Corporate Design Manual | date=September 2023}}</ref>}}
 | {{color box|{{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|border=silver}} Black (customary){{efn|Officially before September 2023}}
 | {{color box|#ffa600|border=darkgray}} Orange
}}
<!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q49762 -->
| seats1_title     = [[Bundestag]]
| seats1           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats3_title     = [[Composition of the German State Parliaments|State Parliaments]]
| seats3           = {{composition bar|520|1896|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| seats4_title     = [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|European Parliament]]
| seats4           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|EP}}
| seats5_title     = [[Minister president (Germany)|Heads of State Governments]]
| seats5           = {{composition bar|7|16|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| flag             = [[File:Flag of CDU 2023.svg|180px|border|Flag of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]
| website          = {{Political party data|website}}
| country          = Germany
}}
{{Conservatism in Germany|Parties}}

The '''Christian Democratic Union of Germany''' ({{langx|de|Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands}} {{IPA|de|ˈkʁɪstlɪç demoˈkʁaːtɪʃə ʔuˈni̯oːn ˈdɔʏtʃlants|}}, '''CDU''' {{IPA|de|ˌtseːdeːˈʔuː||De-CDU.ogg}}) is a [[Christian democracy|Christian democratic]]<ref>Multiple sources:
*{{cite book |author=Bösch |title=Two Crises, Two Consolidations? Christian Democracy in Germany |publisher=Leuven University Press |year=2004 |editor1=Steven Van Hecke |pages=55–78 |editor2=Emmanuel Gerard}}
*{{cite book |author=Lappenküper |title=Between Concentration Movement and People's Party: The Christian Democratic Union in Germany |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2004 |editor1=Gehler |volume=2 |pages=21–32 |editor2=Kaiser}}</ref> and [[Conservatism in Germany|conservative]]<ref>Multiple sources:
*{{cite news |last= Brady |first= Kate |date= 21 June 2021 |title= Merkel's conservatives present election manifesto |url= https://www.dw.com/en/merkels-conservatives-present-manifesto-together-for-a-modern-germany/a-57978572 |work= Deutsche Welle (DW) |access-date= 28 February 2024}}
*{{cite news |date= 25 April 2023 |title= 'New direction': How Berlin is getting its first conservative-led government in decades |url= https://www.thelocal.de/20230425/new-direction-how-berlin-is-getting-its-first-conservative-led-government-in-decades |work= The Local Germany |access-date= 28 February 2024}}
*{{cite book |last= Rosellini |first= Jay |date= March 2020 |title= The German New Right AfD, PEGIDA and the Re-Imagining of National Identity |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=WCbTDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22conservative+CDU%22&pg=PA86 |publisher= Hurst |page= 83 |isbn= 9781787383524}}
*{{cite book |last1= Rowe |first1= Carolyn |last2= Ed |first2= Turner |date= 30 April 2023 |title= Decentralising Policy Responsibility and Political Authority in Germany |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cIy8EAAAQBAJ |publisher= Springer International Publishing |page= 163 |isbn= 9783031294792}}</ref> [[List of political parties in Germany|political party in Germany]]. It is the major party of the [[Centre-right politics|centre-right]]<ref>Multiple sources:
*{{citation|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christian-Democratic-Union-political-party-Germany |first=David P. |last=Conradt|title=Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|year=2015|access-date=16 December 2015}}
*{{cite journal|first=Eric|last=Miklin|title=From 'Sleeping Giant' to Left–Right Politicization? National Party Competition on the EU and the Euro Crisis|journal=JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies |volume=52 |issue=6 |pages=1199–1206 |date=November 2014|doi=10.1111/jcms.12188|s2cid=153758674}}
*{{cite book |first1=Christina |last1=Boswell |first2=Dan |last2=Dough |chapter=Politicizing migration: opportunity or liability for the centre-right in Germany? |editor-first=Tim |editor-last=Bale |title=Immigration and Integration Policy in Europe: Why Politics – and the Centre-Right – Matter |publisher=Routledge |year=2009 |page=21}}
*{{cite book |last1=Hornsteiner |first1=Margret |title=Parties and the Party System |last2=Saalfeld |first2=Thomas |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |year=2014 |page=80}}
*{{cite book|first=Klaus|last=Detterbeck|title=Multi-Level Party Politics in Western Europe |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2014|page=105}}</ref> in [[Politics of Germany|German politics]].<ref>Multiple sources:
*{{cite book |author1=Mark Kesselman |author2=Joel Krieger |author3=Christopher S. Allen |author4=Stephen Hellman |title=European Politics in Transition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FGK0Ht0OM_IC&pg=PA229 |access-date=17 August 2012 |year=2008 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0-618-87078-3 |page=229}}
*{{cite book |author=Sarah Elise Wiliarty |title=The CDU and the Politics of Gender in Germany: Bringing Women to the Party |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4xYAlBYDvrkC&pg=PA221 |access-date=17 August 2012 |year=2010 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-76582-4 |page=221}}</ref> [[Friedrich Merz]] has been federal chairman of the CDU since 31 January 2022,<ref name="economist.com">{{Cite news|date=22 January 2022|title=Friedrich Merz takes over as leader of Germany's Christian Democrats|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/01/22/friedrich-merz-takes-over-as-leader-of-germanys-christian-democrats|access-date=22 January 2022|issn=0013-0613}}</ref> and is the [[Chancellor of Germany]] since 6 May 2025.

The CDU is the largest party in the [[Bundestag]], the German federal legislature, with 208 out of 630 seats, having won 28.5% of votes in the [[2025 German federal election|2025 federal election]]. It forms the [[CDU/CSU]] [[Bundestag]] faction, also known as the Union, with its Bavarian counterpart, the [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria]] (CSU). The group's parliamentary leader is also [[Friedrich Merz]].

Founded in 1945 as an interdenominational Christian party, the CDU effectively succeeded the pre-war Catholic [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]], with many former members joining the party, including its first leader [[Konrad Adenauer]]. The party also included politicians of other backgrounds, including liberals and conservatives.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Martin Seeleib-Kaiser |author2=Silke Van Dyk |author3=Martin Roggenkamp |title=Party Politics and Social Welfare: Comparing Christian and Social Democracy in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands |page=10 |publisher=Edward Elgar |year=2008}}</ref> As a result, the party claims to represent "Christian-social, liberal and conservative" elements.<ref>{{cite book |author=Sven-Uwe Schmitz |title=Konservatismus |publisher=VS Verlag |year=2009 |page=142}}</ref> The CDU is generally [[Pro-Europeanism|pro-European]] in outlook.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://europeelects.eu/germany/ |title=Germany|website=[[Europe Elects]]|access-date=13 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Janosch Delcker |title=Where German parties stand on Europe |newspaper=Politico |date=28 August 2017 |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-parties-plan-for-eu-in-election-campaign/}}</ref> Black is the party's customary and historical electoral colour. Other colours include red for the logo, orange for the flag, and [[Flag of Germany|black-red-gold]] for the corporate design.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdu.de/system/tdf/media/dokumente/170519_cdu_guideline_werbelinie_btw2017.pdf?file=1&type=field_collection_item&id=12248|title=Das Corporate Design der CDU Deutschlands|date=17 October 2017|access-date=19 June 2019|archive-date=7 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307211703/https://www.cdu.de/system/tdf/media/dokumente/170519_cdu_guideline_werbelinie_btw2017.pdf?file=1&type=field_collection_item&id=12248|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The CDU is expected to lead the next [[Merz cabinet|federal government]] in a [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] with the SPD, after returning as the largest party in the [[2025 German federal election|2025 federal election]]. It previously led the [[Cabinet of Germany|federal government]] from 1949 to 1969, 1982 to 1998, and 2005 to 2021. Germany's three longest-serving post-war Chancellors have all come from the CDU, specifically: [[Helmut Kohl]] (1982–1998), [[Angela Merkel]] (2005–2021), and [[Konrad Adenauer]] (1949–1963). The party also currently leads the governments of seven of Germany's sixteen [[States of Germany|states]]. 

