Changes

  | parleader = Ralph Brinkhaus

  | parleader = Ralph Brinkhaus

  | foundation = 1945

  | foundation = 1945

  | ideology = [[Christian democracy]]

  | ideology = [[Liberal conservatism]]<ref>http://parties-and-elections.eu/germany.html/</ref>

  | position = [[Centrist|Center]] to [[center-right]]

  | position = [[Centrist|Center]] to [[center-right]]

  | international = [[International Democrat Union]], [[Centrist Democrat International]] and [[European People’s Party]]

  | international = [[International Democrat Union]], [[Centrist Democrat International]] and [[European People’s Party]]

  | footnotes =

  | footnotes =

}}

}}

The '''Christian Democratic Union of Germany''' (Christlich-Demokratische Union Deutschlands, '''CDU''') is a [[Christian Democratic]] political party in [[Germany]]. It is a middle-conservative party, and in 2009-2013 shared power in a coalition with the liberal-libertarian [[Free Democratic Party]] (FDP).  [[File:Merkel.jpg|thumb|290px| Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] led the party from 2000 to 2018]]

The '''Christian Democratic Union of Germany''' (Christlich-Demokratische Union Deutschlands, '''CDU''') is a [[liberal conservatism|liberal-conservative]] political party in [[Germany]]. It is a middle-conservative party, and in 2009-2013 shared power in a coalition with the liberal-libertarian [[Free Democratic Party]] (FDP).  [[File:Merkel.jpg|thumb|290px| Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] led the party from 2000 to 2018]]

The CDU is always in partnership with the '''[[Christian Social Union of Bavaria|Christian Social Union]]''', its more conservative sister party in [[Bavaria]]: the CDU does not field candidates in Bavaria and, in turn, the CSU does not field candidates outside it. When adding the mandates of both the CDU and CSU, who caucus together at the national level, they form the largest parliamentary group at the national level. Both parties are also in control of a majority of governments at the state level, with 11 out of 16 heads of state governments hailing from one of them.  

The CDU is always in partnership with the '''[[Christian Social Union of Bavaria|Christian Social Union]]''', its more conservative sister party in [[Bavaria]]: the CDU does not field candidates in Bavaria and, in turn, the CSU does not field candidates outside it. When adding the mandates of both the CDU and CSU, who caucus together at the national level, they form the largest parliamentary group at the national level. Both parties are also in control of a majority of governments at the state level, with 11 out of 16 heads of state governments hailing from one of them.