The CDU of Germany

An Overview of the CDU

At least every two years, a federal party conference is held.  It consists of 1,001 delegates from the local, regional, and state associations, as well as delegates from foreign associations.  The federal party conference comes to a decision as what the basic party principles party platforms will be, the party platform and statute.  Furthermore, it elects the Federal President, the Secretary-General, four acting presidents, the Federal Treasurer, and seven additional members. 

The federal management committee meets on a regular basis, at least every two months.  Its responsibility is the leadership of the federal party.  It is an extensive organ for the decisions made by the federal party conference.  The federal management committee is responsible for planning the finances of the federal party.  In addition to the committee members, the federal management committee elected by the party conference members, the presidents of the CDU state associations and minister presidents as well as the presidents of the federal unions are also included. 

The leadership of the CDU Germany consists of the President, the Secretary-General, the four acting presidents, the Federal Treasurer and seven additional members that are elected by the federal party conference.  As long as they are members of the CDU, the Chancellor, the President or Vice President of the German Bundestag, the President of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Party and the President of the EPP Parliamentary Group of the European Parliament also belong to the leadership, in addition to the minisiter presidents, who are coopted members.  The leadership is an extensive organ for the decisions made by the federal management committee. 

For professional advice and support, the federal management committee can choose to organize specialized federal committees.  The specialized committees as well as the workers and lecture groups of the CDU develop concepts for various political areas. 

The CDU is a federally functioning party.  In a total of 17 state associations (therefrom 14 in the federal states excluding Bavaria, as well as one each in Braunschweig, Hannover and Oldenburg), 27 local associations, 336 district associations and more than 10,000 town associations about 520,000 CDU members are engaged throughout the nation.