Editing Christian Social Union in Bavaria

{{short description|Conservative party in Bavaria, Germany}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox political party
| native_name      = Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern
| native_name_lang = de
| logo             = CSU Logo since 2016.svg
| logo_size        = 200
| colorcode        = {{Political party data|color}}
| abbreviation     = CSU
| leader1_title    = Leader
| leader1_name     = [[Markus Söder]]
| leader2_title    = Secretary General
| leader2_name     = [[Martin Huber]]
| foundation       = {{start date and age|1945|10|13|df=yes}}
| predecessor      = [[Bavarian People's Party]]<br>(de facto)
| headquarters     = [[Munich]], [[Bavaria]], Germany
| newspaper        = ''[[Bayernkurier]]'' (1950–2019)
| youth_wing       = [[Young Union]]
| membership_year  = 2024
| membership       = {{decrease}} 131,000<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goldenberg |first1=Rina |title=A guide to Germany's political parties |url=https://www.dw.com/en/spd-green-party-fdp-cdu-left-party-afd/a-38085900 |website=[[Deutsche Welle]] |access-date=23 February 2025 |date=23 October 2017}}</ref>
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap|
 | [[Christian democracy]]
 | [[Conservatism in Germany|Conservatism]]
 | [[Regionalism (politics)|Regionalism]]
}}
| position         = [[Centre-right politics|Centre-right]]{{refn|<ref>{{Cite book| contribution=Politicizing migration : opportunity or liability for the centre-right in Germany?| contributor-first1=Christina| contributor-first2=Dan| contributor-last1=Boswell| contributor-last2=Hough| contributor-link1=Christina Boswell| first=Tim| isbn=9780415468343| last=Bale| oclc=461254258| pages=18, 21| publication-place=London| publisher=Routledge| series=Journal of European Public Policy Series| title=Immigration and integration policy in Europe : why politics -- and the centre-right -- matter| year=2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| author=Klaus Detterbeck| page=105| publisher=Palgrave Macmillan| title=Multi-Level Party Politics in Western Europe| year=2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| contribution=Parties and the Party System| contributor-first1=Margaret| contributor-first2=Thomas| contributor-last1=Hornsteiner| contributor-last2=Saalfeld| first1=Stephen| first2=William E.| first3=Reimut| isbn=9781137301635| last1=Padgett| last2=Paterson| last3=Zohlnhöfer| oclc=885477730| page=80| publication-place=Basingstoke, Hampshire| publisher=Palgrave Macmillan| title=Developments in German Politics| volume=4| year=2014}}</ref>}}
| regional         = [[German Social Union (East Germany)|German Social Union]]<br>(1990–1993)
| national         = [[CDU/CSU]] (since 1949)
| international    = [[International Democracy Union]]
| european         = [[European People's Party]]
| europarl         = [[European People's Party Group]]
| colours          = {{colour box|{{party color|Christian Social Union of Bavaria}}|border=silver}} Blue
<!-- Values obtained from Wikidata; to edit, see https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q49763 -->
| seats1_title     = [[Bundestag]]<br /><small>Bavarian seats</small>
| seats1           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats2_title     = [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]]<br /><small>Bavarian seats</small>
| seats2           = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-upper-house}}
| seats3_title     = [[Landtag of Bavaria]]
| seats3           = {{composition bar|85|205|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union of Bavaria}}|border=silver}}
| 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|1|16|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union of Bavaria}}|border=silver}}
| flag             = Flag of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria.svg
| website          = {{Political party data|website}}
| country          = Germany
| country2         = Bavaria
}}
{{politics of Bavaria}}
{{Conservatism in Germany|Parties}}
