He was sworn in as a non-partisan digital minister this week, and now former top manager Karsten Wildberger is a CDU member.

The new Federal Minister for Digital Affairs, Karsten Wildberger, has joined the CDU. This was confirmed by the North Rhine-Westphalia regional association of the German Press Agency. Wildberger was CEO of the Düsseldorf-based Ceconomy Group and Chairman of the Management Board of Media-Saturn Holding, and was previously non-partisan.

"North Rhine-Westphalia became my home a long time ago, and the CDU has long been my political home – even though I wasn't a member of the party until now," Wildberger told dpa. He added: "I'm delighted to be taking this step and – in addition to my role as a minister in the federal government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz – to now also be able to join the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia team led by Hendrik Wüst." Wüst is the state premier and CDU state leader.

The Christian Democrats stand for "a strong social market economy and a policy shift that we urgently need, especially in the digitalization and modernization of our state, and are boldly pursuing," Wildberger said. "The goal is: We want to strengthen citizens' trust in the government and state institutions as a whole."

CDU NRW Secretary General Paul Ziemiak told dpa: "I am very pleased that Federal Minister Wildberger has decided to join the CDU North Rhine-Westphalia. True to Hendrik Wüst's motto 'From Coal to AI,' there could be no better political home for a new digital minister than in the CDU on the Rhine and Ruhr."

The 55-year-old Wildberger was a surprise coup by Chancellor Merz, who brought the top manager into his cabinet.