Why Germany’s most powerful political alliance is actually two separate, competing parties

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The CDU/CSU alliance dominates German centre-right politics, yet it is not a single party. These two sister parties maintain separate memberships, leaderships, and organizations, only uniting in the Bundestag to form a single parliamentary group. It is a fragile, informal partnership that has survived decades of internal friction and rivalry.

The CDU and CSU have operated as a unified parliamentary bloc in the German Bundestag since the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949. While they share a common youth organization and a joint manifesto for federal elections, they remain legally independent. The CDU operates across 15 German states, while the CSU restricts its activities exclusively to Bavaria, reflecting the region's distinct rural and Catholic character. Under German electoral law, this alliance is only permitted because the two parties never compete against each other in the same federal state.

Tensions within the partnership often arise from the CSU's desire for greater autonomy. In 1976, the 'Kreuth separation decision' saw CSU members vote to form their own parliamentary group, a move that triggered a political earthquake and forced the CDU to threaten the establishment of a rival party organization in Bavaria. Similar friction occurred in 2018, when CSU leader Horst Seehofer threatened to bring down Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government over refugee policy. These disputes highlight the inherent instability of an alliance where the smaller partner, the CSU, frequently leverages its regional power to influence national policy.

Despite these conflicts, the alliance remains a cornerstone of German governance. The two parties always negotiate federal coalitions together, and the CSU is traditionally guaranteed at least one major government department. However, the lack of a formal procedure for selecting a joint chancellor candidate remains a recurring source of instability. While the CDU has historically held the chairmanship of the joint parliamentary group, the CSU leader serves as the first deputy, ensuring that the Bavarian party retains a significant, if sometimes contentious, voice in federal affairs.

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