The CDU is a member of the [[Centrist Democrat International]], the [[International Democracy Union]], and the [[European People's Party]] (EPP). It is the largest party in the EPP with 23 [[MEPs]]. [[Ursula von der Leyen]], the current [[President of the European Commission]], is also a member of the CDU.

== History ==
=== Founding period ===
{{multiple image
| align             = left
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| width             = 150
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| image1            = KAS-Wiederaufbau-Bild-4-4.jpg
| image2            = KAS-Bolschewistische Bedrohung-Bild-11-3.jpg
| caption1          = 1949 election poster of the CDU reading "We cannot do magic — but we can work/do our job. Help us. Vote for CDU. Germany is at stake!"
| caption2          = 1949 election poster of the CDU reading "The Rescue: CDU"
| caption_align     = center
| footer            = 
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| alt1              = 
}}

Immediately following the end of [[World War II]] and the [[Allied-occupied Germany|foreign occupation of Germany]], simultaneous yet unrelated meetings began occurring throughout the country, each with the intention of planning a [[Christian democracy|Christian-democratic]] party. Consequently, the CDU was established in [[Berlin]] on 26 June 1945 and in [[Rheinland]] and [[Westfalen]] in September of the same year.

The founding members of the CDU consisted primarily of former members of the [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]], the [[German Democratic Party]], the [[German National People's Party]], and the [[German People's Party]]. In the [[Cold War]], years after World War II up to the 1960s (see ''[[Vergangenheitsbewältigung]]''), the CDU attracted [[Conservatism in Germany|conservative]], [[anti-communist]], former [[Nazis]] as well as [[Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy|Nazi collaborators]] into its higher ranks (like [[Hans Globke]] and [[Theodor Oberländer]] but also future CDU chairman and West German chancellor [[Kurt Georg Kiesinger]]). A prominent member was theologian [[Eugen Gerstenmaier]], who became Acting Chairman of the Foreign Board (1949–1969).

{{Christian democracy sidebar}}

The result of these meetings was the establishment of an inter-confessional ([[Catholic]] and [[Protestant]] alike) party influenced heavily by the political tradition of [[liberal conservatism]].<ref name="Steven18_96">{{cite book |author=Martin Steven |chapter=Conservatism in Europe – the political thought of Christian Democracy |editor=Mark Garnett |title=Conservative Moments: Reading Conservative Texts |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2018 |page=96}}</ref> The CDU experienced considerable success gaining widespread support from the time of its creation in Berlin on 26 June 1945 until its first [[Political convention|convention]] on 21 October 1950, at which future West German Chancellor [[Konrad Adenauer]] was named the first Chairman of the party.

=== Adenauer era (1949–1963) ===
[[File:CDU Wahlkampfplakat - kaspl019.JPG|thumb|left|200px|The election poster of 1957 reading "No experiments" and featuring then Chancellor [[Konrad Adenauer]] (This was the only federal election in which the CDU obtained an absolute majority in the [[Bundestag]].)]]

In the beginning, it was not clear which party would be favored by the victors of [[World War II]], but by the end of the 1940s the governments of the United States and of the United Kingdom began to lean more toward the CDU and significantly away from the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD), especially due to [[Geopolitics|geopolitical]] reasons. The latter was more [[nationalist]] and sought [[German reunification]] even at the expense of concessions to the [[Soviet Union]] (USSR), depicting Adenauer as an instrument of both the Americans and the [[Holy See|Vatican]]. The Western powers appreciated the CDU's right-ward slant, its commitment to capitalism, and its value as a pivotal oppositional force to the communists, thereby keeping consistent with US/UK foreign policy. In addition, Adenauer was also trusted by the British.<ref name="Paul Gottfried">Paul Gottfried. "The Rise and Fall of Christian Democracy in Europe". ''Orbis'', fall 2007.</ref>

However, the party was split over issues of rearmament within the Western alliance and German unification as a neutral state. Adenauer staunchly defended his pro-Western position and outmaneuvered some of his opponents. He also refused to consider the [[SPD]] as a party of the coalition until he felt sure that they shared his [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] position. The principled rejection of a reunification that would alienate Germany from the Western alliance made it harder to attract Protestant voters to the party, as most refugees from the former German territories east of the [[Oder]] river were of that faith, as were the majority of the inhabitants of [[East Germany]].<ref name="Paul Gottfried"/>

Therefore, the CDU was the dominant political party for the first two decades following the establishment of [[West Germany]] in 1949. The durable alliance that the party had established with the liberal [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) as the leading tandem of several federal governments, and, implicitly, the strong partnership between Chancellor Adenauer and President [[Theodor Heuss]] enabled West Germany to thoroughly rebuild itself in the wake of World War II. Adenauer remained the party's leader until 1963, when former Minister of Economics [[Ludwig Erhard]] replaced him.<ref>{{cite news |title=Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/adenauer_konrad.shtml |work=BBC News |access-date=17 October 2018}}</ref> As the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) withdrew from the governing coalition in 1966 due to disagreements over fiscal and economic policy, Erhard was forced to resign. Consequently, a [[Grand coalition (Germany)|grand coalition]] with the SPD took over government under CDU Chancellor [[Kurt Georg Kiesinger]].

=== Opposition against social-liberal governments (1969–1982) ===
The SPD quickly gained popularity and succeeded in forming a [[social-liberal coalition]] with the FDP following the [[1969 West German federal election|1969 federal election]], forcing the CDU out of power for the first time in its history. The CDU and CSU were highly critical of Chancellor [[Willy Brandt]]'s "change through rapprochement" policy towards the Eastern bloc ''([[Ostpolitik]])'' and protested sharply against the 1970 [[Treaty of Moscow (1970)|treaties of Moscow]] and [[Treaty of Warsaw (1970)|Warsaw]] that renounced claims to the [[former eastern territories of Germany]] and recognised the [[Oder–Neisse line]] as Germany's eastern border. The Union parties had close ties with the ''[[Heimatvertriebene]]'' [[Federation of Expellees|associations]] (Germans who fled or were expelled from the eastern territories) who hoped for a return of or in these territories. Seven Bundestag members, including former vice chancellor [[Erich Mende]], defected from the FDP and SPD to the CDU in protest against these treaties, depriving Brandt of his majority, and providing a thin majority for the CDU and CSU. In April 1972, the CDU saw its chance to return to power, calling a [[constructive vote of no confidence]]. CDU chairman [[Rainer Barzel]] was almost certain to become the new Chancellor. But not all parliamentarians voted as expected (it was later revealed that two CDU/CSU deputies had been bribed by the East German [[Stasi]]): Brandt won the vote and stayed in office. Thus, the CDU continued its role as [[Opposition (politics)|opposition]] for a total of thirteen years. In 1982, the FDP withdrew from the coalition with the SPD and allowed the CDU to regain power.

=== Kohl era (1982–1998) ===
CDU Chairman [[Helmut Kohl]] became the new Chancellor of West Germany and his CDU/CSU–FDP coalition was confirmed in the [[1983 West German federal election|1983 federal election]].

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-0518-028, Staatsvertrag BRD-DDR, Helmut Kohl, Lothar de Maizière.jpg|thumb|East German CDU leader [[Lothar de Maizière]] (left) with West German CDU leader Helmut Kohl in September 1990]]
After the [[Die Wende|collapse]] of the East German government in 1989, Kohl—supported by the governments of the United States and [[German reunification#United Kingdom and France|reluctantly]] by those of France and the United Kingdom—called for German reunification. On 3 October 1990, the government of East Germany was abolished and its territory acceded to the territory of the Basic Law already in place in West Germany. The [[Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)|East German CDU]] merged with its West German counterpart and elections were held for the reunified country. Public support for the coalition's work in the process of German reunification was reiterated in the [[1990 German federal election|1990 federal election]] in which the CDU–FDP governing coalition experienced a clear victory. Although Kohl was re-elected, the party began losing much of its popularity because of an economic recession in the former GDR and increased taxes in the west. The CDU was nonetheless able to win the [[1994 German federal election|1994 federal election]] by a narrow margin thanks to an economic recovery.

