| Post: | Leader |
| Body: | the Christian Democratic Union |
| Native Name: | Vorsitzender der Christlich Demokratischen Union |
| Insignia: | CDU Logo 2023.svg |
| Incumbent: | Friedrich Merz |
| Incumbentsince: | 31 January 2022 |
| Type: | 1029 |
| Member Of: | Federal Executive Presidium |
| Seat: | Konrad-Adenauer-Haus |
| Formation: | 1 March 1946 |
| First: | Konrad Adenauer |
| Website: | https://www.cdu.de/ueber-uns/struktur-der-cdu |
The Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (Vorsitzender der Christlich Demokratischen Union) is the most senior political figure within the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. Since 31 January 2022, the office has been held by Friedrich Merz, who succeeded Armin Laschet.[1]
The Leader of the Christian Democratic Union Party is supported by a General Secretary who, since 12 July 2023, has been Carsten Linnemann.
A list of leaders since 1946[2]
| width=80px rowspan=2 colspan=2 | Portrait | width=30% rowspan=2 | Name (Born–Died) | width=35% colspan=3 | Term of office | width=28% rowspan=2 | State | width=28% rowspan=2 | Chancellor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Days | |||||||
| 1 | Konrad Adenauer | 1 March 1946 | 23 March 1966 | Himself Ludwig Erhard | |||||
| 2 | Ludwig Erhard | 23 March 1966 | 23 May 1967 | Himself Kurt Georg Kiesinger | |||||
| 3 | Kurt Georg Kiesinger | 23 May 1967 | 5 October 1971 | Himself Willy Brandt | |||||
| 4 | Rainer Barzel | 5 October 1971 | 12 June 1973 | Willy Brandt | |||||
| 5 | Helmut Kohl | 12 June 1973 | 7 November 1998 | Willy Brandt Helmut Schmidt Himself | |||||
| 6 | Wolfgang Schäuble | 7 November 1998 | 16 February 2000 | Gerhard Schröder | |||||
| 7 | Angela Merkel | 10 April 2000 | 7 December 2018 | Gerhard Schröder Herself | |||||
| 8 | Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer | 7 December 2018 | 22 January 2021 | Angela Merkel | |||||
| 9 | Armin Laschet | 22 January 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Angela Merkel Olaf Scholz | |||||
| 10 | Friedrich Merz | 31 January 2022 | Incumbent | Olaf Scholz | |||||