Dr Peter Tauber, born in 1974, was Secretary General of the CDU for more than four years, during which time he was Angela Merkel’s right-hand man in the party.

Whether it was the euro crisis and Greece bailout, the energy transition or the 2015 refugee crisis, it was his job to keep the party on course and organise a successful Bundestag election campaign in 2017. Then a life-threatening illness threw him completely off course. After three more intensive years as Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, the doctor of history and passionate Hessian retired from politics. It is no secret that many soldiers would have liked to have seen him as their minister. Today, he works as a managing director, consultant, lecturer and author and has retained a critical view of politics and society. He is still capable of suffering: He is a member of Kickers Offenbach and can be found as often as possible on the legendary Bieberer Berg.

Peter Tauber Lecture topics

• Encourager. What finally allows us to look ahead again.

The crisis is the “new normal”. Whether it’s climate change, inflation, wars or the division of society, people are unsettled and looking for new perspectives. Why courage can unleash an incredible power and why this can only succeed in conjunction with values that inspire is the focus of this lecture, which centres on the life stories of people like you and me, who on the one hand have achieved something special and on the other are as normal as all of us.

• The art of leadership. From personal dialogue to digital leadership.

Inspiring people, taking them along or simply informing them. Those who lead depend on communication. As Secretary General of the CDU with 450,000 members or State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence with a total of 250,000 soldiers and civilian employees, there are plenty of examples of successful and unsuccessful communication. And the secret of successful leadership is revealed: it is called appreciation.

• You don’t have to be a hero.

I was Angela Merkel’s right-hand man as Secretary General of Germany’s CDU, ran a marathon three times a year and was seemingly immune to the attacks of political opponents, the hate on social networks and party political intrigues; until my body put up a clear stop sign. Two operations, one of them life-saving, over 30 days in hospital and almost two weeks in intensive care. A lot of time to think. Since then, I’ve been certain that we need to change something. Why we emulate the wrong role models in our society, why we can be more successful as a team and together and why we need a different way of dealing with those we put in charge is the focus of this lecture, which is characterised by personal experiences.

• Good leadership, bad leadership.

This does not mean that those who demonstrate professional expertise are able to share their enthusiasm for a cause or product and plant it in people’s hearts. Everyone has experienced toxic leadership at some point or has made mistakes in the management of employees. Using vivid examples from his time as a member of the Bundestag, Secretary General and State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Peter Tauber shows how to inspire people and what to avoid when you have leadership responsibility.

• Turning point.do.it.right.

The word “turning point” and the special fund of 100 billion euros for the German government have made it clear: The war in Eastern Europe has consequences for Germany and the European Union. But what are they? Is it just about military capabilities and armament? Are the economy, society and politics really prepared should the war escalate or new conflicts break out? This lecture is about what needs to be done.

• Quo vadis CDU?

From their foundation as a collective movement to becoming a formative political force, the Union parties have repeatedly formulated new answers to challenges in parallel with social change. Will the CDU and CSU also succeed in doing this on the road to the centre of the 21st century? What must the parties do to achieve this? Which leaders does it need? Does the “chancellor machine”, as Volker Resing once called the CDU, need to reinvent itself or return to its roots?

• Why we need more passion again!

90th minute. The home team played a terrible game and then scored the redemptive goal to make it 1:0. The shortcomings of the game were forgotten. Everyone was in each other’s arms. From saddened to the heavens, suffering on one side, happiness on the other. Emotions. Enthusiasm. Our society urgently needs this strength if we want to master the challenges that lie ahead. A plea for more sporting ambition and why we need to seek out challenges again and be prepared to go the extra mile instead of getting comfortable.

• It’s the history, stupid.

Climate change, inflation, war in Ukraine, terror in Israel, a shortage of skilled labour and a refugee crisis, record levels of national debt and an unconstitutional budget, a government crisis in Berlin, unwanted heckling from Bavaria, right-wing extremism on the rise in Germany and Europe, parallel societies in major cities, a German armed forces that has been cut to the bone and is suddenly supposed to be ready for war. There is no end to the crises and contradictory headlines. But where do all these headlines originate? It is impossible to understand the current situation without taking a look at our own history as Germans in the centre of Europe. And knowing our history also provides the answers to overcoming the multiple crises.

• That’s how it works!

Anyone who runs marathons needs staying power. This also applies to many other life goals and to successful business. And in politics, Max Weber used the famous “thick planks” as an image. He was clearly not a runner. Running opens up new horizons, it requires you to listen to yourself, in terms of pace and distance. What can I achieve? Where is my endurance limit? It’s about setting the right goals so that you don’t run away or even get lost. Anyone who runs knows the crises when you have to force yourself to keep your head up. In the end, it’s all about finding yourself. Over 20 million Germans run, including many decision-makers. What running gives us. (Book project 2025)