Bundestag 2026: Who's who?

Friedrich Merz

Friedrich Merz (CDU) has been Chancellor of Germany since May 2025: following the February 2025 federal election.

💡 Did you know? In 2025 he surprisingly missed the required majority in the first round; he was only elected on a second attempt the same day, a first for the Federal Republic.

Lars Klingbeil

Lars Klingbeil (SPD) is Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? As SPD leader he led his party into government as the Union's junior partner after the 2025 election defeat.

Alexander Dobrindt

Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) is Federal Minister of the Interior in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Previously the Bavarian long chaired the CSU group in the Bundestag and was transport minister under Angela Merkel.

Johann Wadephul

Johann Wadephul (CDU) is Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? He is the first CDU foreign minister in decades; the post had usually gone to coalition partners.

Boris Pistorius

Boris Pistorius (SPD) is Federal Minister of Defence; a post he has held since 2023.

💡 Did you know? In polls Pistorius has for years been among the most popular politicians in Germany.

Katherina Reiche

Katherina Reiche (CDU) is Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Before returning to politics she was a manager in the energy industry.

Dorothee Bär

Dorothee Bär (CSU) is Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? She was already known as a champion of digitalisation, as „minister of state for digital affairs“ under Merkel.

Stefanie Hubig

Stefanie Hubig (SPD) is Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Previously the lawyer was education minister in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Karin Prien

Karin Prien (CDU) is Federal Minister for Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Previously she was education minister in Schleswig-Holstein for many years and a deputy federal leader of the CDU.

Bärbel Bas

Bärbel Bas (SPD) is Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Previously she was President of the Bundestag: protocol-wise the second-highest state office after the federal president.

Karsten Wildberger

Karsten Wildberger is Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation: a newly created ministry in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? He entered government as a non-party manager (formerly head of a large electronics retailer) and only afterwards joined the CDU.

Steffen Bilger

Steffen Bilger (CDU) has been Federal Minister for Transport in the Merz cabinet since July 2026.

💡 Did you know? It is a homecoming: from 2018 to 2021 he was already a parliamentary state secretary in the transport ministry.

Carsten Schneider

Carsten Schneider (SPD) is Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Previously he was the government's commissioner for eastern Germany: he comes from Thuringia.

Nina Warken

Nina Warken (CDU) has been Head of the Federal Chancellery since July 2026: before that she was Federal Minister of Health.

💡 Did you know? She is the first woman to run the Chancellery.

Alois Rainer

Alois Rainer (CSU) is Federal Minister of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? The Lower Bavarian is a trained master butcher: a fitting background for an agriculture minister.

Reem Alabali Radovan

Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD) is Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Previously she was the government's commissioner for integration and anti-racism: born in Moscow to Iraqi parents.

Verena Hubertz

Verena Hubertz (SPD) is Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building in the Merz cabinet.

💡 Did you know? Before politics she co-founded a successful start-up: a well-known cooking-recipe app.

Thorsten Frei

Thorsten Frei (CDU) has led the CDU/CSU parliamentary group since July 2026: before that he was Head of the Chancellery.

💡 Did you know? The group elected him on 29 July 2026 with 91.9 percent as successor to Jens Spahn.

Julia Klöckner

Julia Klöckner (CDU) has been President of the Bundestag since 2025: protocol-wise the second-highest state office.

💡 Did you know? Previously she was federal agriculture minister under Angela Merkel and once German Wine Queen.

Carsten Linnemann

Carsten Linnemann (CDU) has been Federal Minister of Health in the Merz cabinet since July 2026.

💡 Did you know? Before that he was CDU general secretary and ran the party's 2025 election campaign.

Matthias Miersch

Matthias Miersch (SPD) is leader of the SPD parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? Previously he was SPD general secretary and was seen as a voice of the party's left wing.

Alice Weidel

Alice Weidel is co-leader of the AfD and its parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag; the AfD has been the largest opposition party since 2025.

💡 Did you know? In the 2025 federal election she stood for the first time as her party's candidate for chancellor.

Tino Chrupalla

Tino Chrupalla is co-leader of the AfD and, with Alice Weidel, its parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag.

💡 Did you know? The trained master painter from Saxony has co-led the party since 2019.

Katharina Dröge

Katharina Dröge (Greens) is a parliamentary group leader of Alliance 90/The Greens in the Bundestag.

