Bulletin of the Institute for Western Affairs, ed. 25 (445): 75 years of the CDU

Bulletin of the Institute for Western Affairs, ed. 25(445)/2020: Piotr Kubiak, Martin Wycisk, „75 years of the CDU”

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) celebrated its 75th anniversary on June 26, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebrations were subdued. Together with its sister party CSU, the CDU has become a fixture on the political landscape of the Federal Republic of Germany: from Adenauer to Merkel, no other German party has exerted bigger influence on the fates of its country. The most prominent achievements credited to the Christian democrats are to have strengthened democracy in Germany and the country’s social market economy, and to have contributed to cooperation with the West, the reunification of Germany and European integration. What is more, the CDU is thought of as the party in power: for 51 out of 71 years of its existence, the CDU was in the government. 5 out of 8 German chancellors came from among the ranks of the CDU as did 6 out of 12 of the country’s presidents. Christian Democratic parties have won 16 of the total of 19 Bundestag election. Is it therefore fair to proclaim the success of the Christian Democrats as being complete? Has the CDU not lost any of its appeal during its 75 years in existence? What are the challenges and problems that the CDU is facing in 2020? What future looms ahead for the party as it faces the challenges of the modern world and the choice of new leadership?