The '''Christian Social Union in Bavaria''' ([[German language|German]]: {{audio|De-CSU.ogg|{{lang|de|Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern}}}}, '''CSU''') is a [[Christian democracy|Christian democratic]]<ref name="Slomp2011">{{cite book|author=Hans Slomp|title=Europe, a Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1uzkNq8xfIC&pg=PA364|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-39181-1|page=364}}</ref><ref name="PEE">{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/germany.html|title=Germany|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|date=2017|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|access-date=22 October 2013|archive-date=22 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022165021/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/germany.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Conservatism in Germany|conservative]]<ref name="PEE"/><ref name="Robertson 296">{{cite book|title=Ideology, Strategy, and Party Change: Spatial Analyses of Post-war Election Programmes in 19 Democracies|last1=Budge|first1=Ian|last2=Robertson |first2=David |last3=Hearl |first3=Derek |year=1987 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780521306485|page=296|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E0TmU7zFgAoC}}</ref><ref name="StathamTrenz2012">{{cite book|author1=Paul Statham|author2=Hans-Jörg Trenz|title=The Politicization of Europe: Contesting the Constitution in the Mass Media|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YTmbcBKW3PAC&pg=PA120|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-58466-1|page=120}}</ref><ref name="Ellermann2009">{{cite book|author=Antje Ellermann|title=States Against Migrants: Deportation in Germany and the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ipThj08R-V4C&pg=PA58|year=2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-51568-9|page=58}}</ref> [[List of political parties in Germany|political party in Germany]]. Having a [[regionalism (politics)|regionalist]] identity,<ref name="Hepburn2016">{{cite book|author=Eve Hepburn|chapter=Cohesion Policy and Regional Mobilisation|editor1=Simona Piattoni|editor2=Laura Polverari|title=Handbook on Cohesion Policy in the EU|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S2rPDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA210|year=2016|publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing|isbn=978-1-78471-567-0|page=210}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Ford|first=Graham|date=August 2007|title=Constructing a Regional Identity: The Christian Social Union and Bavaria's Common Heritage, 1949–1962|journal=[[Contemporary European History]]|volume=16|issue=3|pages=277–297|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|doi=10.1017/S0960777307003943|doi-broken-date=22 December 2024 |jstor=20081363|s2cid=146439508 |url=https://research.tees.ac.uk/ws/files/6456514/Publisher_s_PDF.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221010/https://research.tees.ac.uk/ws/files/6456514/Publisher_s_PDF.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-10 |url-status=live}}</ref> the CSU operates only in [[Bavaria]] while its larger counterpart, the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU), operates in the other fifteen [[states of Germany]]. It [[#Relationship with the CDU|differs from the CDU]] by being somewhat more conservative in social matters, following [[Catholic social teaching]].<ref name="Wirtschaftsliberale">{{cite web|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/wirtschaftsliberale-gegen-christsoziale-streit-in-der-csu-ueber-sozialpolitik-entbrannt-1.885507|title=Streit in der CSU über Sozialpolitik entbrannt|date=2010-05-19|website=Süddeutsche Zeitung|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=30 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030162525/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/wirtschaftsliberale-gegen-christsoziale-streit-in-der-csu-ueber-sozialpolitik-entbrannt-1.885507|url-status=live}}</ref> The CSU is considered the ''de facto'' successor of the [[Weimar Republic|Weimar]]-era Catholic [[Bavarian People's Party]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Biesinger|first1=Joseph A.|title=Germany: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present|date=2006|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=9780816074716|page=310|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exMn24SA7fMC&pg=PA310}}</ref>