💡 Did you know? With Britta Haßelmann she forms the joint leadership of the Green group: in opposition since 2025.

Britta Haßelmann

Britta Haßelmann (Greens) is, with Katharina Dröge, a parliamentary group leader of Alliance 90/The Greens in the Bundestag.

💡 Did you know? She is an experienced parliamentarian and was previously her group's chief whip.

Heidi Reichinnek

Heidi Reichinnek is a parliamentary group leader of The Left in the Bundestag.

💡 Did you know? A fiery Bundestag speech made her nationally famous overnight via social media in 2025 and contributed to The Left's electoral success.

Sören Pellmann

Sören Pellmann is, with Heidi Reichinnek, a parliamentary group leader of The Left in the Bundestag.

💡 Did you know? He won a direct seat in Leipzig: such direct mandates kept The Left in the Bundestag in 2021.

Federal Chancellor

The Chancellor sets the guidelines of government policy and proposes the ministers to the Federal President.

💡 Did you know? The Chancellor is elected by the Bundestag, not directly by the people.

Finance

The Finance Ministry draws up the federal budget and manages federal debt; Klingbeil is also Vice Chancellor.

💡 Did you know? In cabinet, the Finance Minister can veto decisions that increase spending.

Interior

The Interior Ministry is responsible for domestic security, the Federal Police and BKA, and migration.

💡 Did you know? Sport also traditionally belongs to the Interior Minister's portfolio.

Foreign Affairs

The Federal Foreign Office represents Germany abroad and runs more than 220 missions worldwide.

💡 Did you know? The name “Auswärtiges Amt” dates back to 1870: it stuck even though it has long been a ministry.

Defence

The Defence Ministry leads the Bundeswehr; in peacetime the minister holds command authority.

💡 Did you know? In a state of defence, command authority passes from the minister to the Chancellor.

Economy and Energy

The ministry steers economic policy, industry and the energy supply.

💡 Did you know? Before returning to politics, Reiche headed the energy company Westenergie.

Research, Technology and Space

The portfolio combines research, technology and (newly) space.

💡 Did you know? Germany is one of the biggest contributors to the European Space Agency (ESA).

Justice

The Justice Ministry drafts civil and criminal law and reviews the bills of all other ministries.

💡 Did you know? That review is mandatory: every federal bill has to pass it.

Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth

A mega-portfolio: education, family, seniors, women and youth under one roof.

💡 Did you know? Prien previously served as education minister of Schleswig-Holstein.

Labour and Social Affairs

The Labour Ministry manages the largest single budget of the federal government: mainly pensions and basic security.

💡 Did you know? Bas previously served as President of the Bundestag.

Digital Affairs and State Modernisation

The Digital Ministry was newly created in 2025, for digitalisation and modernising the state.

💡 Did you know? Wildberger came from business: he previously led MediaMarktSaturn.

Transport

The transport ministry is responsible for roads, railways, waterways and air travel.

💡 Did you know? His biggest building site is the repair of Germany's crumbling rail network.

Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

The portfolio covers environment, climate action, nature conservation and nuclear safety.

💡 Did you know? Despite the nuclear phase-out, nuclear safety remains a federal task e.g. finding a final repository.

Head of the Chancellery

As Head of the Chancellery she coordinates the ministries; her formal title is “Federal Minister for Special Tasks”.

💡 Did you know? Warken is the first woman in the post: she succeeded Thorsten Frei in July 2026.

Health

The health ministry oversees statutory health insurance and the supervision of medicines.

💡 Did you know? An economist and long-time head of the party's business wing, he is to push through the contested care reform.

Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity

The portfolio covers agriculture, food and (new in the title) regional identity (Heimat).

💡 Did you know? Rainer is a trained master butcher.

Economic Cooperation and Development

The Development Ministry (BMZ) runs Germany's development cooperation.

💡 Did you know? Germany is among the world's largest donors of development aid.

Housing, Urban Development and Building

The Housing Ministry's main job is boosting housing construction.

💡 Did you know? Before politics, Hubertz co-founded the cooking start-up Kitchen Stories.

Leader of the CDU/CSU group

The group leader organises the CDU and CSU members of parliament and their common line.

💡 Did you know? Frei moved from the Chancellery to the top of the group in July 2026; the Union group is the largest in the Bundestag.

