Overview

• The CDU Bundesausschuss and CSU leadership unanimously approved the coalition agreement with the SPD, clearing the way for Friedrich Merz's expected election as Chancellor on May 6.
• The Union's ministerial lineup includes prominent corporate figures Katherina Reiche, appointed as Economy and Energy Minister, and Karsten Wildberger, slated for Digital Affairs and State Modernization.
• Johann Wadephul is set to become the first CDU Foreign Minister in nearly 60 years, while Alexander Dobrindt will take over as Interior Minister.
• Wolfram Weimer, a journalist and publisher, has been named Culture State Minister, signaling a shift toward more conservative cultural policies.
• The SPD membership vote, concluding April 29, remains the final hurdle before the coalition government can be fully formed.