Kohl served as chairman until the party's electoral defeat in 1998, when he was succeeded by [[Wolfgang Schäuble]]. In the [[1998 German federal election|1998 federal election]], the CDU polled 28.4% and the CSU 6.7% of the national vote, the lowest result for those parties since 1949; a [[Red–green alliance|red–green coalition]] under the leadership of [[Gerhard Schröder]] took power until 2005.

=== Merkel era (2000–2018) ===
[[File:Angela Merkel CDU Parteitag 2014 by Olaf Kosinsky-25.jpg|thumb|[[Angela Merkel]] was the first female leader of the CDU and the third longest serving of the party overall, after Kohl and Adenauer.]]

Schäuble resigned in early 2000 as a result of a party [[1999 CDU contributions scandal|financing scandal]] and was replaced by [[Angela Merkel]], the first woman and the first person from East Germany to lead the federal party. She remained the leader of the CDU for more than eighteen years. In the [[2002 German federal election|2002 federal election]], Merkel ceded the position of CDU/CSU's joint candidate for the chancellor's office to the leader of the sister party, Bavarian minister-president [[Edmund Stoiber]]. CDU and CSU polled slightly higher (29.5% and 9.0%, respectively), but still lacked the majority needed for a CDU–FDP coalition government and stayed in opposition.

In 2005, early elections were called after the CDU dealt the governing SPD a major blow, winning more than ten state elections, most of which were [[List of landslide victories|landslide victories]]. The resulting grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD faced a serious challenge stemming from both parties' demand for the chancellorship. After three weeks of negotiations, the two parties reached a deal whereby CDU received the chancellorship while the SPD retained 8 of the 16 seats in the cabinet and a majority of the most prestigious cabinet posts.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4325600.stm |work=BBC News |title=Merkel named as German chancellor |date=10 October 2005 |access-date=1 April 2010}}</ref> The coalition deal was approved by both parties at party conferences on 14 November.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4434812.stm |work=BBC News |title=German parties back new coalition |date=14 November 2005 |access-date=1 April 2010}}</ref> Merkel was confirmed as the first female Chancellor of Germany by the majority of delegates (397 to 217) in the newly assembled Bundestag on 22 November.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4458430.stm |work=BBC News |title=Merkel becomes German chancellor |date=22 November 2005 |access-date=1 April 2010}}</ref> Since her first term in office, from 2005 to 2009, there have been discussions if the CDU was still "sufficiently conservative" or if it was "social-democratising".<ref>{{cite book |author=Melanie Haas |chapter=Die CDU in der großen Koalition zwischen 2005 und 2007 |editor=Ralf Thomas Baus |title=Zur Zukunft der Volksparteien: Das Parteiensystem untr den Bedingungen zunehmender Fragmentierung |publisher=Konrad Adenauer Foundation |year=2009 |page=20}}</ref> In March 2009, Merkel answered with the statement "Sometimes I am liberal, sometimes I am conservative, sometimes I am Christian-social—and this is what defines the CDU."<ref>"Mal bin ich liberal, mal bin ich konservativ, mal bin ich christlich-sozial – und das macht die CDU aus". Angela Merkel in the TV Show ''Anne Will'', 22 March 2009. Cited in {{cite book |author=Andreas Wagner |title=Wandel und Fortschritt in den Christdemokratien Europas: Christdemokratische Elegien angesichts fragiler volksparteilicher Symmetrien |publisher=Springer VS |year=2014 |page=211}}</ref>

Although the CDU/CSU lost support in the [[2009 German federal election|2009 federal elections]], their "desired partner" the FDP experienced the best election cycle in its history, thereby enabling a CDU/CSU–FDP coalition. This marked the first change of coalition partner by a Chancellor in German history and the first centre-right coalition government since 1998. CDU candidate [[Christian Wulff]] won the [[2010 German presidential election|2010 presidential election]] in the third ballot, while opposition candidate [[Joachim Gauck]] (a Protestant pastor and former anti-communist activist in East Germany, who was favoured even by some CDU members) received a number of "faithless" votes from the government camp.

The decisions to [[Conscription in Germany#Political debate to suspend conscription|suspend conscription]] (late 2010) and to phase out [[Nuclear power in Germany|nuclear energy]] (shortly after the [[Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster|Fukushima disaster]] in 2011) broke with long-term principles of the CDU, moving the party into a more socially liberal direction and alienating some of its more conservative members and voters. At its November 2011 conference the party proposed a "wage floor", after having expressly rejected minimum wages during the previous years.<ref name="Udo Zolleis-2015">{{cite book |author=Udo Zolleis |chapter=Auf die Kanzlerin kommt es an: Die CDU unter Angela Merkel |editor1=Reimut Zohlnhöfer |editor2=Thomas Saalfeld |title=Politik im Schatten der Krise: Eine Bilanz der Regierung Merkel 2009–2013 |publisher=Springer VS |year=2015 |pages=81–83}}</ref> [[Psephologist]] and Merkel advisor Matthias Jung coined the term "asymmetric demobilisation" for the CDU's strategy (practised in the 2009, 2013 and 2017 campaigns)<ref>{{cite book |author=Christina Holtz-Bacha |chapter=Bundestagswahl 2017: Flauer Wahlkampf? Spannende Wahl! |title=Die (Massen-)Medien im Wahlkampf |publisher=Springer VS |year=2019 |pages=4–5}}</ref> of adopting issues and positions close to its rivals, e.g. regarding social justice (SPD) and ecology (Greens), thus avoiding conflicts that might mobilise their potential supporters. Some of the promises in the CDU's 2013 election platform were seen as "overtaking the SPD on the left".<ref>{{cite book |author=Manfred G. Schmidt |chapter=Die Sozialpolitik der CDU/CSU-FDP-Koalition von 2009 bis 2013 |editor1=Reimut Zohlnhöfer |editor2=Thomas Saalfeld |title=Politik im Schatten der Krise: Eine Bilanz der Regierung Merkel 2009–2013 |publisher=Springer VS |year=2015 |pages=413–414}}</ref> While this strategy proved to be quite successful in elections, it also raised warnings that the CDU's profile would become "random", the party would lose its "essence"<ref name="Udo Zolleis-2015"/> and it might even be dangerous for democracy in general if parties became indistinguishable and voters demotivated.

President Wulff resigned in February 2012 due to allegations of corruption, triggering an [[2012 German presidential election|early presidential election]]. This time the CDU supported, reluctantly, nonpartisan candidate Joachim Gauck. The CDU/CSU–FDP coalition lasted until the [[2013 German federal election|2013 federal election]], when the FDP lost all its seats in the Bundestag while the CDU and CSU won their best result since 1990, only a few seats short of an absolute majority. This was partly due to the CDU's expansion of voter base to all socio-structural groups (class, age or gender), partly due to the personal popularity of Chancellor Merkel.<ref>{{cite book |author=Petra Hemmelmann |title=Der Kompass der CDU: Analyse der Grundsatz- und Wahlprogramme von Adenauer bis Merkel |publisher=Springer VS |year=2017 |page=162}}</ref> After talks with the Greens had failed, the CDU/CSU formed a new grand coalition with the SPD.