President of the Bundestag

The Bundestag presidency chairs parliamentary sessions and represents the parliament.

💡 Did you know? In protocol, the office ranks number 2 in the state: right after the Federal President.

Leader of the SPD parliamentary group

The group leadership steers the SPD MPs: the hinge between party and government.

💡 Did you know? Miersch previously served as SPD general secretary.

Leader of the AfD parliamentary group

Weidel leads both group and party and as head of the largest opposition group is leader of the opposition.

💡 Did you know? By tradition, the opposition leader gives the first reply to government statements.

Leader of the AfD parliamentary group

Chrupalla co-leads the AfD group together with Alice Weidel.

💡 Did you know? Chrupalla is a trained master painter.

Leader of the Greens parliamentary group

Dröge co-leads the Greens group in opposition: together with Britta Haßelmann.

💡 Did you know? Parliamentary groups can introduce bills directly into the Bundestag.

Leader of the Greens parliamentary group

Haßelmann co-leads the Greens group together with Katharina Dröge.

💡 Did you know? Dual leadership is a Green tradition: in both party and parliamentary group.

Leader of The Left parliamentary group

Reichinnek co-leads the Left group together with Sören Pellmann.

💡 Did you know? Reichinnek rose to nationwide fame in the 2025 campaign through viral social media clips.

Leader of The Left parliamentary group

Pellmann co-leads the Left group together with Heidi Reichinnek.

💡 Did you know? Pellmann won his constituency seat directly in Leipzig.

CDU

Friedrich Merz is Federal Chancellor.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

SPD

Lars Klingbeil is Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

CSU

Alexander Dobrindt is Interior Minister.

💡 Did you know? The CSU runs only in Bavaria and forms a joint parliamentary group with the CDU.

CDU

Johann Wadephul is Foreign Minister.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

SPD

Boris Pistorius is Defence Minister.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

CDU

Katherina Reiche is Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

CSU

Dorothee Bär is Minister for Research, Technology and Space.

💡 Did you know? The CSU runs only in Bavaria and forms a joint parliamentary group with the CDU.

SPD

Stefanie Hubig is Justice Minister.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

CDU

Karin Prien is Minister for Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

SPD

Bärbel Bas is Minister for Labour and Social Affairs.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

CDU

Karsten Wildberger is Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

CDU

Steffen Bilger is Federal Minister for Transport.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic catch-all party: sister party of the Bavarian CSU.

SPD

Carsten Schneider is Minister for the Environment and Climate Action.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

CDU

Nina Warken is Head of the Federal Chancellery.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

CDU

Carsten Linnemann is Federal Minister of Health.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic catch-all party: sister party of the Bavarian CSU.

CSU

Alois Rainer is Minister for Agriculture and Food.

💡 Did you know? The CSU runs only in Bavaria and forms a joint parliamentary group with the CDU.

SPD

Reem Alabali-Radovan is Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

SPD

Verena Hubertz is Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Building.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

CDU

Thorsten Frei leads the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

CDU

Julia Klöckner is President of the Bundestag.

💡 Did you know? The CDU is a Christian democratic party: sister party of Bavaria's CSU.

SPD

Matthias Miersch is Leader of the SPD parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? The SPD is Germany's oldest still-existing party: its roots go back to 1863.

AfD

Alice Weidel is Co-leader of the AfD parliamentary group and party (opposition leader).

💡 Did you know? The AfD was founded in 2013 and has been the largest opposition group since 2025.

AfD

Tino Chrupalla is Co-leader of the AfD parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? The AfD was founded in 2013 and has been the largest opposition group since 2025.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen

Katharina Dröge is Co-leader of the Greens parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? Alliance 90/The Greens formed in 1993 when the West German Greens merged with East Germany's Alliance 90.

Bündnis 90/Die Grünen

Britta Haßelmann is Co-leader of the Greens parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? Alliance 90/The Greens formed in 1993 when the West German Greens merged with East Germany's Alliance 90.

Die Linke

Heidi Reichinnek is Co-leader of The Left parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? The Left was formed in 2007 through the merger of the PDS and WASG.

Die Linke

Sören Pellmann is Co-leader of The Left parliamentary group.

💡 Did you know? The Left was formed in 2007 through the merger of the PDS and WASG.