CDU/CSU

The CDU/CSU is a group of two political parties in Germany called the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU). These parties work together but are not exactly the same. The CSU only runs in elections in Bavaria, one of Germany’s states, while the CDU runs in the other fifteen states.

Even though they are separate, the CDU and CSU act like sisters. They share a group of members in the German parliament called the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group. This has been happening since Germany became a country in 1949. They must follow rules that stop them from competing against each other in elections.

In practice, the two parties make sure their decisions match up. They often support the same person to become Chancellor, which is like the leader of the country. Leaders from one party are usually invited to events of the other party. Both the CDU and CSU are part of bigger groups in Europe, like the European People’s Party. They also share some organizations for young people, students, and businesses.

History

Both the CDU and the CSU started after World War II. They share ideas based on Christian democracy and conservatism, and they are one of the main centre-right groups in Germany.

The CSU only runs in Bavaria, while the CDU runs in the other 15 states. The CSU focuses on the needs of Bavaria, which is mostly rural and Catholic.

During the 1970s and again after 2015, some CSU leaders wanted to make the CSU a party for all of Germany. However, this did not happen. In 2018, there was a big disagreement between the CDU and CSU about policies for refugees. This caused some tension, but the parties stayed together.

In the 2025 federal election, the CDU/CSU alliance was expected to return to power, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz likely becoming the German chancellor.

Political stances

The CDU and CSU usually have very similar ideas, but sometimes they differ a little. The CSU is often seen as more protective of family traditions. For example, the CSU supports giving money to parents who choose not to use public childcare for their babies, while the CDU prefers funding public childcare centers.

The CSU also likes to protect Bavaria’s special traditions and rights, sometimes standing up against decisions made by the European Union. For instance, in 1998, the CSU almost stopped Germany from adopting the euro, but the leader of the CDU at the time convinced them not to.

Both parties say they are inspired by Christian values, but the CSU has stronger ties to the Catholic Church because Bavaria has many Catholic people. Even so, there are differences within Germany, with some areas having more Protestant people and others more Catholic, which also affects the policies of local leaders.

Forms of cooperation

The CDU and CSU are two different parties but work closely together. The CDU has members in 15 of Germany’s 16 states, while the CSU only has members in Bavaria. For federal elections, both parties create a shared plan and support the same candidate for chancellor, even though they sometimes have their own ideas.

Together, they form one group in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament. This group has one leader from the CDU and includes special rules for the CSU. They also work as a team when discussing which group will join the government, and they always share at least one important government job. In European elections, they have separate lists but join the same group in the European Parliament.

Leaders of the Group in the Bundestag

Here are the leaders who have led the group in the Bundestag:

• Konrad Adenauer (1949)
• Heinrich von Brentano (1949–1955; 1961–1964)
• Heinrich Krone (1955–1961)
• Rainer Barzel (1964–1973)
• Karl Carstens (1973–1976)
• Helmut Kohl (1976–1982)
• Alfred Dregger (1982–1991)
• Wolfgang Schäuble (1991–2000)
• Friedrich Merz (2000–2002)
• Angela Merkel (2002–2005)
• Volker Kauder (2005–2018)
• Ralph Brinkhaus (2018–2022)
• Friedrich Merz (2022–2025)
• Jens Spahn (2025-)

Electoral history

Federal Parliament (Bundestag)

European Parliament