CDU/CSU

CDU/CSU
Name	CDU/CSU
Country	Germany
Leader1 title	Chancellor
Leader1 name	Olaf Scholz
Leader2 title	Bundestag President
Leader2 name	Bärbel Bas
Foundation	0 1949
Ideology	Christian democracy, Liberal conservatism, Pro-Europeanism
Position	Centre-right
European	European People's Party
Europarl	European People's Party Group
Colours	Black (CDU), Blue (CSU)
Seats1 title	Bundestag
Seats1	197, 736
Website	https://www.cdu.de/, https://www.csu.de/

CDU/CSU. The CDU/CSU, commonly referred to as the Union, is the dominant centre-right political alliance in Germany, comprising the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU). Operating as a single parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the alliance has provided several Chancellors, including Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl, and Angela Merkel, profoundly shaping post-war West Germany and contemporary German politics. The CSU operates exclusively in Bavaria, while the CDU functions in the other 15 states, forming a unique and enduring political partnership.

History

The alliance's roots lie in the post-World War II era, with the CDU founded in the British occupation zone and the CSU emerging in Bavaria under figures like Konrad Adenauer and Hans Ehard. The CDU/CSU quickly became a leading force in West Germany, with Adenauer becoming the first Chancellor in 1949 and guiding the country through Cold War integration into the Western Bloc, including membership in NATO and the founding of the European Economic Community. The Berlin Wall era saw the Union in opposition during the Grand Coalition and the Chancellorship of Willy Brandt, before returning to power under Helmut Kohl, who oversaw German reunification and the Maastricht Treaty. The Chancellorship of Angela Merkel, beginning in 2005, defined the early 21st century, navigating the Eurozone crisis, the 2015 European migrant crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

Political positions

Ideologically anchored in Christian democracy and Liberal conservatism, the CDU/CSU traditionally emphasizes a Social market economy, blending free-market principles with a comprehensive social welfare system. The alliance is strongly pro-European, supporting deeper integration within the European Union and the strengthening of institutions like the European Commission. In foreign policy, it maintains a steadfast commitment to the transatlantic alliance with the United States and NATO, while also pursuing pragmatic engagement with powers like Russia and China. Societal positions have evolved, with modern leadership under figures like Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder focusing on fiscal responsibility, Digital transformation, and a restrictive stance on immigration.

Organisation and structure

The CDU is organized across Germany except Bavaria, with its federal headquarters in the Konrad Adenauer House in Berlin and led by a federal executive board chaired by its party chairman. The CSU is structured solely within the Free State of Bavaria, with its central office in the Franz Josef Strauß building in Munich and its own party chairman and executive committee. Key affiliated organizations include the youth wings Young Union and Schüler Union, the parliamentary group in the Bundestag led by its chairman, and influential foundations like the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

Electoral performance

The CDU/CSU has consistently been one of the two largest forces in the Bundestag, winning numerous federal elections and frequently forming governments, either in coalition with the FDP or in a Grand Coalition with the SPD. Its strongest electoral performances have historically been in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Saxony, while facing stronger competition in city-states like Berlin and Bremen. In European elections, the alliance runs under the banner of the European People's Party and its associated European People's Party Group. Recent state elections have seen challenges from the Alternative for Germany and the Alliance 90/The Greens.

Leadership

Historically, the alliance's leadership has been synonymous with the Chancellorship, held by CDU figures such as Konrad Adenauer, Ludwig Erhard, Kurt Georg Kiesinger, Helmut Kohl, and Angela Merkel. The chairmanship of the parliamentary group has been held by influential politicians including Heinrich von Brentano, Karl Carstens, Wolfgang Schäuble, and Ralph Brinkhaus. Prominent CSU leaders who have shaped the alliance include long-time Minister-President of Bavaria Franz Josef Strauß, Edmund Stoiber, and current leader Markus Söder. The Federal Presidency has also been held by Union members like Karl Carstens, Roman Herzog, and Horst Köhler.

Relationship between CDU and CSU

The relationship is governed by a long-standing agreement that the CSU operates only in Bavaria while the CDU campaigns in all other states, a division solidified after the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. They form a unified faction, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, in the Bundestag and coordinate closely on policy and chancellor candidates, though tensions periodically surface, such as during debates over European Union policy or refugee policy. Disputes over candidate nominations, like the conflict between Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Markus Söder in 2018, or historical clashes between Helmut Kohl and Franz Josef Strauß, test but have never permanently broken the alliance, which remains a cornerstone of the German party system.

Category:Political parties in Germany Category:Christian democratic parties in Europe Category:Political alliances