The timeline

Chronology

1. 19707 June
   Early life & education

   Born in Peißenberg

   Upper Bavaria, district of Weilheim-Schongau.

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2. 1986
   Early life & education

   Joins the Junge Union

   At sixteen, the youth organisation of the CDU and CSU.

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3. 1989
   Early life & education

   Abitur in Weilheim

   Then begins sociology at LMU Munich.

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4. 1990
   Party

   Joins the CSU

   Also chairs the Junge Union in his district, 1990–1997.

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5. 1995
   Early life & education

   Diplom in sociology

   Graduates from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.

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6. 1996
   Party

   Local councillor

   Peißenberg market council (to 2011) and Weilheim-Schongau district council (to 2018); joins a Peißenberg machine-building firm.

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7. 2001
   Early life & education

   Managing director

   Of Holzner & Sanamij GmbH, until 2005.

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8. 200222 September
   Bundestag

   Elected to the Bundestag

   Wins the Weilheim constituency; sworn in on 17 October.

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9. 2005
   Bundestag

   Economic-policy spokesman

   Of the CSU Landesgruppe, until 2008.

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10. 20099 February
    Party

    CSU Secretary General

    Appointed by Horst Seehofer; succeeds Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

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11. 20121 February
    Party

    Euro-crisis remarks

    Suggests Greece consider a new start outside the eurozone.

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12. 201315 September
    Party

    CSU regains absolute majority

    47.7 per cent in the Bavarian state election.

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13. 201317 December
    Transport minister

    Federal Transport Minister

    Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Merkel III.

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14. 20147 March
    Transport minister

    Netzallianz launched

    Target: 50 Mbit/s for all by 2018.

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15. 201527 March
    Transport minister

    Car toll passes the Bundestag

    434 votes to 128.

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16. 201515 October
    Transport minister

    VW recall ordered

    Federal Motor Transport Authority orders recall of 2.4 million cars.

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17. 201518 November
    Transport minister

    Broadband funding programme

    Launched with €2.7 billion.

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18. 20163 August
    Transport minister

    Transport plan 2030

    €269.6 billion adopted by cabinet.

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19. 20161 December
    Transport minister

    Toll compromise with Brussels

    Agreement with the European Commission.

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20. 201721 June
    Transport minister

    Automated driving law in force

    Ethics rules presented the day before.

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21. 201726 September
    Landesgruppe

    CSU Landesgruppe chairman

    Also first deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU group.

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22. 20184 January
    Landesgruppe

    “Conservative revolution”

    Guest essay in Die Welt.

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23. 20186 May
    Landesgruppe

    “Anti-deportation industry”

    Later named Unwort des Jahres 2018.

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24. 20181 July
    Landesgruppe

    Asylum dispute

    Refuses to accept Seehofer’s resignation offer.

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25. 201918 June
    Landesgruppe

    Toll struck down

    EU Court of Justice rules the car toll unlawful.

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26. 202126 September
    Landesgruppe

    Re-elected; Union in opposition

    41.9 per cent in Weilheim.

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27. 202529 January
    Landesgruppe

    Migration votes

    Union motion passes with AfD and FDP votes.

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28. 202523 February
    Landesgruppe

    Federal election

    Re-elected in Weilheim with 45.8 per cent.

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29. 20256 May
    Interior minister

    Federal Minister of the Interior

    Appointed in the cabinet of Friedrich Merz.

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30. 20257 May
    Interior minister

    Border rejections ordered

    Intensified controls at all land borders.

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31. 20252 June
    Interior minister

    Court ruling in Berlin

    Rejection of three asylum seekers ruled unlawful.

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32. 202527 June
    Interior minister

    Family reunification suspended

    Bundestag vote, 444 to 135.

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33. 202518 July
    Interior minister

    Zugspitze summit

    European interior ministers agree a joint declaration.

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34. 20257 September
    Interior minister

    Civil protection pact

    €10 billion by 2029.

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35. 20258 October
    Interior minister

    Fast-track naturalisation ended

    Bundestag vote, 450 to 134.

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36. 202611 January
    Interior minister

    Cyber pact with Israel

    Signed with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

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37. 202627 February
    Interior minister

    EU asylum reform adapted

    GEAS Adaptation Act passes; applies from 12 June 2026.

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38. 202625 September
    Interior minister

    Federal Police Act reform

    Passed 322 to 134.

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