CDU/CSU at a glance

Flag of Germany

Christlich Demokratische Union / Christlich Soziale Union

Christian Democratic Union / Christian Social Union

Alliance of multiple parties

The CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and the CSU (Christian Social Union) are two independent political parties in Germany that jointly operate as 'the Union'. The CDU is active in all federal states except Bavaria, while the CSU operates exclusively in Bavaria. Both parties represent Christian-democratic and conservative values and have led the federal government multiple times. Historically, they originated in the post-war period and have since had significant influence on German politics.
Structure and Cooperation of CDU and CSU
The CDU is active in all German federal states except Bavaria, while the CSU is only active in Bavaria. Despite their organizational independence, they form a joint parliamentary group in the Bundestag known as 'the Union'. This cooperation allows them to pursue political goals together and participate in coalition governments.
History and Formation of the Union
After World War II, the CDU and the CSU were founded to overcome the National Socialist past and build a democratic society. The CDU was founded in 1945, while the CSU was established in Bavaria in the same year. Both parties emphasize Christian values and have played a significant role in German politics since then.
Political Orientation and Goals
The Union represents Christian-democratic and conservative values. It places particular emphasis on a strong economy, the promotion of families, and the preservation of traditional values. In economic policy, they advocate for the social market economy, which combines free market economy with social justice. In social issues, they emphasize the importance of family and Christian values.
Significant Personalities of the Union
Several German Chancellors came from the ranks of the Union, including Konrad Adenauer, Ludwig Erhard, Helmut Kohl, and Angela Merkel. These personalities have significantly shaped German politics and influenced the development of the country in various eras.
Political orientation
Conservative
Social
Market
Progressive
Position on the EU
Anti-EU
Pro-EU

Current poll results in the federal states

Current poll results
0
10
20
30
40+
Changes since the most recent election in each state
-5
0
5+

Current poll results in federal states with an upcoming election and changes since the last election

Positions and stances

Position 2024
Positions of the alliance parties
Economy & state
Should income and wealth be redistributed?
Pro redistribution
Against redistribution
How should the state use a budget surplus?
Invest
Reduce debt and cut taxes
Should the local economy be protected?
Free global trade
Protect the local economy
Society & values
What matters more: freedom or security?
Maximum freedom
Security
Should gender equality for women be actively promoted?
Support
Oppose
Should equality for LGBTQ+ people be actively promoted?
Support
Oppose
Should same-sex marriage be legal?
In favour
Against
What role should religion play in politics?
Separation of church and state
Close link between church and state
Should policy focus on cities or rural areas?
Focus on cities
Focus on rural areas
Environment & globalization
What matters more: the environment or the economy?
Environmental protection matters more than economic growth
Economic growth matters more than environmental protection
What matters more: climate action or the economy?
Climate action matters more than economic growth
Economic growth matters more than climate action
Migration & integration
How should immigration policy be regulated?
Open
Strict
How should immigrant integration work?
Multicultural society
Homogeneous society
Should ethnic minorities have more rights?
More rights
Fewer rights
What role should nation-states play?
An open world without borders
Strong nation-states
Democracy & institutions
How should power be distributed?
Distributed power
Strong ruler/leader
How independent should the judiciary be?
Fully independent
Dependent on government
How should the state be organized: federal or centralized?
Federalism
Centralization
Parties in Germany compared
Policy positions of all parties at a glance

Issue priorities

The chart shows which issues matter most to the party. The further out a point is, the higher the importance.

Who votes for the party?

Party position (research)
Voters in the PolitPro community
Economy & state
Should income and wealth be redistributed?
Pro redistribution
Against redistribution
How should the state use a budget surplus?
Invest
Reduce debt and cut taxes
Should the local economy be protected?
Free global trade
Protect the local economy
Society & values
What matters more: freedom or security?
Maximum freedom
Security
What role should religion play in politics?
Separation of church and state
Close link between church and state
Should policy focus on cities or rural areas?
Focus on cities
Focus on rural areas
Environment & globalization
What matters more: the environment or the economy?
Environmental protection matters more than economic growth
Economic growth matters more than environmental protection
How close should cooperation with Russia be?
No cooperation
Close cooperation
How close should cooperation with China be?
No cooperation
Close cooperation
How close should cooperation with the USA be?
No cooperation
Close cooperation
Migration & integration
How should immigration policy be regulated?
Open
Strict
How should immigrant integration work?
Multicultural society
Homogeneous society
Should ethnic minorities have more rights?
More rights
Fewer rights
What role should nation-states play?
An open world without borders
Strong nation-states
Democracy & institutions
How should the state be organized: federal or centralized?
Federalism
Centralization
What do the charts show?
We asked voters of all parties in the PolitPro community about their positions on different political issues. The bars show the range of opinions among party supporters. The shorter the bar, the more similar the views of the party’s voters on that issue. If available, we also show the party’s position derived from research as a circle.
Where does the data come from?
The data is based on self-assessments from party supporters in the PolitPro community. It is not representative of the entire population, but it still gives a solid overview of which issues matter most to party supporters.
Voter profile
Conservative
Social
Market
Progressive
The chart shows the self-assessment of a random sample of CDU/CSU voters from the PolitPro community.

Historical election results

CDU/CSU: Historical election results in Germany

Latest election results in the federal states

Latest election results in the federal states
0
10
20
30
40+

Current participation in government

Current participation in government

Historical participation in government since 1945

Historical participation in government since 1945
Led the government
In government
18

Total cabinets

Total duration: 57 years • 5 months • 3 weeks • 6 days
0

Cabinets led

Total duration: -
18

Coalition participation

Total duration: 57 years • 5 months • 3 weeks • 6 days
69%

Overall share of time in government

The party was part of the government for 69% of the possible time in office.

Sources of data and information

PolitPro

PolitPro brings together scientific data and current poll results to make politics tangible for everyone. We use datasets from leading research projects and complement them with our own research, analyses, and algorithms. This allows us to make complex political contexts accessible and easy to understand. Supported by AI.

Found a mistake?

Political data changes every day. If you notice an error, feel free to send us an email. A short source reference helps us review the information.

ParlGov – Parliamentary Democracy Data

Long-running research data from the University of Bremen. It documents political parties and governments and enables systematic political comparison.
More
Döring, Holger and Philip Manow. 2024. Parliaments and governments database (ParlGov): Information on parties, elections and cabinets in established democracies.

CHES – Chapel Hill Expert Survey

Europe’s most important expert survey on party positions. More than 400 political scientists from different countries assess party positions based on scientific criteria.
More
Rovny, Jan, Ryan Bakker, Liesbet Hooghe, Seth Jolly, Gary Marks, Jonathan Polk, Marco Steenbergen, and Milada Vachudova. “25 Years of Political Party Positions in Europe: The Chapel Hill Expert Survey, 1999-2024,”