Nina Warken, the chair of the CDU’s Frauen‑Union, called on the party to give women equal consideration in committees and in elections. She said that female representation should become a joint priority and “must be reflected more strongly in the future”. In preparation for the federal party convention, Warken announced that the Frauen‑Union will approach state leaders more deliberately before list preparation, with the aim of placing women appropriately on the lists.
At the same time, she urged her fellow party members to run for leadership positions more confidently. “We must not assume that the path for us is already paved; we have to engage in the struggle and push ourselves forward” she said, stressing the need for more women in leadership bodies, especially in the coalition committee.
The current coalition committee includes only one woman-Bärbel Bas of the SPD-which Warken describes as “an unquestionable problem”. She added that a female deputy chair, for example, should also take part, but noted that the proposal is still pending.
The CDU will meet for its federal party conference on 20‑21 February to elect all leadership positions anew. The presidency presently consists of party chair Friedrich Merz, Secretary General Carsten Linnemann, and 14 other members; the larger federal board adds another 26. Since July 2025 a 50 % women quota applies to the party’s leadership committees.
Warken rejected any suggestion of abolishing the quota. “Everyone should understand that after five years we are still not where we want to be. Therefore we should consider tightening the quota, but not eliminating it” she said. The CDU adopted a phased introduction of the women quota in leadership bodies in 2022, and the current quota is set to remain in place until 2029.