At the federal level, the CSU forms a common faction in the [[Bundestag]] with the CDU which is frequently referred to as the Union Faction (''die Unionsfraktion'') or simply [[CDU/CSU]]. The CSU has had 43 seats in the Bundestag since the [[2021 German federal election|2021 federal election]],<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse.html|title=Results – The Federal Returning Officer|lang=de|publisher=The Federal Returning Officer|website=bundeswahlleiter.de|access-date=28 February 2022|archive-date=3 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303060517/https://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2021/ergebnisse.html|url-status=live}}</ref> making it currently the second smallest of the eight parties represented. The CSU is a member of the [[European People's Party]] and the [[International Democracy Union]].

Party leader [[Markus Söder]] serves as [[Minister-President of Bavaria]], a position that CSU representatives have held from 1946 to 1954 and again since 1957. From 1962 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2018, the CSU had the absolute majority in the Bavarian Landtag.

== History ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F049272-0002, München, CSU-Bundestagswahlkampf, Strauß.jpg|thumb|Chairman [[Franz Josef Strauß]] in 1976]]

[[Franz Josef Strauß]] (1915–1988) had left behind the strongest legacy as a leader of the party, having led the party from 1961 until his death in 1988. His political career in the federal cabinet was unique in that he had served in four ministerial posts in the years between 1953 and 1969. From 1978 until his death in 1988, Strauß served as the Minister-President of Bavaria. Strauß was the first leader of the CSU to be a candidate for the German chancellery in 1980. In the [[1980 German federal election|1980 federal election]], Strauß ran against the incumbent [[Helmut Schmidt]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD) but lost thereafter as the SPD and the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP) managed to secure an absolute majority together, forming a [[social-liberal coalition]].

The CSU has led the Bavarian state government since it came into existence in 1946, save from 1954 to 1957 when the SPD formed a state government in coalition with the [[Bavaria Party]] and the state branches of the [[GB/BHE]] and FDP.

Initially, the separatist [[Bavaria Party]] (BP) successfully competed for the same electorate as the CSU, as both parties saw and presented themselves as successors to the BVP. The CSU was ultimately able to win this power struggle for itself. Among other things, the BP was involved in the [[1958 Bavarian state election#Casino Affair|"casino affair"]] under dubious circumstances by the CSU at the end of the 1950s and lost considerable prestige and votes. In the 1966 state election, the BP finally left the state parliament.

Before the 2008 elections in Bavaria, the CSU perennially achieved absolute majorities at the state level by itself. This level of dominance is unique among Germany's 16 states. [[Edmund Stoiber]] took over the CSU leadership in 1999. He ran for [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|Chancellor of Germany]] in 2002, but his preferred [[CDU/CSU]]–FDP coalition lost against the SPD candidate [[Gerhard Schröder]]'s [[Red–green alliance|SPD–Green alliance]].

In the [[2003 Bavaria state election|2003 Bavarian state election]], the CSU won 60.7% of the vote and 124 of 180 seats in the state parliament. This was the first time any party had won a two-thirds majority in a German state parliament.<ref>Clayton Clemens. [http://www.aicgs.org/analysis/wahlen/clemens.aspx "Stoiber – Dominant But Not Omnipotent"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003113436/http://www.aicgs.org/analysis/wahlen/clemens.aspx|date=3 October 2008}} American Institute for Contemporary German Studies. Retrieved 7 June 2008.</ref> ''[[The Economist]]'' later suggested that this exceptional result was due to a backlash against Schröder's government in Berlin.<ref>[http://www.economist.com/node/11895193 "The Economist: Old soldiers march into the unknown"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405030051/https://www.economist.com/node/11895193 |date=5 April 2023}}</ref> The CSU's popularity declined in subsequent years. Stoiber stepped down from the posts of Minister-President and CSU chairman in September 2007. A year later, the CSU lost its majority in the [[2008 Bavarian state election]], with its vote share dropping from 60.7% to 43.4%. The CSU remained in power by forming a coalition with the FDP. In the [[2009 German federal election|2009 general election]], the CSU received only 42.5% of the vote in Bavaria in the 2009 election, which by then constituted its weakest showing in the party's history.

The CSU made gains in the [[2013 Bavarian state election]] and the [[2013 German federal election|2013 federal election]], which were held a week apart in September 2013. The CSU regained their majority in the Bavarian Landtag and remained in government in Berlin. They had three ministers in the [[Fourth Merkel cabinet]], namely [[Horst Seehofer]] (Minister of the Interior, Building and Community), [[Andreas Scheuer]] (Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure) and [[Gerd Müller (politician)|Gerd Müller]] (Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development).

The [[2018 Bavarian state election]] yielded the worst result for the CSU in the state elections (top candidate [[Markus Söder]]) since [[1950 Bavarian state election|1950]] with 37.2% of votes, a decline of over ten [[percentage points]] compared to the last result in 2013. After that, the CSU had to form a new [[coalition government]] with the minor partner [[Free Voters of Bavaria]].

