Who's who in the new CDU?
The Christian Democrats will have to rebuild without Angela Merkel. Veteran politician Friedrich Merz has taken on the leadership of the conservative party, but a few young players are hoping to reshape it.
Carsten Linnemann (born 1977)
Linnemann hails from a the city of Paderborn in the western German Sauerland region, where Friedrich Merz also comes from. Like Merz, he is business-oriented and a Roman Catholic. He has been a lawmaker in the Bundestag since 2009, was named party secretary general in 2023 and immediately took to spreading an anti-immigrant, law-and-order message.
Hendrik Wüst (born 1975)
Hendrik Wüst led his party to victory in regional elections in Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, in 2022. Since then Wüst, who had been seen as one of his party's more conservative politicians, is heading a coalition government with the Green Party. In 2023 he was seen to be hinting at higher ambitions in national politics.
Daniel Günther (born 1973)
As incumbent premier of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Günther scored a resounding victory in state elections in 2022. Previously he headed a coalition with the business-oriented Free Democrats and the Greens for five years. But now, he opted to govern with only one partner: the environmentally-focused Greens. He has spoken out against far-right populism.
Jens Spahn (born 1980)
The Rhinelander was Health Minister under Chancellor Angela Merkel, which made him one of Germany's most prominent politicians. The openly gay politician has also challenged for the leadership of the Christian Democrats (CDU) before — and lost.
Tilman Kuban (born 1987)
The head of the youth organization since 2019, Kuban studied law and worked as a talent scout for the football club Hannover 96 before entering politics. He represents the CDU in the Bundestag, having won a place via the party's Lower Saxony list. Kuban is considered one of the hard-line conservatives in the CDU, having called for a tougher asylum policy in 2015.
Mario Czaja (born 1975)
Czaja hails from East Germany. In 2021, Czaja beat a Left Party candidate to represent a less advantaged Berlin district in parliament. In 2022 he became CDU Secretary General but was replaced by Merz with the more conservative and business-oriented Carsten Linnemann in July 2023.
Christina Stumpp (born 1987)
The deputy party secretary hails from an agricultural background. She joined the federal parliament in 2021 and has said she wants to be a role model for young women.