Timeline · 16 stations
Timeline 1979–2026
Steffen Bilger's life and career drawn as a route: sixteen stations on four lines, from his birth in Schongau to the Federal Ministry for Transport. Select a station to open a detailed explanation with sources.
The route map
- Early years and training
- Party and Bundestag
- Government and group leadership
- Federal Minister
Born in Schongau, raised in Backnang
Steffen Rudi Bilger was born on 16 February 1979 in Schongau, a town in Upper Bavaria. He grew up in Backnang in the Rems-Murr district of Württemberg, north-east of Stuttgart, where he later went to school and did his civilian service.
Record note. The official biographies give no further detail on his childhood, and none is added here. See early life.
Joins the CDU and the Junge Union
While still at school, Bilger joined the Christian Democratic Union and its youth organisation, the Junge Union (JU), open to members aged 14 to 35. Party membership since 1996 is recorded on his own website and in the ministry and government biographies.
Record note. His reasons for joining are not documented. See political beginnings.
Abitur, civilian service and the Schüler Union
Bilger passed the Abitur at the Max-Born-Gymnasium in Backnang. In 1998–1999 he did his Zivildienst, the civilian alternative to military service, at the Backnang branch (Haus Friedrichstraße) of the Erlacher Höhe, a social welfare organisation supporting people affected by homelessness, poverty and unemployment.
In the same period he was state chair of the Schüler Union Baden-Württemberg, the CDU-aligned school-students' association (1998–1999), and national managing director of the Schüler Union Deutschlands (1998–2000).
Law at the University of Tübingen
Bilger began studying law at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, where he remained until 2004. In Germany law is studied as a first degree; the course leads not to a bachelor's degree but to the First State Examination.
Context. The education page explains the German route to the legal profession.
First State Examination and the Referendariat
Bilger passed the First State Examination in law in 2004 and began his two-year Referendariat, the practical legal traineeship, at the Landgericht (Regional Court) Stuttgart, which ran until 2006.
From 2004 to 2007, according to German Wikipedia, he also chaired Jung-Weikersheim, the youth section of the conservative Studienzentrum Weikersheim. Since 2002 he had chaired the Junge Union in Nordwürttemberg (until 2007), and since 2001 he had been the CDU's substitute candidate for the Landtag constituency of Backnang (until 2011).
Second State Examination, MVV and the JU chair
Bilger completed the Referendariat and passed the Second State Examination, which the transport ministry's biography dates to 2006. He joined the strategy department of MVV Energiedienstleistungen GmbH in Mannheim, where he worked until 2009.
The same year he was elected state chair of the Junge Union Baden-Württemberg. He was re-elected in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Admission to the bar; leaving Jung-Weikersheim
Bilger was admitted as a Rechtsanwalt (lawyer) in 2007. His Bundestag disclosures later listed a Stuttgart practice, Rechtsanwaltskanzlei Paliakoudis-Bilger, where he was a lawyer until early 2018.
In April 2007 Der Spiegel reported that Bilger, as chair of the JU Baden-Württemberg, and two others had given up their board posts at Jung-Weikersheim, to signal their rejection of a planned event with the former general Reinhard Günzel. See legal career and political beginnings.
Elected for Ludwigsburg
At the federal election of 27 September 2009 Bilger won the Ludwigsburg constituency (No. 265) with 39.9% of the first votes, ahead of the SPD candidate on 22.6%. He was thirty.
In his first term he sat on the committee for transport, building and urban development and the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development, was a deputy member of the health and environment committees, and was deputy chair of the Junge Gruppe of younger CDU/CSU MPs. His work at MVV ended the same year.
Chair of the CDU in Nordwürttemberg
On 1 October 2011 Bilger was elected chair of the CDU Bezirksverband Nordwürttemberg, the largest of the party's four district associations in Baden-Württemberg, defeating the former state secretary Dietrich Birk. He still holds the post. On 12 November 2011 Nikolas Löbel succeeded him as state chair of the Junge Union. In 2011 he also joined the Bundestag's study commission on growth, prosperity and quality of life.
Re-elected with an absolute majority of first votes
Bilger was re-elected with 50.4% of the first votes, his best result. Turnout in the constituency was 77.5%, according to the Federal Returning Officer. In the new term he sat on the Committee on Transport and Digital Infrastructure and the Joint Committee, and chaired the board of trustees of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
German Wikipedia records that he has chaired the transport forum of the CDU/CSU business association MIT since 2013. In April 2013 he married Isabell Bilger.
Chair of the Junge Gruppe
Bilger became chair of the Junge Gruppe, the caucus of younger CDU/CSU members (aged 35 or under when elected). He held the post until February 2018 according to the Bundestag (January 2018 according to German Wikipedia).