Despite their long-cherished slogan of "There must be no democratically legitimised party to the right of CDU/CSU",<ref>Based on a quote by CSU leader and Bavarian minister-president [[Franz Josef Strauß]], 9 August 1987. Quoted in [https://www.swr.de/wissen/9-franz-josef-strauss-rechts-von-der-csu/-/id=253126/did=22646582/nid=253126/1hd2kxd/index.html SWR2 Archivradio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619212700/https://www.swr.de/wissen/9-franz-josef-strauss-rechts-von-der-csu/-/id=253126/did=22646582/nid=253126/1hd2kxd/index.html |date=19 June 2019}}, 15 October 2018.</ref> the Union has had a serious competitor to its right since 2013. The right-wing populist [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) was founded with the involvement of disgruntled CDU members. It drew on the discontent of some conservatives with the Merkel administration's handling of the [[European debt crisis]] (2009–14) and later the [[European migrant crisis|2015 refugee crisis]], lamenting a purported loss of sovereignty and control or even "state failure". Nearly 10 percent of early AfD members were defectors from the CDU.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.n-tv.de/politik/AfD-zaehlt-2800-Uberlaeufer-article10590971.html |title=Auch ein Landtagsabgeordneter wechselt AfD zählt 2800 Überläufer |work=N-tv |date=5 May 2013}}</ref>

In 2017, the Bundestag [[Same-sex marriage in Germany#Bundestag vote and Bundesrat approval|voted]] to legalise [[Same-sex marriage in Germany|same-sex marriage]]. Merkel had allowed the [[conscience vote]] to happen despite her personal objections. While she herself and the majority of the party's representatives voted against the proposal, a number of CDU deputies supported it.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Analysis {{!}} Why Angela Merkel, known for embracing liberal values, voted against same-sex marriage|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/06/30/why-angela-merkel-known-for-embracing-liberal-values-voted-against-same-sex-marriage/|access-date=15 October 2021|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In the [[2017 German federal election|2017 election]], the CDU and CSU lost a large portion of their voteshare: With 26.8 percent of party list votes, the CDU received its worst result since 1949, losing more than fifty seats in the Bundestag (despite an enlargement of the parliament). After failing to negotiate a coalition with the FDP and Greens, they continued their grand coalition with the SPD. In October 2018, Merkel announced that she would step down as leader of the CDU that December and not seek reelection, but wanted to remain as Chancellor until 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46020745 |title=Angela Merkel to step down in 2021 |date=29 October 2018 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

=== Post-Merkel (2018–present) ===
On 7 December 2018, [[Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer]] was [[2018 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election|elected]] as federal chairwoman of the CDU. Kramp-Karrenbauer was considered Merkel's ideological successor, though holding more [[Social conservatism|socially conservative]] positions, such as opposition to [[same-sex marriage]]. Kramp-Karrenbauer's election saw a rise in support for the CDU in national polling, and her personal popularity was initially high.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/deutschlandtrend-1489.pdf|title=ARD-DeutschlandTREND Januar 2019|website=tagesschau|access-date=9 November 2019}}</ref> However, she suffered a sharp decline in popularity in the lead-up to the [[2019 European Parliament election]], in which the CDU/CSU suffered its worst ever result in a national election with just 29%. Kramp-Karrenbauer thereafter remained one of the least popular politicians nationally.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/deutschlandtrend-1861.html|title=Kramp-Karrenbauer so unbeliebt wie nie|website=tagesschau|access-date=9 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/projektion-vom-politbarometer-union-verliert--zugewinn-fuer-linke-100.html|title=Union verliert, Zugewinn für Linke|website=ZDF|access-date=9 November 2019}}</ref>

The CSU's [[Manfred Weber]] was the ''[[Spitzenkandidat]]'' for the [[European People's Party]] in the 2019 European Parliament election. However, the EPP group ultimately nominated the CDU's [[Ursula von der Leyen]] as their candidate for [[President of the European Commission]]; she was elected in July 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the office.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49010801|title=MEPs back von der Leyen as EU Commission head|date=16 July 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref>

Kramp-Karrenbauer resigned as party chair on 10 February 2020, in the midst of the [[2020 Thuringian government crisis]]. The Thuringian CDU had been perceived as cooperating with the [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD) to prevent the election of a left-wing government, breaching the long-standing taboo in Germany surrounding cooperation with the [[Far-right politics|far-right]]. Kramp-Karrenbauer was perceived as unable to enforce discipline within the party during the crisis, which she claimed was complicated by unclear positions within the party regarding cooperation with the AfD and [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]], which party statute holds to be equally unacceptable. While the Thuringia crisis was the immediate trigger for Kramp-Karrenbauer's resignation, she stated the decision had "matured some time ago",<ref>{{cite web|title=Kramp-Karrenbauer: Entscheidung ist seit geraumer Zeit in mir gereift|periodical=Handelsblatt.de|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/dpa/wirtschaft-handel-und-finanzen-kramp-karrenbauer-entscheidung-ist-seit-geraumer-zeit-in-mir-gereift/25530192.html|access-date=11 February 2020|date=10 February 2020}}</ref> and media attributed it to the troubled development of her brief leadership.<ref>{{cite web|title=So rutschte die CDU in die Krise |periodical=Spiegel Online|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/ruecktritt-von-annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-so-rutschte-die-cdu-in-die-krise-a-8eb1fe97-8892-4818-b41a-43338f92a6eb|access-date=11 February 2020|last=Almut Cieschinger|date=10 February 2020}}</ref>

Kramp-Karrenbauer remained in office as Minister of Defence and interim party leader from February until [[2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election|the leadership election]] was held in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/merkel-heir-kramp-karrenbauer-resigns-reports/|title=Merkel heir Kramp-Karrenbauer to step down as CDU leader|date=10 February 2020|website=POLITICO |first1= Judith |last1=Mischke |first2=Zia |last2=Weise |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20231014082717/https://www.politico.eu/article/merkel-heir-kramp-karrenbauer-resigns-reports/ |archive-date= 14 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-angela-merkels-cdu-to-decide-new-leader-on-april-25/a-52498552|title=Merkel's CDU to decide new leader on April 25 |date= 24 February 2020 |website=DW}}</ref> Originally scheduled for April 2020, it was delayed multiple times due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Germany|COVID-19 pandemic]], and was ultimately held online. Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia [[Armin Laschet]] won the election with 52.8% of delegate votes. His main opponent [[Friedrich Merz]], was seen as more right-wing, who won 47.2% of vote; Merz had also run against Kramp-Karrenbauer in 2018 and been defeated. Laschet's election was seen as an affirmation of Merkel's leadership and the CDU's centrist orientation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lotus|first=Jean|date=16 January 2020|url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/01/16/Armin-Laschet-Merkel-ally-elected-head-of-Germanys-CDU-party/4291610822786/|title=Armin Laschet, Merkel ally, elected head of Germany's CDU party|work=[[United Press International]] |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220407234517/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2021/01/16/Armin-Laschet-Merkel-ally-elected-head-of-Germanys-CDU-party/4291610822786/ |archive-date= Apr 7, 2022 }}</ref>

On 7 October 2021, Armin Laschet, signaled that he would step down after a disastrous [[2021 German federal election|general election]] result, with the CDU suffering its worst ever general election result.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 October 2021|title=Germany's Armin Laschet signals his departure as CDU leader|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/laschet-germany-cdu-spd-election-scholz-chancellor/ |first1= Laurenz |last1=Gehrke |access-date=22 January 2022|website=POLITICO|language=en-US}}</ref> A [[December 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election|new leadership election]] was called in December and [[Friedrich Merz]], of the right-wing faction of the CDU, was elected by a large majority of 62.1% of voters, defeating pro-Merkel candidates [[Norbert Röttgen]] and [[Helge Braun]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=17 December 2021|title=Germany's CDU party elects Friedrich Merz, 66, new leader|language=en|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germanys-cdu-party-elects-friedrich-merz-66-new-leader-2021-12-17/|access-date=}}</ref> The Congress of the CDU officially elected Merz as new party Chairman on 22 January 2022, and he assumed office on 31 January 2022.<ref name="economist.com"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Digitale Wahlen|url=https://www.cdu-parteitag.de/wahlergebnisse|access-date=31 January 2022|website=34. Parteitag der CDU Deutschlands|language=de}}</ref>

In the [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|2024 European parliament election]], the CDU remained the largest party in Germany, winning 30.0% of the vote in a combined list with the CSU, led by CSU MEP [[Manfred Weber]]. The combined list held on to all 29 seats, with the CDU maintaining 23 seats while the CSU had the remaining 6 seats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ergebnisse Deutschland - Die Bundeswahlleiterin |url=https://www.bundeswahlleiterin.de/europawahlen/2024/ergebnisse/bund-99.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.bundeswahlleiterin.de}}</ref> In October 2024, CDU again became proponents of [[Nuclear energy in Germany|nuclear energy]], advocating reactivation of closed reactors and construction of new plants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fr.de/politik/union-rueckkehr-atomkraft-kernenergie-cdu-csu-gruene-kohlekraft-industrie-wirtschaft-erneuerbare-zr-93349910.html|publisher=Frankfurter Rundfunk|lang=de|title="Schnellstmöglich": Union bereitet Rückkehr zur Atomkraft vor|author=Tadhg Nagel|date=2024-10-11}}</ref>