The [[2021 German federal election]] saw the worst election result ever for the Union.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-26|title=Germany election: worst ever result momentarily silences CDU|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/26/germany-election-worst-ever-result-momentarily-silences-cdu|access-date=2021-11-21|website=the Guardian|language=en|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404201507/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/26/germany-election-worst-ever-result-momentarily-silences-cdu|url-status=live}}</ref> The CSU also had a weak showing with 5.2% of votes nationally and 31.7% of the total in Bavaria. In the [[2023 Bavarian state election]], the CSU remained on 85 seats (with 37.0% of the vote) and continued its coalition government with the Free Voters.

In the [[2025 German federal election]] the CSU received 37.2% votes in Bavaria.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bundestagswahl 2025, Bayern |url=https://bundestagswahl2025.bayern.de |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=bundestagswahl2025.bayern.de |language=de-DE}}</ref>

== Ideology and platform ==
The CSU pledges to support [[Mittelstand|small and medium enterprises]], opposing tax increases on these companies. In the 2006 fiscal year, the CSU presented a budget for Bavaria that was the first state to have no new debt, achieved primarily through rigorous spending cuts by all ministries. The party also states that for a new regulation to be introduced, an old regulation must be eliminated. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bavaria Plan |url=https://www.csu.de/common/csu/content/csu/hauptnavigation/bayernplan_2013-07-16.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125091727/https://www.csu.de/common/csu/content/csu/hauptnavigation/bayernplan_2013-07-16.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2016 }}</ref>

The CSU is considered [[Social conservatism|socially conservative]] and more conservative than the CDU. The party calls for harsher punishments for those that break the [[blasphemy law in Germany]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Handelsblatt |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/gotteslaesterung-csu-will-blasphemie-haerter-bestrafen/11222306.html |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.handelsblatt.com}}</ref>

The CSU relies on the three-tier school system and justifies it in the dispute over [[Comprehensive school|comprehensive schools]] with Bavaria's good results in the [[Programme for International Student Assessment|PISA study]]. The multi-tier school system in Bavaria is seen as flexible, since all Bavarian secondary schools enable their students to obtain an intermediate school certificate. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-09 |title=Bayern ist das Land der Bildungsaufsteiger - CSU |url=http://www.csu.de/aktuell/meldungen/november-2012/bayern-ist-das-land-der-bildungsaufsteiger/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909192903/http://www.csu.de/aktuell/meldungen/november-2012/bayern-ist-das-land-der-bildungsaufsteiger/ |archive-date=9 September 2013 }}</ref>

For a long time, the CSU supported the charging of [[Tuition payments|tuition fees]], but in October 2012 parts of the CSU, in particular CSU chairman Horst Seehofer, were already considering abolishing them.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-10-24 |title=Studiengebühren: CSU erwägt Abschaffung in Bayern |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/studiengebuehren-csu-erwaegt-abschaffung-in-bayern-a-863033.html |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=Der Spiegel |language=de |issn=2195-1349}}</ref> In April 2013, the Bavarian State Parliament decided to abolish tuition fees, with the support of some CSU members.<ref>{{Cite news |last=dpa |date=2013-04-24 |title=Bildungsfinanzierungsgesetz: Landtag beschließt Ende der Studiengebühren in Bayern |url=https://www.zeit.de/studium/hochschule/2013-04/studiengebuehren-bayern-abschaffung |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=Die Zeit |language=de-DE |issn=0044-2070}}</ref>

The CSU strongly opposes a general speed limit on Bavarian motorways.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Die CDU/CSU-Fraktion im Deutschen Bundestag |url=https://www.cducsu.de/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=www.cducsu.de}}</ref>

