Alexander Dobrindt (German pronunciation: [alɛkˈsandɐ ˈdoːbʁɪnt]; born 7 June 1970) is a German politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) who has been serving as the Federal Minister of the Interior in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz since 2025.

From 2017 to 2025, Dobrindt served as the chairman of the CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag. Between 2013 and 2017, he served as Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure in the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Previously, he was the secretary general of the Christian Social Union of Bavaria under the leadership of party chairman Horst Seehofer from 2009.

Early life

Dobrindt was born in Peißenberg, Bavaria. He graduated from the Weilheim Highschool in 1989 and continued his studies at LMU Munich, finishing with a Master of Arts in sociology in 1995.

After obtaining his degree, Dobrindt worked at an engineering company as a financial director from 1996 to 2001 and as a managing director from 2001 to 2005.

Political career

Dobrindt joined the Junge Union (Junior party of the C.S.U.) in 1986 and 4 years later the Christian Social Union of Bavaria. He has been a member of the German National Parliament (Bundestag) since the 2002 federal elections when he won the direct mandate in the Parliamentary Constituency of Weilheim with 59.4 percent of the votes.[1] Since 2009, he serves as the district-chairman of the CSU in Weilheim-Schongau.

In parliament, Dobrindt served as a member of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Technology between 2005 and 2009. In the negotiations to form a coalition government following the 2013 elections, he was part of the 15-member leadership circle chaired by Merkel, Seehofer and Sigmar Gabriel.

In his capacity as minister, Dobrindt introduced a controversial road toll which forces foreign car drivers to pay up to 130 euros a year for using Germany's Autobahn motorways;[2] the toll was a pet project of his CSU party. He was also in charge of drafting the government's plan to spend almost 270 billion euros (£226.48 billion) to repair and build new roads, railway lines and waterways between 2017 and 2030.[3]

From late 2016, Dobrindt was a member of the German government's cabinet committee on Brexit at which ministers discuss organizational and structural issues related to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.[4][5]

Following the 2017 elections, Dobrindt succeeded Gerda Hasselfeldt as head of the Bundestag group of CSU parliamentarians within the joint CDU/CSU group led by Friedrich Merz.

Minister for the Interior (2025–present)

On 6 May 2025, Dobrindt was sworn in as Federal Interior Minister alongside the Merz cabinet. The following day, he ordered the pushback of illegal immigrants at the German border. On 13 May, Dobrindt announced a ban on the far-right "Kingdom of Germany" (German: "Königreich Deutschland e.V.") association, which had been stockpiling weapons and had been acting increasingly hostile towards Germany's democratic system. Three members of the association were arrested, among them was its founder, Peter Fitzek. On his visit to Israel and the city of Bat Yam, reviewing the sites where Iranian missiles struck he was quoted saying: "There is no justification for attacks on a civilian population, as occurred here."[6]

In August 2025, Dobrindt and the Federal Ministry of the Interior opposed proposals by several German mayors seeking federal support to admit and provide medical treatment for traumatized or seriously ill children from the Gaza Strip.[7]

On 6 June 2025, Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed serious concerns in a letter to Dobrindt regarding the conduct of German authorities during Gaza war protests.[8] O'Flaherty stated that

Other activities

Corporate boards

  • KfW, Ex-Officio Member of the Supervisory Board (2014-2017)

Non-profit organizations

  • ZDF, Member of the Television Board (2009–2014)
  • Akademie für Politische Bildung Tutzing, Member of the Advisory Board[15]
  • Deutsches Museum, Member of the Board of Trustees[16]

Political positions

In 2013, Dobrindt called LGBTQ people a "shrill minority" which adopted an odd lifestyle.[17] In June 2017, he voted against introduction of same-sex marriage in Germany.[18]

Personal life

Dobrindt is a Roman Catholic, was married in Torri del Benaco, Italy in 2009, and has one son.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bundestag". Archived from the original on 4 September 2009.
  2. ↑ Markus Wacket and Michael Nienaber (30 October 2014), Germany's new road toll to cost foreign drivers up to 130 euros Reuters.
  3. ↑ Markus Wacket (3 August 2016), Germany to spend 270 billion euros to fix roads, railways, waterways Reuters.
  4. ↑ Joseph Nasr (13 January 2017), Merkel to chair first Brexit committee meeting next week Reuters.
  5. ↑ Readout of the government's press conference on 13 January 2017[dead link] Federal Press Office.
  6. ↑ "German minister assures '100% support' for Israel at site of Iran attack". The Jerusalem Post. 29 June 2025. ISSN 0792-822X. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Germany conflicted over project to rescue children from Gaza". Deutsche Welle. 9 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Commissioner for Human Rights. "European rights watchdog raises concerns over freedom of speech in Germany amid Gaza protests". Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Germans Are Defying Police Repression to Protest for Gaza". Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  10. ↑ "Letter of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights to the German Federal Minister of the Interior" (PDF). Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "Dobrindt strebt Abschiebe-Vereinbarung mit Taliban an – DW – 03.07.2025". dw.com (in German). Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  12. ↑ BILD.de: Asylanträge sollen wieder bearbeitet werden: Dobrindt will „junge arbeitsfähige“ Syrer abschieben, October 2025
  13. ↑ "Germany has backed the lifting of temporary protection for Ukrainian men — Handelsblatt". UA.News. 4 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Ministers discuss future of Ukrainian refugees after temporary protection deadline". The New Voice of Ukraine. 4 June 2026.
  15. ↑ Board of Trustees and Advisory Board Akademie für Politische Bildung Tutzing.
  16. ↑ Board of TrusteesDeutsches Museum.
  17. ↑ "Dobrindt nennt Homosexuelle eine "schrille Minderheit"". 10 March 2013 – via Die Zeit.
  18. ↑ Diese Unionsabgeordneten stimmten für die Ehe für alle Die Welt, 30 June 2017.
  19. ↑ Dobrindt hat geheiratet Münchner Merkur, 23 April 2009.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Dobrindt