The CDU contested the [[2025 German federal election]] with [[Friedrich Merz]] as their [[chancellor candidate]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-21 |title=Does Merz have what it takes? |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-germany-election-christian-democratic-union-cdu/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}}</ref> Their manifesto signalled a shift to the right on immigration as well as increased support for Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2024 |title=CDU plans to move Germany to the right on immigration, manifesto says |url=https://www.euronews.com/2024/12/17/german-election-cdu-manifesto-proposes-rightward-shift-on-migration-and-strong-support-for |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250206231219/https://www.euronews.com/2024/12/17/german-election-cdu-manifesto-proposes-rightward-shift-on-migration-and-strong-support-for |archive-date=6 February 2025 |access-date=6 February 2025 |website=Euronews}}</ref> The CDU eventually won the election, gaining 12 seats.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-23 |title=Merz won the German election. Here’s what it means for Europe. |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/german-election-results-2025-friedrich-merz-cdu-europe/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hale |first=Jillian Kestler-D'Amours,Erin |title=German election results updates: Merz set to be chancellor, AfD surges |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/23/german-election-results-live-cdu-afd-expect-to-make-gains-as-count-begins |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> Following the election results, the CDU began negotiations with the SPD to form another grand coalition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Germany: Far-right AfD rises in the polls – DW – 04/03/2025 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-far-right-afd-rises-in-the-polls/a-72132087 |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Ideology and platform ==
{{Conservatism in Germany|Parties}}

In her 2005 campaign, [[Angela Merkel]] was unwilling to express explicitly Christian views while maintaining that her party had never lost its concept of values. Merkel and Bundestag President [[Norbert Lammert]] have been keen to clarify that CDU references to the "dominant culture" imply "tolerance and living together".<ref name="Paul Gottfried" /> According to party analyst Stephan Eisel, her avoiding the values issue may have had the opposite effect as she failed to mobilize the party's core constituency.<ref>Stefan Eisel: [http://www.kas.de/wf/de/33.7688/ Reale Regierungsopposition gegen gefühlte Oppositionsregierung] ''Die Politische Meinung,'' Dezember 2005.</ref>

The CDU applies the principles of [[Christian democracy]] and emphasizes the "Christian understanding of humans and their responsibility toward God". However, CDU membership consists of people adhering to a variety of religions as well as non-religious individuals. The CDU's policies derive from [[political Catholicism]], [[Catholic social teaching]] and political [[Protestantism]] as well as [[economic liberalism]] and [[national conservatism]]. The party has adopted more [[Economic liberalism|liberal economic]] policies since [[Helmut Kohl]]'s term in office as the Chancellor of Germany (1982–1998).

As a [[Conservatism in Germany|conservative]] party, the CDU supports stronger punishments of crimes and involvement on the part of the [[Bundeswehr]] in cases of domestic [[Counter-terrorism|anti-terrorism]] offensives. In terms of immigrants, the CDU supports initiatives to integrate immigrants through language courses and aims to further control immigration. It holds that [[Multiple citizenship|dual citizenship]] should only be allowed in exceptional cases.

In terms of [[foreign policy]], the CDU commits itself to [[European integration]] and a strong [[Germany–United States relations|relation with the United States]]. In the [[European Union]], the party opposes the entry of Turkey, preferring instead a privileged partnership. In addition to citing various human rights violations, the CDU also believes that Turkey's unwillingness to recognise [[Cyprus]] as an independent sovereign state contradicts the European Union policy that its members must recognise the existence of one another. 

The party supports a business-friendly adaptation of the [[European Green Deal]], and would like to continue to allow vehicles with combustion engines, research synthetic fuels and promote research into nuclear fusion. The party calls for [[Member state of the European Union|EU member states]] to limit their annual borrowing to three percent of their [[gross domestic product]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bildung |first=Bundeszentrale für politische |date=2024-05-07 |title=Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands |url=https://www.bpb.de/themen/parteien/wer-steht-zur-wahl/europawahl-2024/547851/christlich-demokratische-union-deutschlands/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=bpb.de |language=de}}</ref> 

The CDU has governed in four federal-level and numerous state-level [[grand coalition (Germany)|Grand Coalitions]] with the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD) as well as in state and local-level coalitions with the [[Alliance 90/The Greens]].
 
=== Cordon sanitaire ===
{{Update section|date=February 2025}}

The CDU has an official party congress adjudication that prohibits coalitions and any sort of cooperation with either [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] or the [[Alternative for Germany]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdu.de/artikel/praesidium-und-bundesvorstand-der-cdu-deutschlands-zum-tod-von-walter-luebcke|title=Präsidium und Bundesvorstand der CDU Deutschlands zum Tod von Walter Lübcke|date=24 June 2019|website=Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|access-date=29 August 2019|archive-date=21 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121015446/https://www.cdu.de/artikel/praesidium-und-bundesvorstand-der-cdu-deutschlands-zum-tod-von-walter-luebcke|url-status=dead}}</ref>

CDU [[Firewall against the far-right in Germany|officially prohibits any cooperation with the AfD]], but does not clearly define what that means. In the [[New states of Germany|eastern federal states]], however, there is ongoing tolerance for, or cooperation of CDU with, the right-wing radical AfD at the local and district level.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abgrenzung zur AfD: So bröckelt die CDU-Brandmauer |url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/afd-cdu-zusammenarbeit-brandmauer-100.html |date=September 20, 2023 |first1=David |last1=Gebhard |first2=Patricia |last2=Hoffhaus |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=ZDFheute |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AfD und CDU: Im Osten viel Zustimmung für Zusammenarbeit |url=https://www.dw.com/de/afd-und-cdu-im-osten-viel-zustimmung-f%C3%BCr-zusammenarbeit/a-66433913 |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=DW |first1=Sabine |last1=Kinkartz |date=3 August 2023 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first1=Thomas |last1=Vorreyer |title=Asylpolitik in Bautzen: Nach dem Tabubruch |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/bautzen-asyl-cdu-afd-100.html |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de}}</ref> 

CDU leader Friedrich Merz took blowback for his political approaches to the AfD after he called his party in 2023 an "alternative... with substance".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-24 |title=Germany's opposition leader faces criticism over his comments on cooperation with the far right |url=https://apnews.com/article/germany-opposition-merz-far-right-afd-c17fa4cbd2eef1c79424d7c28f644f95 |first1=Geir |last1=Moulson |access-date=2023-12-20 |work=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Political observers from abroad say that the CDU's boundaries with the far-right are eroding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 'firewall' to Germany's far right is crumbling |url=https://www.dw.com/en/why-copying-the-far-right-doesnt-work-for-mainstream-parties/a-66311564 |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=DW |first1=Helen |last1=Whittle |date=July 23, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Quent |first=Matthias |date=2023-12-13 |title=Deutschland kippt nach rechts |url=https://www.republik.ch/2023/12/13/deutschland-kippt-nach-rechts |journal=Republik |language=de |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240127023042/https://www.republik.ch/2023/12/13/deutschland-kippt-nach-rechts |archive-date= Jan 27, 2024 }}</ref>

== Organisation ==
=== Structure ===
==== Party congress ====
[[File:CDU Bundesparteitag 2015 by Olaf Kosinsky.JPG|thumb|28th party conference in 2015]]

The party congress is the highest organ of the CDU. It meets at least every two years, determines the basic lines of CDU policy, approves the [[party program]] and decides on the [[Statute|statutes]] of the CDU.