== Relationship with the CDU ==
{{see also|2018 German government crisis}}
The CSU is the sister party of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU).<ref name=spiegelquickguide>{{cite news|title=A Quick Guide to Germany's Political Parties|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/where-do-they-stand-a-quick-guide-to-germany-s-political-parties-a-651388.html|access-date=1 December 2012|newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]]|date=25 September 2009|archive-date=16 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516232044/https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/where-do-they-stand-a-quick-guide-to-germany-s-political-parties-a-651388.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Together, they are called the Union.<ref name=spiegelquickguide/> The CSU operates only within Bavaria, and the CDU operates in all states other than Bavaria. While virtually independent,<ref>{{cite book|title=Political Europe|last1=The Economist|year=1983|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-0-521-27793-8|page=16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIeR88JDzSgC}}</ref> at the federal level the parties form a common [[CDU/CSU]] faction. No [[Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor]] has ever come from the CSU, although Strauß and [[Edmund Stoiber]] were CDU/CSU candidates for Chancellor in the [[1980 West German federal election|1980 federal election]] and the [[2002 German federal election|2002 federal election]], respectively, which were both won by the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD). Below the federal level, the parties are entirely independent.<ref>{{cite book|title=Germany: A Country Study|last1=Solsten|first1=Eric|year=1999|publisher=DANE Publishing|location=Quezon|isbn=978-0-521-27793-8|page=375|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dIeR88JDzSgC}}</ref>

Since its formation, the CSU has been more [[conservatism|conservative]] than the CDU.<ref name="Robertson 296"/>{{example needed|date=October 2018}} CSU and the state of Bavaria decided not to sign the ''[[Grundgesetz]]'' of the Federal Republic of Germany as they could not agree with the [[division of Germany]] into two states after [[World War II]]. Although Bavaria like all German states has a separate police and justice system (distinctive and non-federal), the CSU has actively participated in all political affairs of the German Parliament, the German government, the German Bundesrat, the parliamentary elections of the German President, the European Parliament and meetings with [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] in Russia.

Like the CDU, the CSU is [[pro-European]], although some [[Eurosceptic]] tendencies were shown in the past.<ref name="CSU zur EU">{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article185909652/Kloster-Seeon-2019-Warum-sich-die-CSU-ploetzlich-so-EU-freundlich-gibt.html|title=Plötzlich entdeckt die CSU ihre Zuneigung zur EU wieder|newspaper=Die Welt|date=21 December 2018|access-date=21 December 2018|last1=Vitzthum|first1=Thomas|archive-date=6 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406004132/https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article185909652/Kloster-Seeon-2019-Warum-sich-die-CSU-ploetzlich-so-EU-freundlich-gibt.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Leaders ==
=== Party chairmen ===
{|class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Chairman
!width=125px|From
!width=125px|To
|-
|width=30px|1st
|width=150px|[[Josef Müller (CSU politician)|Josef Müller]]
|17 December 1945
|28 May 1949
|-
|2nd
|[[Hans Ehard]]
|28 May 1949
|22 January 1955
|-
|3rd
|[[Hanns Seidel]]
|22 January 1955
|16 February 1961
|-
|4th
|[[Franz Josef Strauss]]
|18 March 1961
|3 October 1988
|-
|5th
|[[Theodor Waigel]]
|16 November 1988
|16 January 1999
|-
|6th
|[[Edmund Stoiber]]
|16 January 1999
|29 September 2007
|-
|7th
|[[Erwin Huber]]
|29 September 2007
|25 October 2008
|-
|8th
|[[Horst Seehofer]]
|25 October 2008
|19 January 2019
|-
|9th
|[[Markus Söder]]
|19 January 2019
|Present day
|}

=== Ministers-president ===
The CSU has contributed eleven of the twelve [[Minister-President of Bavaria|Ministers-President of Bavaria]] since 1945, with only [[Wilhelm Hoegner]] (1945–1946, 1954–1957) of the SPD also holding the office.

{|class="wikitable"
!width=185px|Minister-President
!width=125px|From
!width=125px|To
|-
|[[Fritz Schäffer]]
|28 May 1945
|28 September 1945
|-
|[[Hans Ehard]] (first time)
|21 December 1946
|14 December 1954
|-
|[[Hanns Seidel]]
|16 October 1957
|22 January 1960
|-
|Hans Ehard (second time)
|26 January 1960
|11 December 1962
|-
|[[Alfons Goppel]]
|11 December 1962
|6 November 1978
|-
|[[Franz Josef Strauss]]
|6 November 1978
|3 October 1988
|-
|[[Max Streibl]]
|19 October 1988
|27 May 1993
|-
|[[Edmund Stoiber]]
|28 May 1993
|30 September 2007
|-
|[[Günther Beckstein]]
|9 October 2007
|27 October 2008
|-
|[[Horst Seehofer]]
|27 October 2008
|13 March 2018
|-
|[[Markus Söder]]
|16 March 2018
|Present day
|}

