The new faces of the CDU: Wiegelmann and Reddig in focus!

The new faces of the CDU: Wiegelmann and Reddig in focus!

Johannes Wiegelmann and Pascal Reddig are among the youngest members of the German Bundestag. They were elected on February 23, 2025 and are members of the Young Group of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. Reddig, who serves as the group's chairman, is 30 years old and represents the Hanau constituency, while 32-year-old Wiegelmann comes from the Main-Kinzig - Wetterau II - Schotten constituency. Both have a common past that goes back to their school days, as Reddig's mother was Wiegelmann's French teacher.

Wiegelmann entered the political arena as a lawyer from Bad Soden-Salmünster. He is also a member of the Committee for Election Verification, Immunity and Rules of Procedure as well as the Committee for Legal Affairs and Consumer Protection. Reddig, also a lawyer, is a member of the Committee for Culture and Media as well as the Committee for Labor and Social Affairs and also holds a deputy role in the Health Committee.

The challenges of the new legislative period

The two MPs describe their first weeks in the Bundestag as exciting and challenging. Reddig compares the start of his parliamentary career to the first day of school, illustrating the excitement and uncertainty they both felt. While Wiegelmann emphasizes the uncertainty of the election results, Reddig describes the election evening as a rollercoaster of emotions. The challenges in domestic and foreign policy are omnipresent and have a significant influence on their work.

Both MPs have been active in local politics for many years and joined the CDU early on. Their political focuses differ: While Wiegelmann is more interested in foreign and defense policy, Reddig focuses on social policy issues. Reddig sees the need for reforms in the social security systems, while Wiegelmann sees the restoration of compulsory military service as important.

Commitment and prospects for the future

The Young Group of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, to which both MPs belong, consists of 18 members who are younger than 35 years old at the beginning of the legislative period. Group members meet each week in session weeks to discuss political issues that are important to the younger generation. The aim of this group is to develop a sustainable and future-oriented policy that bears responsibility for future generations. The focus here is on topics that promote reliable life planning for young people.

Relevant topics are discussed in their weekly meetings and external experts are invited to contribute new perspectives. These discussions flow into the formation of opinions in the young group, which are then carried into the party and parliamentary group. Both Reddig and Wiegelmann remain actively in touch with their volunteer roots throughout their political careers and try to pursue leisure activities outside of politics in order to live a balanced life.

The political careers of Wiegelmann and Reddig suggest that they will act as pragmatic problem solvers within the parliamentary group. Both represent different but complementary approaches to shaping future politics, which enriches the dynamics within the Young Group.