The Leader of the Opposition (, ) in Germany is the parliamentary leader of the largest political party in the Bundestag that is not in government.
In Germany, the leader of the Opposition is an informal title that is not even mentioned and does not have any formal functions in the by-laws of the Bundestag. However, the leader of the Opposition is, by convention, the first person to respond to the most senior government spokesperson during a debate. The title also exists on a state level, but only in the Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein is the position formally recognized as an actual office.
Only three leaders of the Opposition went on to be directly elected Chancellor afterwards: Helmut Kohl (1976–1982), Angela Merkel (2002–2005) and Friedrich Merz (2022–2025).
List of opposition leaders in Germany since 1949 (Federal Republic of Germany)
Image Name Party Term of officeChancellor Took office Left office Term length 1 Kurt Schumacher Social Democratic Party(SPD) 7 September 1949 20 August 1952 Konrad Adenauer 2 Erich Ollenhauer Social Democratic Party(SPD) 27 September 1952 14 December 1963 Konrad AdenauerLudwig Erhard 3 Fritz Erler Social Democratic Party(SPD) 3 March 1964 1 December 1966 Ludwig Erhard 4 Knut Freiherr von Kühlmann-Stumm Free Democratic Party(FDP) 1 December 1966 23 January 1968 Kurt Georg Kiesinger 5 Wolfgang Mischnick Free Democratic Party(FDP) 23 January 1968 22 October 1969 Kurt Georg Kiesinger 6 Rainer Barzel Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 22 October 1969 17 May 1973 Willy Brandt 7 Karl Carstens Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 17 May 1973 13 September 1976 Willy BrandtHelmut Schmidt 8 Helmut Kohl Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 13 September 1976 1 October 1982 Helmut Schmidt 9 Herbert Wehner Social Democratic Party(SPD) 1 October 1982 8 March 1983 Helmut Kohl 10 Hans-Jochen Vogel Social Democratic Party(SPD) 8 March 1983 12 November 1991 Helmut Kohl 11 Hans-Ulrich Klose Social Democratic Party(SPD) 12 November 1991 10 November 1994 Helmut Kohl 12 Rudolf Scharping Social Democratic Party(SPD) 10 November 1994 27 October 1998 Helmut Kohl 13 Wolfgang Schäuble Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 27 October 1998 29 February 2000 Gerhard Schröder 14 Friedrich Merz Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 29 February 2000 22 September 2002 Gerhard Schröder 15 Angela Merkel Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 22 September 2002 22 November 2005 Gerhard Schröder 16 Wolfgang Gerhardt Free Democratic Party(FDP) 22 November 2005 1 May 2006 Angela Merkel 17 Guido Westerwelle Free Democratic Party(FDP) 1 May 2006 28 October 2009 Angela Merkel 18 Frank-Walter Steinmeier Social Democratic Party(SPD) 28 October 2009 16 December 2013When Frank-Walter Steinmeier donated one of his kidneys to his end-stage kidney disease-stricken wife, from 23 August to 26 October 2010 senior SPD Bundestag member Joachim Poß served as interim Bundestag leader in his absence. Angela Merkel 20 Gregor Gysi The Left 17 December 2013 12 October 2015 Angela Merkel 21 Dietmar BartschSahra Wagenknecht The Left 12 October 2015 24 October 2017 Angela Merkel 22 Alexander GaulandAlice Weidel Alternative for Germany(AfD) 24 October 2017 26 October 2021 Angela Merkel 23 Ralph Brinkhaus Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 8 December 2021 15 February 2022 Olaf Scholz (14) Friedrich Merz Christian Democratic Union(CDU) 15 February 2022 6 May 2025 3 years, 80 days Olaf Scholz 24(-/22) Tino ChrupallaAlice Weidel Alternative for Germany(AfD) 6 May 2025 Friedrich Merz
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