=== Regional Leadership ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |District Association
!Chairman
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Wappen Bezirk Niederbayern.svg|50px]]
|[[Lower Bavaria]]
|[[Christian Bernreiter]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Wappen Oberbayern.svg|50px]]
|[[Upper Bavaria]]
|[[Ilse Aigner]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Wappen Oberpfalz.svg|50px]]
|[[Upper Palatinate]]
|[[Albert Füracker]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:DEU Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken COA.svg|50px]]
|[[Lower Franconia]]
|Steffen Vogel
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Mittelfranken Wappen.svg|50px]]
|[[Middle Franconia]]
|[[Joachim Herrmann (CSU)|Joachim Herrmann]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Wappen Bezirk Oberfranken2.svg|50px]]
|[[Upper Franconia]]
|[[Hans-Peter Friedrich]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:Wappen Schwaben Bayern.svg|50px]]
|[[Swabia (Bavaria)|Swabia]]
|Klaus Holetschek
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:DEU_Augsburg_COA_1811.svg|50px]]
|[[Augsburg]]
|[[Volker Ullrich (politician)|Volker Ullrich]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:DEU_München_COA.svg|50px]]
|[[Munich]]
|[[Georg Eisenreich]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[File:DEU_Nürnberg_COA_(klein).svg|50px]]
[[File:DEU_Fürth_COA.svg|50px]][[File:DEU_Schwabach_COA.svg|50px]]
|[[Nuremberg]] - [[Fürth]] - [[Schwabach]]
|[[Michael Frieser]]
|}

== Election results ==
=== Federal parliament (''Bundestag'') ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan=2| Election
! colspan=2| Constituency
! colspan=2| Party list
! rowspan=2| Seats
! rowspan=2| +/–
! rowspan=2| Status
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! [[1949 West German federal election|1949]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| 1,380,448
| 5.8 (#4)
| {{composition bar|24|402|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]–[[German Party (1947)|DP]]}}
|-
! [[1953 West German federal election|1953]]
| 2,450,286
| 8.9 (#4)
| 2,427,387
| 8.8 (#4)
| {{composition bar|52|509|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 28
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]–[[German Party (1947)|DP]]}}
|-
! [[1957 West German federal election|1957]]
| 3,186,150
| 10.6 (#3)
| 3,133,060
| 10.5 (#3)
| {{composition bar|55|519|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 3
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[German Party (1947)|DP]]}}
|-
! [[1961 West German federal election|1961]]
| 3,104,742
| 9.7 (#4)
| 3,014,471
| 9.6 (#4)
| {{composition bar|50|521|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1965 West German federal election|1965]]
| 3,204,648
| 9.9 (#3)
| 3,136,506
| 9.6 (#3)
| {{composition bar|49|518|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[1969 West German federal election|1969]]
| 3,094,176
| 9.5 (#3)
| 3,115,652
| 9.5 (#3)
| {{composition bar|49|518|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{steady}}
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1972 West German federal election|1972]]
| 3,620,625
| 9.7 (#3)
| 3,615,183
| 9.7 (#3)
| {{composition bar|48|518|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1976 West German federal election|1976]]
| 4,008,514
| 10.6 (#3)
| 4,027,499
| 10.6 (#3)
| {{composition bar|53|518|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 5
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! rowspan=2| [[1980 West German federal election|1980]]
| rowspan=2| 3,941,365
| rowspan=2| 10.4 (#3)
| rowspan=2| 3,908,459
| rowspan=2| 10.3 (#4)
| rowspan=2| {{composition bar|52|519|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| rowspan=2| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition {{small|(1980–82)}}}}
|-
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]] {{small|(1982–83)}}}}
|-
! [[1983 West German federal election|1983]]
| 4,318,800
| 11.1 (#3)
| 4,140,865
| 10.6 (#3)
| {{composition bar|53|520|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1987 West German federal election|1987]]
| 3,859,244
| 10.2 (#3)
| 3,715,827
| 9.8 (#3)
| {{composition bar|49|519|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1990 German federal election|1990]]
| 3,423,904
| 7.4 (#4)
| 3,302,980
| 7.1 (#4)
| {{composition bar|51|662|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1994 German federal election|1994]]
| 3,657,627
| 6.5 (#3)
| 3,427,196
| 7.3 (#3)
| {{composition bar|50|672|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[1998 German federal election|1998]]
| 3,602,472
| 7.3 (#3)
| 3,324,480
| 6.8 (#3)
| {{composition bar|47|669|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2002 German federal election|2002]]
| 4,311,178
| 9.0 (#3)
| 4,315,080
| 9.0 (#3)
| {{composition bar|58|603|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 11
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2005 German federal election|2005]]
| 3,889,990
| 8.2 (#3)
| 3,494,309
| 7.4 (#6)
| {{composition bar|46|614|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 12
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[2009 German federal election|2009]]
| 3,191,000
| 7.4 (#6)
| 2,830,238
| 6.5 (#6)
| {{composition bar|45|622|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]}}
|-
! [[2013 German federal election|2013]]
| 3,544,079
| 8.1 (#4)
| 3,243,569
| 7.4 (#5)
| {{composition bar|56|631|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 11
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[2017 German federal election|2017]]
| 3,255,604
| 7.0 (#6)
| 2,869,744
| 6.2 (#7)
| {{composition bar|46|709|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 10
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|-
! [[2021 German federal election|2021]]
| 2,787,904
| 6.0 (#6)
| 2,402,826
| 5.2 (#6)
| {{composition bar|45|735|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2025 German federal election|2025]]
| 3,271,730
| 6.6 (#6)
| 2,963,732
| 6.0 (#6)
| {{composition bar|44|630|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{yes2|CDU/CSU–[[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]}}
|}

