World

Thorsten Frei designated CDU candidate to lead Unionsfraktion in Bundestag

Herz — World Desk · 22 July 2026 at 11:14 · 30s summary · 4 min read

The essentials

Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Markus Söder (CSU) proposed on July 22, 2026 Thorsten Frei (CDU) to head the Unionsfraktion — the common CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. Frei, 52, is currently Minister at the Federal Chancellery (Kanzleramtsminister) and a close ally of Merz, and must be officially elected on July 29 in an extraordinary session. He would succeed Jens Spahn, who resigned on July 18 following pressure over the revelation that he and his husband used surrogacy in the United States, a practice banned in Germany.

Merz and Söder agree on Thorsten Frei to lead the Unionsfraktion
Frei, 52, is Kanzleramtsminister and close ally of Friedrich Merz
Spahn resigned on July 18 following revelation of his use of surrogacy in the United States
Frei's official election is scheduled for July 29 in an extraordinary session
The CSU has never provided a Unionsfraktion president since the group's creation

Illustration image — No machine-readable author provided. Jamieli~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

What we know

On July 22, 2026, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder presented Thorsten Frei (CDU) as their joint candidate for the Unionsfraktion presidency — the common parliamentary group formed in the Bundestag by CDU and CSU members — according to Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Zeit. The proposal was presented at a digital meeting of the group's executive committee, convened at 3 p.m.

The meeting was organized by Alexander Hoffmann, head of the CSU subgroup within the faction (CSU-Landesgruppenchef), and Steffen Bilger (CDU), coordinator of the group's legislative work at the Bundestag.

Thorsten Frei, 52, is the current Kanzleramtsminister — minister in charge of the Federal Chancellery, who assists the chancellor in his functions — and a trusted close ally of Friedrich Merz. He has served in the Bundestag since 2013 and was previously Oberbürgermeister (mayor) of Donaueschingen.

Frei had previously coordinated the legislative work of the Unionsfraktion before the 2025 federal elections. His name had been mentioned as a possible candidate for the group presidency, before Merz recalled him to the Federal Chancellery.

Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Interior Minister (CSU), had been considered as a candidate for the position but was not selected.

Jens Spahn's resignation

Jens Spahn resigned from the Unionsfraktion presidency on July 18, 2026 under pressure following the revelation that he and his husband Daniel Funke had used surrogacy in the United States to start a family. Surrogacy involves entrusting pregnancy to an external woman — called a surrogate mother — who hands the child over to the intended parents at birth.

The practice is banned in Germany. Spahn had previously opposed its legalization, creating a political contradiction that made his position untenable at the head of the group.

The interim leadership of the Unionsfraktion is assured by Alexander Hoffmann, CSU-Landesgruppenchef, pending the official election.

Timeline

2013
Thorsten Frei is elected to the Bundestag for the first time under the CDU banner.
Before the 2025 federal elections
Frei coordinates the legislative work of the Unionsfraktion. His name is mentioned as a possible candidate for the group presidency.
Jens Spahn is elected Fraktionsvorsitzender (faction chairman). Merz appoints Frei Kanzleramtsminister.