The CDU party congress consists of the delegates of the CDU regional associations, the foreign associations and the honorary [[chairmen]]. The state associations send exactly 1,000 delegates who have to be elected by the state or district conventions. The number of delegates that a regional association can send depends on the number of members of the association six months before the party congress and the result of the last federal election in the respective federal state. The foreign associations recognized by the federal executive committee each send a delegate to the party congress, regardless of their number of members.

==== Federal committee ====
The federal committee is the second highest body and deals with all political and organizational matters that are not expressly reserved for the federal party congress. For this reason it is often called a ''small party congress''.

==== Federal executive board and presidium ====
The CDU federal executive heads the federal party. It implements the resolutions of the federal party congress and the federal committee and convenes the federal party congress. The CDU Presidium is responsible for executing the resolutions of the federal executive committee and handling current and urgent business. It consists of the leading members of the federal executive board and is not an organ of the CDU in Germany.

=== Leadership ===
==== Leader of the CDU, 1946–present ====
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan=2|Leader
!Year
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |1 
|style="width:200px;"|[[Konrad Adenauer]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1946–1966
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |2
|style="width:200px;"|[[Ludwig Erhard]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1966–1967
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |3
|style="width:200px;"|[[Kurt Georg Kiesinger]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1967–1971
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |4
|style="width:200px;"|[[Rainer Barzel]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1971–1973
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |5
|style="width:200px;"|[[Helmut Kohl]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1973–1998
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |6
|style="width:200px;"|[[Wolfgang Schäuble]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1998–2000
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |7
|style="width:200px;"|[[Angela Merkel]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2000–2018
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |8
|style="width:200px;"|[[Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2018–2021
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |9
|style="width:200px;"|[[Armin Laschet]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2021–2022
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |10
|style="width:200px;"|[[Friedrich Merz]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2022–present
|}

==== Leader of the CDU/CSU Group in the Bundestag ====
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan=2|Leader in the Bundestag
!Year
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |1 
|style="width:200px;"|[[Heinrich von Brentano]]<br><small>(First term)</small>
|style="width:125px;"|1949–1955
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |2
|style="width:200px;"|[[Heinrich Krone]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1955–1961
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |(1)
|style="width:200px;"|Heinrich von Brentano<br><small>(Second term)</small>
|style="width:125px;"| 1961–1964
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |3
|style="width:200px;"|[[Rainer Barzel]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1964–1973
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |4
|style="width:200px;"|[[Karl Carstens]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1973–1976
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |5
|style="width:200px;"|[[Helmut Kohl]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1976–1982
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |6
|style="width:200px;"|[[Alfred Dregger]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1982–1991
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |7
|style="width:200px;"|[[Wolfgang Schäuble]]
|style="width:125px;"| 1991–2000
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |8
|style="width:200px;"|[[Friedrich Merz]]<br><small>(First term)</small>
|style="width:125px;"| 2000–2002
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |9
|style="width:200px;"|[[Angela Merkel]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2002–2005
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |10
|style="width:200px;"|[[Volker Kauder]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2005–2018
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |11
|style="width:200px;"|[[Ralph Brinkhaus]]
|style="width:125px;"| 2018–2022
|-
!style="background:{{party color|CDU/CSU}}; color:white;" |(8)
|style="width:200px;"|[[Friedrich Merz]]<br><small>(Second term)</small>
|style="width:125px;"| 2022–present
|}

=== Regional Leadership ===
{| class="wikitable"
!State
!Leader
|-
|{{flag|Baden-Württemberg}}
|[[Manuel Hagel]]
|-
|{{flag|Berlin}}
|[[Kai Wegner]]
|-
|{{flag|Brandenburg}}
|[[Jan Redmann]]
|-
|{{flag|Bremen}}
|[[Carsten Meyer-Heder]]
|-
|{{flag|Hamburg}}
|[[Dennis Thering]]
|-
|{{flag|Hesse}}
|[[Boris Rhein]]
|-
|{{flag|Lower Saxony}}
|Sebastian Lechner
|-
|{{flag|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}}
|Daniel Peters
|-
|{{flag|North Rhine-Westphalia}}
|[[Hendrik Wüst]]
|-
|{{flag|Rhineland-Palatinate}}
|[[Christian Baldauf]]
|-
|{{flag|Saarland}}
|Stephan Toscani
|-
|{{flag|Saxony}}
|[[Michael Kretschmer]]
|-
|{{flag|Saxony-Anhalt}}
|[[Reiner Haseloff]]
|-
|{{flag|Schleswig-Holstein}}
|[[Daniel Günther]]
|-
|{{flag|Thuringia}}
|[[Mario Voigt]]
|}

=== Membership ===
Before 1966, membership totals in the CDU organisation were only estimated. The numbers after 1966 are based on the total from 31 December of the previous year. In 2023, the CDU had 363.101 members.<ref>https://www.cdu.de/artikel/fuer-mehr-politisches-engagement-in-der-cdu, Retrieved 4t July 2023.</ref>

=== Special organizations ===
Notable suborganisations of the CDU are the following:
* [[Junge Union]] (JU), the common youth organisation of the CDU and the CSU.
* [[Christian Democratic Employees' Association]] (CDA), an association in the tradition of Christian traded unionism, representing Christian-democratic wage earners.
* [[Evangelical Working Group of the CDU/CSU]] (EAK, together with the CSU), representing the Protestant minority in the party.
* [[Association of Christian Democratic Students]] (RCDS), the student organisation of the party.
* {{interlanguage link|Lesbian and Gay Members of the Union|de|Lesben und Schwule in der Union}} (LSU), neither an organization within the party (Vereinigung) nor an officially affiliated group (Sondergruppe) there of, as of Dec. 2020 party caucus vote still listed as "other" (Sonstige Gruppen), representing LGBT+ members of the CDU.

==== Konrad Adenauer Foundation ====
[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F053560-0013, Rhöndorf, Sitzung Stiftung Adenauer-Haus.jpg|thumb|1978 conference in [[Bad Honnef|Rhöndorf]] with eminent historian [[Golo Mann]] (center)]]
The [[Konrad Adenauer Foundation]] is the think-tank of the CDU. It is named after the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and first president of the CDU. The foundation offers political education, conducts scientific fact-finding research for political projects, grants scholarships to gifted individuals, researches the history of [[Christian democracy]] and supports and encourages [[European integration|European unification]], international understanding and development-policy cooperation. Its annual budget amounts to around 120 million euro and is mostly funded by taxpayer money.<ref>[http://www.kas.de/upload/dokumente/jahresbericht2010/Namen.pdf "2010 Annual Report"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306033525/http://www.kas.de/upload/dokumente/jahresbericht2010/Namen.pdf |date=6 March 2016 }} (in German). p. 93.</ref>

=== Relationship with the CSU ===<!-- This section is linked from Angela Merkel. -->
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2013}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F074010-0033, Köln, Deutschlandtag Junge Union.jpg|thumb|1986 Germany Day of [[Junge Union]] in Cologne]]
Both the CDU and the [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria]] (CSU) originated after World War II, sharing a concern for the Christian worldview. In the Bundestag, the CDU is represented in a common faction with the CSU. This faction is called [[CDU/CSU]], or informally the Union. Its basis is a binding agreement known as a ''Fraktionsvertrag'' between the two parties.

The CDU and CSU share a common youth organisation, the [[Junge Union]], a common pupil organisation, the {{interlanguage link|Schüler Union Deutschlands|de|Schüler Union Deutschlands}}, a common student organisation, the [[Ring Christlich-Demokratischer Studenten]] and a common ''[[Mittelstand]]'' organisation, the {{interlanguage link|Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsvereinigung|de|Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsvereinigung}}.

The CDU and CSU are legally and organisationally separate parties; their ideological differences are sometimes a source of conflict. The most notable and serious such incident was in 1976, when the CSU under [[Franz Josef Strauß]] ended the alliance with the CDU at a party conference in Wildbad Kreuth. This decision was reversed shortly thereafter when the CDU threatened to run candidates against the CSU in Bavaria.

