Nina Warken, chair of the CDU’s Women’s Union, urged her party to give women equal consideration in committees and elections. “The representation of women should become a common priority and must be more strongly reflected in the future” she said before the party’s “Wochentag” event. Warken announced that, before candidate lists are drawn up, the Women’s Union will target state chairpersons to place women appropriately.
At the same time, she called on her female colleagues to campaign for leadership positions more confidently. “We must never assume a smooth path for us. We need to fight for our place and push ourselves forward. More women in leadership panels are essential, especially in the coalition committee” she added.
Warken noted that the current coalition committee contains only one woman-Bärbel Bas of the SPD-an issue she deemed “unmistakably problematic”. She suggested adding at least one more woman, such as a deputy chair, but acknowledged that the proposal had yet to pass.
The CDU will convene its federal party meeting on 20‑21 February to elect its entire leadership team. The presidium currently includes party leader Friedrich Merz and secretary‑general Carsten Linnemann, along with 14 additional members. The larger federal board will see 26 more additions. Since July 2025, a 50 percent women’s quota applies to all party leadership bodies.
Warken rejected any suggestion to abolish the quota. “Everyone must understand that we will not reach our goals in five years. If anything, we should fine‑tune the quota rather than abolish it” she said.
The CDU introduced the phased implementation of the women’s quota in 2022. It is set to remain in place until 2029.