Third term and the Mediation Committee
Bilger won Ludwigsburg for the third time with 38.3% of the first votes. From 2017 the constituency also included Weissach in the Böblingen district. The Bundestag records him as a member of the Mediation Committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat from 2017 to March 2018; his website and German Wikipedia date the membership from 2016.
Parliamentary State Secretary for transport
In March 2018 Bilger left his committees (on 14 March, according to his website) and became Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Andreas Scheuer. He described his portfolio as roads, cars, alternative drives, aviation and digitalisation. In April the cabinet made him Federal Government Coordinator for Freight Transport and Logistics. His legal practice stopped the same spring.
„Ich freue mich auf die neue Aufgabe und bin ab sofort erster Ansprechpartner der Bundesregierung für alle Fragen rund um die Logistik.“
“I look forward to the new task and am, as of now, the Federal Government's first point of contact for all questions concerning logistics.” (translation) — 11 April 2018
Context. The contracts for the passenger-car toll were concluded at the end of 2018, during his term; no source assigns him personal responsibility. In December 2018 motions from his CDU district against the Deutsche Umwelthilfe drew criticism. See Parliamentary State Secretary.
Fourth term and deputy group chair
At the September 2021 election Bilger held Ludwigsburg with 29.5% of the first votes, ahead of the Green candidate on 20.3%; he was also fourth on the CDU's state list. The CDU/CSU went into opposition. His term as Parliamentary State Secretary ended in December 2021, and the same month he became a deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, responsible for environment, nature conservation, nuclear safety and consumer protection, and food and agriculture.
Coalition talks and First Parliamentary Secretary
- Re-elected for Ludwigsburg with 36.5% of the first votes, his fifth consecutive direct mandate.
- Leads the CDU/CSU side of the coalition working group on rural areas, agriculture, food and the environment.
- Elected First Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU group with 93.5%, succeeding Thorsten Frei.
- Moves the motion to take the election of three constitutional judges off the agenda; later says the group should have recognised the controversy earlier.
- The coalition's pensions package passes with 318 votes, two above the absolute majority of members.
Federal Minister for Transport
- Reshuffle announced. After Jens Spahn's resignation as group leader, Chancellor Merz announces the first changes: Nina Warken to head the Chancellery, Thorsten Frei to lead the parliamentary group, Carsten Linnemann to the Health Ministry. Fritz Güntzler, lined up to replace Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, declines that morning.
- Bilger announced. On Sunday evening government spokesman Stefan Kornelius confirms Bilger as the new transport minister; Schnieder had asked to be dismissed.
- Appointment. Federal President Steinmeier hands over the certificates of appointment at Bellevue Palace. Schnieder hands over the ministry the same day.
- Oath and budget speech. Bilger takes the oath of office in the Bundestag before its President, Julia Klöckner, almost six weeks after his appointment because of the summer recess, a delay some constitutional lawyers criticised. He then presents the 2027 transport budget in its first reading.
- Autobahn financing. The cabinet approves a new financing structure for Die Autobahn GmbH des Bundes: limited borrowing from 2027 and a share of truck-toll revenue from 2028, with the federal government remaining sole owner.
„Verkehrsinfrastruktur muss für die Menschen da sein.“
“Transport infrastructure must be there for people.” (translation) — ministry handover, 29 July 2026
At a glance
All sixteen stations
The same chronology as a single list, for reading or printing. Sources for each entry are in the station panels above.
- 1979Born in Schongau, 16 February; grows up in Backnang
- 1996Joins the CDU and the Junge Union
- 1998Abitur; civilian service; Schüler Union offices
- 1999Begins law at Tübingen
- 2004First State Examination; Referendariat in Stuttgart
- 2006Second State Examination; MVV; Junge Union state chair
- 2007Admitted as a lawyer; leaves the Jung-Weikersheim board
- 2009Elected to the Bundestag for Ludwigsburg (39.9%)
- 2011Chair of the CDU in Nordwürttemberg
- 2013Re-elected with 50.4%; married
- 2014Chair of the Junge Gruppe
- 2017Re-elected with 38.3%
- 2018Parliamentary State Secretary; logistics coordinator
- 2021Re-elected with 29.5%; deputy group chair
- 2025Re-elected with 36.5%; First Parliamentary Secretary
- 2026Federal Minister for Transport
Sources
- Deutscher Bundestag — Steffen Bilger, biography (21st electoral term) (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
- Steffen Bilger — Politische Stationen and Private Stationen
- Federal Ministry for Transport — Steffen Bilger, curriculum vitae
- Wikipedia (German) — Steffen Bilger (accessed 8 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (German) — Bundestagswahlkreis Ludwigsburg
- ZDFheute — Appointment of the new ministers (29 Jul 2026)
- Federal Government — Bilger's speech on the 2027 budget (8 Sep 2026)
- Further sources are linked within each station above.