The relationship of CDU to the CSU has historic parallels to previous [[Christian-democratic]] parties in Germany, with the Catholic [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]] having served as a national Catholic party throughout the [[German Empire]] and the [[Weimar Republic]] while the [[Bavarian People's Party]] functioning as the Bavarian variant.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Since its formation, the CSU has been more conservative than the CDU. The CSU and the state of Bavaria decided not to sign the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany]] as they insisted on more autonomy for the individual [[States of Germany|states]].<ref>Dieter Wunderlich (2006). [http://www.dieterwunderlich.de/bundesrepublik_deutschland.htm "Gründung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland"]. Retrieved 23 September 2013.</ref> The CSU has actively participated in all political affairs of the Bundestag, the German government, the [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]], the parliamentary elections of the German President, the European Parliament and meetings with [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] in Russia.

== Notable members ==

=== Federal presidents from the CDU ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
![[President of Germany]] !! Time in office
|-
|[[Heinrich Lübke]] || 1959–1969
|-
|[[Karl Carstens]] || 1979–1984
|-
|[[Richard von Weizsäcker]] || 1984–1994
|-
|[[Roman Herzog]] || 1994–1999
|-
|[[Horst Köhler]] || 2004–2010
|-
|[[Christian Wulff]] || 2010–2012
|-
|}

=== German chancellors from the CDU ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
![[Chancellor of Germany]] !! Time in office
|-
|[[Konrad Adenauer]] || 1949–1963
|-
|[[Ludwig Erhard]] || 1963–1966
|-
|[[Kurt Georg Kiesinger]] || 1966–1969
|-
|[[Helmut Kohl]] || 1982–1998
|-
|[[Angela Merkel]] || 2005–2021
|-
|[[Friedrich Merz]] || 2025–present
|-
|}

=== Vice-chancellors from the CDU ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
![[Vice-Chancellor of Germany]] !! Time in office
|-
|[[Ludwig Erhard]] || 1957–1963
|-
|[[Hans-Christoph Seebohm]] || 1966
|-
|}

== Election results ==
=== Federal parliament (''Bundestag'') ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan=2| Election
! rowspan=2| Leader
! colspan=2| Constituency
! colspan=2| Party list
! rowspan=2| Seats
! rowspan=2| +/–
! rowspan=2| Government
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! [[1949 West German federal election|1949]]
| rowspan="6" |[[Konrad Adenauer]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| 5,978,636
| 25.2 (#1)
| {{composition bar|115|402|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]–[[German Party (1947)|DP]]}}
|-
! [[1953 West German federal election|1953]]
| 9,577,659
| 34.8 (#1)
| 10,016,594
| 36.4 (#1)
| {{composition bar|197|509|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 82
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]–[[German Party (1947)|DP]]}}
|-
! [[1957 West German federal election|1957]]
| 11,975,400
| 39.7 (#1)
| 11,875,339
| 39.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|222|519|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 25
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[German Party (1947)|DP]]}}
|-
! [[1961 West German federal election|1961]]
| 11,622,995
| 36.3 (#2)
| 11,283,901
| 35.8 (#2)
| {{composition bar|201|521|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 21
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! rowspan=2| [[1965 West German federal election|1965]]
| rowspan=2| 12,631,319
| rowspan=2| 38.9 (#2)
| rowspan=2| 12,387,562
| rowspan=2| 38.0 (#2)
| rowspan=2| {{composition bar|202|518|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| rowspan=2| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]] {{small|(1965–66)}}}}
|-
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] {{small|(1966–69)}}}}
|-
! [[1969 West German federal election|1969]]
| [[Kurt Georg Kiesinger]]
| 12,137,148
| 37.1 (#2)
| 12,079,535
| 36.6 (#2)
| {{composition bar|201|518|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1972 West German federal election|1972]]
| [[Rainer Barzel]]
| 13,304,813
| 35.7 (#2)
| 13,190,837
| 35.2 (#2)
| {{composition bar|186|518|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 15
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1976 West German federal election|1976]]
| rowspan="8" |[[Helmut Kohl]]
| 14,423,157
| 38.3 (#2)
| 14,367,302
| 38.0 (#2)
| {{composition bar|201|518|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 15
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! rowspan=2| [[1980 West German federal election|1980]]
| rowspan=2| 13,467,207
| rowspan=2| 35.6 (#2)
| rowspan=2| 12,989,200
| rowspan=2| 34.2 (#2)
| rowspan=2| {{composition bar|185|519|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| rowspan=2| {{decrease}} 16
| {{no2|Opposition {{small|(1980–82)}}}}
|-
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]] {{small|(1982–83)}}}}
|-
! [[1983 West German federal election|1983]]
| 15,943,460
| 41.0 (#1)
| 14,857,680
| 38.1 (#2)
| {{composition bar|202|520|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 17
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1987 West German federal election|1987]]
| 14,168,527
| 37.5 (#2)
| 13,045,745
| 34.4 (#2)
| {{composition bar|185|519|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 17
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1990 German federal election|1990]]
| 17,707,574
| 38.3 (#1)
| 17,055,116
| 36.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|268|662|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 83
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1994 German federal election|1994]]
| 17,473,325
| 37.2 (#2)
| 16,089,960
| 34.2 (#2)
| {{composition bar|244|672|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 24
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1998 German federal election|1998]]
| 15,854,215
| 32.2 (#2)
| 14,004,908
| 28.4 (#2)
| {{composition bar|198|669|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 46
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2002 German federal election|2002]]
| rowspan="5" |[[Angela Merkel]]
| 15,336,512
| 32.1 (#2)
| 14,167,561
| 29.5 (#2)
| {{composition bar|190|603|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 8
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2005 German federal election|2005]]
| 15,390,950
| 32.6 (#2)
| 13,136,740
| 27.8 (#2)
| {{composition bar|180|614|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 10
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[2009 German federal election|2009]]
| 13,856,674
| 32.0 (#1)
| 11,828,277
| 27.3 (#1)
| {{composition bar|194|622|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 14
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[2013 German federal election|2013]]
| 16,233,642
| 37.2 (#1)
| 14,921,877
| 34.1 (#1)
| {{composition bar|254|630|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 61
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[2017 German federal election|2017]]
| 14,027,804
| 30.2 (#1)
| 12,445,832
| 26.8 (#1)
| {{composition bar|200|709|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 54
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[2021 German federal election|2021]]
| [[Armin Laschet]]
| 10,445,571
| 22.6 (#2)
| 8,770,980
| 19.0 (#2)
| {{composition bar|152|735|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 48
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2025 German federal election|2025]]
| [[Friedrich Merz]]
| 12,601,967
| 25.5 (#1)
| 11,194,700
| 22.5 (#1)
| {{composition bar|164|630|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 12
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[1979 European Parliament election in West Germany|1979]] 
| 10,883,085
| 39.08 (#2)
| {{composition bar|33|81|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| New
| rowspan="4" | [[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
|-
! [[1984 European Parliament election in West Germany|1984]]
| 9,308,411
| 37.46 (#1)
| {{composition bar|32|81|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
|-
! [[1989 European Parliament election in West Germany|1989]]
| 8,332,846
| 29.54 (#2)
| {{composition bar|24|81|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 8
|-
! [[1994 European Parliament election in Germany|1994]]
| 11,346,073
| 32.04 (#2)
| {{composition bar|39|99|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 15
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in Germany|1999]]
| 10,628,224
| 39.28 (#1)
| {{composition bar|43|99|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| rowspan="2" | [[European People's Party - European Democrats|EPP-ED]]
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Germany|2004]]
| 9,412,009
| 36.51 (#1)
| {{composition bar|40|99|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Germany|2009]]
| 8,071,391
| 30.65 (#1)
| {{composition bar|34|99|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 6
| rowspan="4" | [[European People's Party Group|EPP]]
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Germany|2014]]
| 8,807,500
| 30.02 (#1)
| {{composition bar|29|96|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Germany|2019]]
| 8,437,093
| 22.57 (#1)
| {{composition bar|23|96|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 6
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|2024]]
| 9,431,567	
| 23.70 (#1)
| {{composition bar|23|96|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|}

