Kai Wegner (born 15 September 1972) is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has been serving as Governing Mayor of Berlin since April 2023. He served as a member of the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, from 2005 to 2021. In 2019, he became the chairman of the CDU in Berlin.
Life and career
Wegner was born and raised in the Berlin borough of Spandau, the son of a construction worker and a retail sales clerk. After attending the Hans-Carossa-Oberschule on Streitstraße in the Hakenfelde district—which he left with an intermediate secondary school certificate (Realschulabschluss) rather than a university entrance qualification (Abitur)—Wegner completed military service in the German Air Force from 1993 to 1994. He subsequently completed an apprenticeship as an insurance clerk, finishing in 1997. Following this, he worked in the sales department of an insurance company until 1999, when he moved to a medium-sized construction company as a public relations project manager. From 2001 to 2002, he was also a member of its executive management. From 2002 to 2012, he worked as a self-employed management consultant in Berlin. From 2017 to 2020, he served as the honorary president of the Berlin state association of the DLRG (German Life Saving Association). He is a member of the board of trustees of the Margot Friedländer Foundation.
Political career Member of the German Parliament (2005–2021) Wegner joined the CDU in 1989 and served as vice chair of the party in Berlin from 2000 to 2002.
Wegner was a member of the German Bundestag from the 2005 until 2021, representing Berlin's Spandau district. In parliament, he served on the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy from 2005 until 2013 before moving to the Committee on Building, Housing, Urban Development and Local Government and the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. In this capacity, he was his parliamentary group's spokesperson on building and housing since 2018.
From 2011 until 2016, Wegner served as secretary general of the CDU in Berlin, under the leadership of chairman Frank Henkel. In May 2019 he succeeded Monika Grütters as chair of the CDU in Berlin.
Member of the State Parliament of Berlin (2021–present) In October 2020, Wegner announced his candidacy for Governing Mayor of Berlin in the 2021 Berlin state election;Sam Fleming and Guy Chazan (9 October 2020), Kai Wegner: „Ja, ich will Regierender Bürgermeister werden" Berliner Morgenpost. he eventually lost against Franziska Giffey. He has since been serving as his parliamentary group's chairperson and thereby the leader of the opposition.Sabine Bieler (30 September 2021), Vier Tage nach der Abgeordnetenhauswahl: Saleh und Wegner als Fraktionschefs in Berlin wiedergewählt Der Tagesspiegel.
Wegner was appointed as CDU delegate to the Federal Conventions for the purpose of electing the President of Germany in 2022.Wahl des Bundespräsidenten: Berliner CDU-Fraktion bestimmt Mitglieder für Bundesversammlung Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, 20 December 2021.
Mayor of Berlin (2023–present) Following the large gains made by the CDU in the 2023 Berlin state election, Wegner became Berlin’s first conservative mayor in 22 years and formed the Wegner senate.
In April 2024, Wegner condemned a conference of pro-Palestinian activists in Berlin held during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, saying that "Berlin does not tolerate antisemitism, hatred, and incitement against Jews."
After a power outage in Berlin, which affected approximately 45,000 households for several days in January 2026, Wegner was criticized for failing to take sufficient action. Wegner initially responded to the allegations by saying he had been “on the phone all day” coordinating the situation and that he had “locked himself in his home office.” However, research by RBB and Tagesspiegel found that, contrary to his account, Wegner had left the house and played tennis. Contrary to his own account, he had only been in contact with the federal government and the relevant district mayor in the afternoon after his tennis match. Wegner subsequently apologized for “communication errors.”
On 10 July 2026, he announced that he would no longer seek re-election as mayor in the 2026 election.
Other activities
Development and Peace Foundation (SEF), Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2023)Board of Trustees Development and Peace Foundation (SEF). Foundation for the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace, Member of the Council (since 2018)Council Foundation for the Humboldt Forum in the Berlin Palace. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees Trade Union of the Police (GdP), Member Hertha BSC, Member Tennis
Political positions In June 2017, Wegner voted against his parliamentary group's majority and in favor of Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage.Diese Unionsabgeordneten stimmten für die Ehe für alle Die Welt, 30 June 2017.
Ahead of the 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election, Wegner first endorsed in 2020 Friedrich Merz and later Jens Spahn to succeed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as the party's chair.Jan Heidtmann (13 February 2020), Vorsitz der Bundespartei: Berliner CDU-Chef spricht sich für Merz aus Süddeutsche Zeitung.Hans Monath (25 July 2020), Berliner CDU gibt Empfehlung ab: Spahn und Söder – ein Führungsduo in der Union? Der Tagesspiegel. For the 2021 German federal election, he later endorsed Markus Söder as the Christian Democrats' joint candidate to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel.Kanzlerkandidatur der Union: Machtkampf auf der Zielgeraden Tagesschau, 19 April 2021.
When Merz argued in 2023 that the Christian Democrats may look to work together with the far-right Alternative for Germany at the municipal level, Wegner sought to distance himself from that suggestion, arguing on Twitter that "the CDU cannot, doesn't want to, and will not cooperate with a party whose business model is hate, division and exclusion."Hans von der Burchard (23 July 2023), German center-right leader mulls cooperation with far right at municipal level Politico Europe.
Personal life Wegner lives in Spandau, Berlin.Christine Richter (18 May 2019), Kai Wegner – das ist der Mann, der Berlin einen will Berliner Morgenpost. He is Protestant, divorced, and has two children with his second wife and one with his first wife.
References