=== European Parliament ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
|-
! [[1979 European Parliament election in West Germany|1979]]
| 2,817,120
| 10.1 (#3)
| {{composition bar|8|81|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| bgcolor="lightgrey"|
|-
! [[1984 European Parliament election in West Germany|1984]]
| 2,109,130
| 8.5 (#3)
| {{composition bar|7|81|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
! [[1989 European Parliament election in West Germany|1989]]
| 2,326,277
| 8.2 (#4)
| {{composition bar|7|81|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{steady}}
|-
! [[1994 European Parliament election in Germany|1994]]
| 2,393,374
| 6.8 (#4)
| {{composition bar|8|99|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
|-
! [[1999 European Parliament election in Germany|1999]]
| 2,540,007
| 9.4 (#4)
| {{composition bar|10|99|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Germany|2004]]
| 2,063,900
| 8.0 (#4)
| {{composition bar|9|99|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Germany|2009]]
| 1,896,762
| 7.2 (#6)
| {{composition bar|8|99|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Germany|2014]]
| 1,567,258
| 5.3 (#6)
| {{composition bar|5|96|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Germany|2019]]
| 2,354,816
| 6.3 (#5)
| {{composition bar|6|96|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Germany|2024]]
|2,513,300
| 6.3 (#5)
| {{composition bar|6|96|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{steady}}
|}

