New federal government: CDU and CSU present cabinet list – manager for digital

Eight days before the planned chancellor election in the Bundestag, the CDU and CSU presented their cabinet list. In addition to many known names, it contains a big surprise: the head of Ceconomy, the parent company of the electronics chains Media Markt and Saturn, is intended to take over the newly created department for digitization and state modernization.

Many names for the occupation of the other departments have been circulating for days: The Foreign Ministry, which goes back to the CDU after almost 60 years, is to lead the outdoor and security expert Johann Wadephul from Schleswig-Holstein. The previous CSU state group chairman in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, becomes Interior Minister. The important Ministry of Economic Affairs is to take over the energy manager and former CDU member of the Bundestag Katherina Reiche.

In the new cabinet, the men will again be outnumbered at the Union. The CDU sends four men and three women, the CSU two men and one woman. Politicians from East Germany are even more clearly underrepresented – only rich comes from there. She was born in Luckenwalde in Brandenburg. From 1998 to 2015 she represented constituency 61 (Potsdam-Potsdam-Mittelmark II-Teltow-Fläming II) in the Bundestag.

Only with the appointment by the Federal President in office

The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz wants to be elected Chancellor in the Bundestag on Tuesday next week. He then receives his certificate of appointment from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then pays off the oath of office in the Bundestag. In contrast to him, there is no choice for the ministers. You will be in office with the appointment by Steinmeier.

Lateral entrants from the economy

The most surprising personnel is the nomination of Wildberger to the first Federal Minister of Digitization and State Modernization. The 55-year-old has relevant practical experience. In recent years, the digital transformation in business and corporate world has been the core of its activities. As an electronics market operator, Ceconomy has expanded the online business under his leadership. From 2016 to summer 2021, he was responsible for digital change at the E.ON Energy Group.

Merz confidant as Chancellor’s head

As Chancellery Minister, Merz will bring a confidante to the government center, the previous first parliamentary managing director of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Thorsten Frei (CDU) from Baden-Württemberg. In the future, the 51-year-old will in future be able to clear down pitfalls for his boss, ensure a smooth government process and keep in touch with the federal states. Critics complain that the married father of three children lack government experience.

Member of the Bundestag will be new ministers

When filling further cabinet posts, the CDU and CSU largely rely on expertise from the Bundestag. The CDU MP Patrick Schnieder from Rhineland-Palatinate is to take over the traffic department and CDU MP Nina Warken from Baden-Württemberg. The CSU MP and party vice Dorothee Bär from Bad Kissingen becomes Minister for Research, Technology and Space, her party colleague Alois Rainer from Straubing receives the Ministry of Agriculture.

The CDU also relies on expertise from a federal state for the occupation of the Ministry of Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth: the profiled Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Education Karin Prien is given this position.

Surprise also with state ministers

There is also a surprising personnel in the appointment of the Minister of State: Minister of Culture in the Chancellery is to become the publicist Wolfram Weimer.

The CDU MP Serap Güler and Gunther Krichbaum and the CSU parliamentarian Florian Hahn become the Minister of State in the Federal Foreign Office. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s cultural and media policy spokeswoman, Christiane Schenderlein, will be responsible in the Chancellery for Sports and Voluntary. In the future, the CDU MP Michael Meister will also be responsible for the cooperation between the federal and state governments.

Spahn will probably be the new group leader

Former Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) is to become the new chairman of the Union faction and will follow Merz in this office. According to information from the German press agency of participants, Merz said in a meeting of the CDU federal board that he and CSU boss Markus Söder Spahn wanted to propose for the chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The 44 -year -old Spahn has been in the Bundestag for more than 20 years. He was recently under discussion as a possible minister.

CDU decides on a small party conference on the coalition agreement

In the afternoon, the CDU wanted to decide on a small party conference on the coalition agreement concluded with CSU and SPD. At a meeting in Berlin, the federal board unanimously recommended approval, as it was said according to participants. At the CSU, the party executive has already unanimously approved the contract together with the CSU federal and state parliamentarians. A membership vote expires at the SPD this Tuesday.