New faces for Berlin Friedrich Merz presents his CDU ministerial team
The suspense lasted a long time. It is now clear who is to join the Merz cabinet for the German Christian Democrats. Some surprising names are included.
28.04.2025, 12:54
dpa
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- The CDU is sending four male and three female ministers to the cabinet, including manager Karsten Wildberger as the new Digital Minister.
- Katherina Reiche is the first East German to take over the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Johann Wadephul becomes Foreign Minister and Thorsten Frei becomes Head of the Chancellery.
- Other heads of department are Patrick Schnieder (Transport), Nina Warken (Health), Karin Prien (Education and Family) and Wolfram Weimer as Minister of State for Culture.
The CDU's cabinet list for the future German government has been finalized. In addition to the prospective Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democrats are sending four male and three female ministers to the cabinet table, as announced by the CDU in Berlin. Merz presented the names during a presidium meeting.
Manager Karsten Wildberger is to become Digital Minister. The head of Ceconomy, the parent company of the electronics store chains Media Markt and Saturn, is to take over the newly created portfolio for digitalization and state modernization.
Energy manager and former CDU member of the Bundestag Katherina Reiche is to become Minister of Economic Affairs - the first head of the department to come from East Germany. The foreign ministry, which will return to the CDU after almost 60 years, will be headed by foreign affairs and security expert Johann Wadephul from Schleswig-Holstein.
Merz confidant as head of the Chancellery
Merz has brought a confidant into the government headquarters as Chancellery Minister, the former parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei from Baden-Württemberg. CDU member of parliament Patrick Schnieder from Rhineland-Palatinate is to take over the transport portfolio.
CDU Member of Parliament Nina Warken from Baden-Württemberg is to become Minister of Health. Karin Prien, Minister of Education in Schleswig-Holstein, is to head the Department of Education and Family Affairs.
Publicist Wolfram Weimer is to become Minister of State for Culture in the Chancellery.
