CDU leader and Germany’s incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz has officially announced which members of his party will hold ministerial posts. The following names were presented in the party’s headquarters, the Konrad Adenauer House, in Berlin.
Thorsten Frei, Head of the Federal Chancellery
Frei is the CDU’s first Parliamentary Secretary. The 51-year-old from the constituency of Schwarzwald-Baar and Oberes Kinzigtal in Baden-Württemberg is considered a close confidant of Merz and has vehemently defended his policies in the past.
Dr Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
The 62-year-old career politician has long been considered a possible Foreign Minister. Wadephul comes from Schleswig-Holstein and is the first CDU politician to hold this post in 60 years.
Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy
Reiche, 51, is currently head of the E.ON subsidiary Westenenergie and therefore comes from the business world. She would be the first East German to hold this office. It is a return to politics for her: she was a member of the Brandenburg Bundestag from 1998 to 2015.
Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport
Schnieder has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009 and is one of three parliamentary directors of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group behind Thorsten Frei. The 56-year-old from Bitburg in Rhineland-Palatinate is regarded as a transport expert.
Karin Prien, Federal Minister of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Prien has been Minister of Education in Schleswig-Holstein since 2017, so she brings experience to her new office. As deputy chairwoman of the CDU, the 59-year-old was directly involved in coalition negotiations. In the federal CDU, she heads the Education, Research and Innovation Committee and is the spokesperson for the CDU’s Jewish Forum.
Dr Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digitalisation and State Modernisation
This appointment comes as something of a surprise. Wildberger is CEO of Ceconomy AG and the MediaMarktSaturn Group. Born in Hesse, he is to head the newly-created Ministry of Digitalisation. He will be stepping down from his position as Chairman of the Board of Management to do so.
Nina Warken, Federal Minister of Health
Like Patrick Schnieder, the member of the Bundestag from Baden-Württemberg is a parliamentary director. The 45-year-old is a domestic politician and has not yet made an appearance in the field of healthcare policy. Her nomination also comes as a surprise.
CSU gets three ministerial posts
The CSU, the Bavarian sister party of the CDU, will fill three ministerial posts. CSU leader Markus Söder announced the following names in Munich.
Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of the Interior and Sport
Dobrindt is a political heavyweight in the CSU: former Secretary General, former Transport Minister and currently head of the party’s regional group in the Bundestag. Now he is to head the Ministry of the Interior. Together with Markus Söder, he played a decisive role for the CSU in coalition negotiations.
Dorothee Bär, Minister for Research, Technology and Space
The newly-created ministry is to be headed by the 47-year-old from Bamberg. She is deputy chairwoman of the Union parliamentary group. She was previously the Federal Government Commissioner for Digitalisation.
Alois Rainer, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Home Affairs
Rainer is the Bavarian surprise in the future cabinet. The 60-year-old trained butcher has been a member of the Bundestag since 2013, where he chairs the Finance Committee.
Election of the Federal Chancellor likely on 6 May
However, before the new cabinet can start work, the CDU, CSU and SPD must agree to the coalition agreement, which is considered a certainty.
Friedrich Merz must then be elected as the new Chancellor in the Bundestag next week. The election is scheduled for 6 May. Only then can the new ministers be sworn into office by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
