With Johann Wadephul, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will once again field the German foreign minister. It will be the first time in almost 60 years. The 62-year-old from northern Germany, who has made a name for himself as a foreign policy expert in the Bundestag, is a trusted confidant of likely Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

For the first time in decades, the Chancellery and Foreign Ministry are once again to be in the hands of a single party. Wadephul will succeed the Green Party's Annalena Baerbock. The new coalition government of the CDU/CSU and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) is to be sworn in on May 6.

Johann Wadephul hails from Husum on the North Sea coast and has been a lawmaker in the Bundestag since 2009. As Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, he has been responsible for foreign and security policy.

"My main focus is on transatlantic relations and NATO, relations with China and Russia, as well as the Balkans and the Middle East," Wadephul writes on his website.

Wadephul has excellent international connections and is familiar with diplomatic conventions. In just the past few weeks, he traveled to Paris, London, and Warsaw to meet with the foreign ministers there.

A reservist with the German Armed Forces

In addition to his foreign policy expertise, Wadephul also has a military background. After graduating from high school, he served as a soldier in the Bundeswehr from 1982 to 1986 and is a lieutenant colonel in the reserves. "I have close ties with the Bundeswehr," he emphasizes.

He has repeatedly called for the armed forces to be better equipped and for the reintroduction of compulsory military service.

With this profile, he was also being considered for the post of Minister of Defense. However, this is to remain in the hands of the Social Democrat Boris Pistorius, Germany's most popular politician. Wadephul will likely draw on Pistorius's security policy expertise when it comes to most closely integrating German foreign, security, and development policy — a declared goal of the future German government.

After his time in the Bundeswehr, Wadephul studied law at the University of Kiel, obtained a doctorate, and set up his own practice as a lawyer.

He joined the CDU in 1982 and began his political career in the party's regional branch. He was a member of the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament from 2000 until he entered the Bundestag in 2009. He lives near the state capital of Kiel with his wife and three children. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, especially to Florence and Rome, and he is interested in history.

Germany will remain by Ukraine's side

Challenging tasks on the international stage await Germany's new chief diplomat: On the one hand, there is Russia's brutal war against Ukraine. Kyiv will be able to continue relying on Germany's help.

Wadephul confirmed this in an interview with Deutsche Welle shortly after his nomination. 

"I think it must be clear to everyone involved, especially Vladimir Putin, that we stand by Ukraine's side," Wadephul said. "We will support Ukraine and offer it the opportunity to stand on... equal footing with Russia."

Wadephul has stressed that Germany's Ukraine policy will be shaped in coordination with European partners.

"I think there will be a lot of continuity, because Germany has always been a country with a clear determination to strengthen Europe and put the European Union in a position to solve the problems we are facing in the world," he said.

At the same time, Germany will make greater efforts to involve the US in a possible peace solution for Ukraine "and to make it clear to the Trump administration that it is in its own best interests to have a strong Ukraine in the European community."

A difficult partner in the US

The ailing transatlantic relationship will also be a matter of concern for the future foreign minister. Since US President Donald Trump has taken office, the European NATO members can no longer rely on the US to ensure Europe's security.

"It goes without saying that Europe must do more to defend itself than before. Germany will also take on a leading role here," Wadephul told Deutsche Welle. "But we also want to hear from Washington that they value our efforts and are committed to our common goals."

No more feminist foreign policy

This is in line with future Chancellor Friedrich Merz's ambition to forge ahead internationally with new initiatives. Merz wants to transform Germany from a "sleeping medium-sized power" back into a "leading medium-sized power." For him, this also involves close coordination with partners such as France and Poland.

A loyal party colleague at the head of the Foreign Office is likely to be a great help to Merz. Especially as the CDU leader has already emphasized that there should be no public disagreements about the foreign policy course of his government. Disagreements between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) were not uncommon in the previous coalition government.

The future Foreign Minister has already made it clear that he will not continue Baerbock's feminist foreign policy. He made it clear that he belieces every foreign minister had to set their own priorities. What priorities Johann Wadephul might set under Friedrich Merz's more ambitious foreign policy will become clear once he takes office.

This article was originally written in German.

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