Manuel Hagel

Manuel Hagel
Hagel in 2025
Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Baden-Württemberg
Assumed office
18 November 2023
Deputy
Preceded byThomas Strobl
Leader of the CDU in the
Landtag of Baden-Württemberg
Assumed office
4 May 2021
Preceded byWolfgang Reinhart
Member of the
Landtag of Baden-Württemberg
for Ehingen
Assumed office
11 May 2016
Preceded byKarl Traub
Personal details
Born (1988-05-01) 1 May 1988
PartyCDU
SpouseFranziska Hagel
Children3
OccupationBank officer

Manuel Hagel (born 1 May 1988) is a German politician and former bank officer who has served as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in Baden-Württemberg (CDU) since 2023, having been its secretary general from 2016 to 2021. He has been a Member of the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg (MdL) for Ehingen since 2016, where he has chaired his party's parliamentary group since 2021.[1]

In May 2025, he was selected as CDU's lead candidate for the upcoming Baden-Württemberg state election.[2]

Early life and career

Hagel was born in 1988 in the Swabian town of Ehingen and became a banker. He is Catholic and has served as the altar boy, after his grandfather was a sacristan.[3][4]

Political career

Hagel entered the CDU in 2006 and was elected as part of his party's leadership in Baden-Württemberg in 2015. He became a member of the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg in the 2016 state elections.[5] In parliament, he has since been serving on the Committee on Internal Affairs, Digitization and Migration and on the Committee on Consumer Protection.[6]

On the basis of a proposal made by Thomas Strobl, Hagel was elected as secretary general of the CDU in Baden-Württemberg in 2016.[7]

Hagel was nominated by his party as delegate to the Federal Convention for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2022.[8]

In the negotiations to form a Grand Coalition under the leadership of Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU together with the Bavarian CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) following the 2025 German elections, Hagel led the CDU delegation in the working group on digital policy; his counterparts from the other parties were Reinhard Brandl and Armand Zorn.[9]

Political positions

In 2020, Hagel expressed support for Jens Spahn as next chairman of the CDU.[10] Ahead of the 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election, he endorsed Friedrich Merz to succeed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as the party's chair.[11]

References

  1. ^ Rüdiger Soldt (May 4, 2021), Neuer Fraktionsvorsitzender: Baden-Württembergs CDU setzt auf Manuel Hagel Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
  2. ^ Prasuhn, Hannah; dpa; AFP (17 May 2025). "Landesparteitag: Hagel wird CDU-Spitzenkandidat für Landtagswahl in Baden-Württemberg". Die Zeit (in German). ISSN 0044-2070. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  3. ^ Sasse, Sebastian (22 October 2025). "Das 'C' ist unser Kompass und unsere Wurzel". Die Tagespost (in German). Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  4. ^ Kosian, Markus (29 October 2025). "Manuel Hagel: "Der Glaube ist Quelle und Grenze für mein Handeln"". PromisGlauben (in German). Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Top 40 unter 40 - Politik". 22 November 2016.
  6. ^ Manuel Hagel Landtag of Baden-Württemberg.
  7. ^ Rüdiger Soldt (May 4, 2021), Neuer Fraktionsvorsitzender: Baden-Württembergs CDU setzt auf Manuel Hagel Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
  8. ^ 17th Federal Convention, 13 February 2022, List of Members Bundestag.
  9. ^ Corinna Emundts (13 March 2025), Union und SPD: Wie die Koalitionsverhandlungen ablaufen Tagesschau.
  10. ^ Michael Schwarz (February 22, 2020), „Für uns als CDU geht es um alles“ Mannheimer Morgen.
  11. ^ Stefan Reinecke, Andreas Wyputta, Benno Stieber and Christoph Schmidt-Lunau (January 9, 2021), CDU wählt neuen Vorsitzenden: Sehnsucht nach dem vierten Mann Die Tageszeitung.