=== State parliaments (''Länder'') ===
The CDU does not contest elections in Bavaria due to the alliance with Bavarian sister party, the [[Christian Social Union in Bavaria]].
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! State parliament
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Government
|-
! [[Landtag of Baden-Württemberg|Baden-Württemberg]]
| align=center| [[2021 Baden-Württemberg state election|2021]]
| 1,168,745
| 24.1 (#2)
| {{composition bar|42|154|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{yes2|[[Alliance 90/The Greens|Greens]]–CDU}}
|-
! [[Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin|Berlin]]
| align=center| [[2023 Berlin repeat state election|2023]]
| 428,100
| 28.2 (#1)
| {{composition bar|52|147|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 22
| {{yes2|CDU–SPD}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]]
| align=center| [[2024 Brandenburg state election|2024]]
| 181,632
| 12.1 (#4)
| {{composition bar|12|88|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Bürgerschaft of Bremen|Bremen]]
| align=center| [[2023 Bremen state election|2023]]
| 331,380
| 26.7 (#2)
| {{composition bar|24|84|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Hamburg Parliament|Hamburg]]
| align=center| [[2025 Hamburg state election|2025]]
| 864,700
| 19.8 (#2)
| {{composition bar|26|121|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 11
| {{TBA}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Hesse|Hesse]]
| align=center| [[2023 Hessian state election|2023]]
| 972,595
| 34.6 (#1)
| {{composition bar|52|133|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 12
| {{yes2|CDU–SPD}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Lower Saxony|Lower Saxony]]
| data-sort-value="2022-10-09" align=center| [[2022 Lower Saxony state election|2022]]
| 1,017,276
| 28.1 (#2)
| {{composition bar|47|146|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
| align=center| [[2021 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election|2021]]
| 121,566
| 13.3 (#3)
| {{composition bar|12|79|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia|North Rhine-Westphalia]]
| data-sort-value="2022-05-15" align=center| [[2022 North Rhine-Westphalia state election|2022]]
| 2,552,276
| 35.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|76|195|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| {{yes2|CDU–Greens}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate|Rhineland-Palatinate]]
| align=center| [[2021 Rhineland-Palatinate state election|2021]]
| 535,345
| 27.7 (#2)
| {{composition bar|31|101|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of the Saarland|Saarland]]
| data-sort-value="2022-03-27" align=center| [[2022 Saarland state election|2022]]
| 129,156
| 28.5 (#2)
| {{composition bar|19|51|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of the Free State of Saxony|Saxony]]
| align=center| [[2024 Saxony state election|2024]]
| 749,216
| 31.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|41|120|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{yes2|CDU–SPD}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt|Saxony-Anhalt]]
| align=center| [[2021 Saxony-Anhalt state election|2021]]
| 394,810
| 37.1 (#1)
| {{composition bar|40|97|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 10
| {{yes2|CDU–SPD–FDP}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein]]
| data-sort-value="2022-05-08" align=center| [[2022 Schleswig-Holstein state election|2022]]
| 601,943 
| 43.4 (#1)
| {{composition bar|34|69|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}} 9
| {{yes2|CDU–Greens}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Thuringia|Thuringia]]
| align=center| [[2024 Thuringian state election|2024]]
| 285,141
| 23.6 (#2)
| {{composition bar|23|88|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{increase}}2 
| {{yes2|CDU–BSW–SPD}}
|}

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
|+Best historic state results
! State
! Election
! %
! Seats
! Result
|-
! [[Landtag of Baden-Württemberg|Baden-Württemberg]]
| 1976
| 56.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|71|121|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin|Berlin]]
| [[1981 West Berlin state election|1981]]
| 48.0 (#1)
| {{composition bar|65|132|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Minority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] 
| [[1999 Brandenburg state election|1999]]
| 26.5 (#2)
| {{composition bar|25|89|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[Bürgerschaft of Bremen|Bremen]]
| [[1999 Bremen state election|1999]]
| 37.1 (#2)
| {{composition bar|42|100|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[Hamburg Parliament|Hamburg]]
| [[2004 Hamburg state election|2004]]
| 47.2 (#1)
| {{composition bar|63|121|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Hesse|Hesse]]
| [[2003 Hesse state election|2003]]
| 48.8 (#1)
| {{composition bar|56|110|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Lower Saxony|Lower Saxony]]
| 1982
| 50.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|87|171|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern|{{nowrap|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}}]] 
| [[1990 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election|1990]]
| 38.3 (#1)
| {{composition bar|29|66|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia|{{nowrap|North Rhine-Westphalia}}]]
| 1958
| 50.5 (#1)
| {{composition bar|104|200|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate|Rhineland-Palatinate]]
| [[1983 Rhineland-Palatinate state election|1983]]
| 51.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|57|100|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of the Saarland|Saarland]]
| 1975
| 49.1 (#1)
| {{composition bar|25|50|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of the Free State of Saxony|Saxony]] 
| [[1994 Saxony state election|1994]]
| 58.1 (#1)
| {{composition bar|77|120|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt|Saxony-Anhalt]]
| [[1990 Saxony-Anhalt state election|1990]]
| 39.0 (#1)
| {{composition bar|48|106|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig-Holstein]]
| 1971
| 51.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|40|73|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|-
! [[Landtag of Thuringia|Thuringia]]
| [[1999 Thuringian state election|1999]]
| 51.0 (#1)
| {{composition bar|49|88|hex={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}}}
| {{yes2|Majority}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[Archive for Christian Democratic Policy]]
* [[List of Christian democratic parties]]
* [[List of political parties in Germany]]
* ''[[Merkel-Raute]]'', the signature gesture of [[Angela Merkel]] which is prominently featured in the CDU's campaign for the [[2013 German federal election]]<ref name=guardian>{{cite news |title='Merkel diamond' takes centre stage in German election campaign |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/german-elections-blog-2013/2013/sep/03/angela-merkel-diamond-german-election-campaign |access-date=8 September 2013 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=3 September 2013}}</ref>
* [[Party finance in Germany]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |first=Frank |last=Bösch |title=Two Crises, Two Consolidations? Christian Democracy in Germany |editor1=Steven Van Hecke |editor2=Emmanuel Gerard |series=Christian Democratic Parties in Europe Since the End of the Cold War |publisher=Leuven University Press |year=2004 |isbn=90-5867-377-4 |pages=55–78}}
* {{cite book |first=Noel D. |last=Cary |title=The Path to Christian Democracy: German Catholics and the Party System from Windthorst to Adenauer |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=1996}}
* {{cite book |editor-first1=Simon |editor-last1=Green |editor-first2=Ed |editor-last2=Turner |title=Understanding the Transformation of Germany's CDU |publisher=Routledge |year=2015}}
* {{cite book |first=Hans-Otto |last=Kleinmann |title=Geschichte der CDU: 1945–1982 |publisher=Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt |location=Stuttgart |year=1993 |isbn=3-421-06541-1}}
* {{cite book |first=Ulrich |last=Lappenküper |title=Between Concentration Movement and People's Party: The Christian Democratic Union of Germany |editor1=Michael Gehler |editor2=Wolfram Kaiser |series=Christian Democracy in Europe since 1945 |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |pages=21–32 |isbn=0-7146-5662-3}}
* {{cite book |first=Maria |last=Mitchell |title=The Origins of Christian Democracy: Politics and Confession in Modern Germany |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-472-11841-0}}
* {{cite book |first=Sarah Elise |last=Wiliarty |title=The CDU and the Politics of Gender in Germany: Bringing Women to the Party |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2010}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|URL=https://www.cdu.de|name=Official website of the Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands}}
* {{Official website|URL=https://www.epp.eu|name=Official website of the European People's Party}}

{{Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}
{{Christian democracy}}
{{European People's Party}}
{{International Democracy Union}}
{{Parties of Germany}}
{{Portal bar|Politics|Conservatism|Germany}}
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[[Category:Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]
[[Category:Centre-right parties in Europe]]
[[Category:Christian democratic parties in Germany]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in Germany]]
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[[Category:Political parties established in 1945]]