=== Landtag of Bavaria ===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan=2| Election
! colspan=2| Constituency
! colspan=2| Party list
! rowspan=2| Seats
! rowspan=2| +/–
! rowspan=2| Status
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! [[December 1946 Bavarian state election|1946]]
| colspan=2 bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| 1,593,908
| 52.2 (#1)
| {{composition bar|104|180|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| bgcolor="lightgrey"|
| {{yes2|CSU–SPD}}
|-
! [[1950 Bavarian state election|1950]]
| 1,264,993
| 26.8 (#1)
| 1,262,377
| 27.4 (#1)
| {{composition bar|64|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 40
| {{yes2|CSU–SPD}}
|-
! [[1954 Bavarian state election|1954]]
| 1,855,995
| 37.6 (#1)
| 1,835,959
| 37.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|83|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 19
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1958 Bavarian state election|1958]]
| 2,101,645
| 44.8 (#1)
| 2,091,259
| 45.5 (#1)
| {{composition bar|101|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 18
| {{yes2|CSU–FDP–BHE}}
|-
! [[1962 Bavarian state election|1962]]
| 2,343,169
| 47.1 (#1)
| 2,320,359
| 47.5 (#1)
| {{composition bar|108|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 7
| {{yes2|CSU–BP}}
|-
! [[1966 Bavarian state election|1966]]
| 2,549,610
| 47.7 (#1)
| 2,524,732
| 48.1 (#1)
| {{composition bar|110|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1970 Bavarian state election|1970]]
| 3,205,170
| 56.2 (#1)
| 3,139,429
| 56.4 (#1)
| {{composition bar|124|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 14
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1974 Bavarian state election|1974]]
| 3,520,065
| 61.7 (#1)
| 3,481,486
| 62.0 (#1)
| {{composition bar|132|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 8
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1978 Bavarian state election|1978]]
| 3,394,096
| 58.5 (#1)
| 3,387,995
| 59.1 (#1)
| {{composition bar|129|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 3
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1982 Bavarian state election|1982]]
| 3,557,068
| 57.9 (#1)
| 3,534,375
| 58.2 (#1)
| {{composition bar|133|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 4
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1986 Bavarian state election|1986]]
| 3,142,094
| 54.9 (#1)
| 3,191,640
| 55.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|128|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 5
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1990 Bavarian state election|1990]]
| 3,007,566
| 52.6 (#1)
| 3,085,948
| 54.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|127|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 1
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1994 Bavarian state election|1994]]
| 3,063,635
| 52.2 (#1)
| 3,100,253
| 52.8 (#1)
| {{composition bar|120|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 7
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[1998 Bavarian state election|1998]]
| 3,168,996
| 51.7 (#1)
| 3,278,768
| 52.9 (#1)
| {{composition bar|123|204|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 3
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[2003 Bavarian state election|2003]]
| 3,050,456
| 59.3 (#1)
| 3,167,408
| 60.6 (#1)
| {{composition bar|124|180|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[2008 Bavarian state election|2008]]
| 2,267,521
| 42.5 (#1)
| 2,336,439
| 43.4 (#1)
| {{composition bar|92|187|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 32
| {{yes2|CSU–FDP}}
|-
! [[2013 Bavarian state election|2013]]
| 2,754,256
| 46.5 (#1)
| 2,882,169
| 47.7 (#1)
| {{composition bar|101|180|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{increase}} 9
| {{yes2|CSU majority}}
|-
! [[2018 Bavarian state election|2018]]
| 2,495,186
| 36.7 (#1)
| 2,551,046
| 37.2 (#1)
| {{composition bar|85|205|hex={{party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{decrease}} 16
| {{yes2|CSU–FW}}
|-
! [[2023 Bavarian state election|2023]]
| 2,527,580
| 37.0 (#1)
| 2,531,562
| 37.1 (#1)
| {{Composition bar|85|203|hex={{Party color|Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}}}
| {{Steady}}
| {{yes2|CSU-FW}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of Christian Social Union of Bavaria politicians]]
* [[Politics of Germany]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* Alf Mintzel (1975). ''Die CSU. Anatomie einer konservativen Partei 1945–1972'' {{in lang|de}}. Opladen. {{ISBN|9783531112787}}.

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|URL=https://www.csu.de|name=Official website of the Christlich-Soziale Union}} {{in lang|de}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090413234940/http://allstates-flag.com/fotw/flags/de%7Dcsu.html Christian-Social Union (Bavaria, Germany)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090414155018/http://www.deutschland.de/link.php?lang=2&category2=190&link_id=1002 Christian-Social Union of Bavaria (CSU)]

{{Christian Social Union in Bavaria}}
{{European People's Party}}
{{International Democracy Union}}
{{Parties of Germany}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian Social Union Of Bavaria}}

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