Frank Steffel


Frank Steffel is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Party.

Early life and education

Steffel grew up in Berlin’s Frohnau district.

Political career

Steffel has been a member of the CDU since 1983. He was a member of the State Parliament in Berlin from 1991 to 2009. From 2001 until 2019, he led the CDU in Berlin-Reinickendorf. In the Berlin state elections of 2001 he was the CDU's candidate for the position as Governing Mayor of Berlin. His election campaign was considered unfortunate. For instance he described Munich as Germany's "most beautiful city" and as its "secret capital". Although his party suffered enormous losses at the elections under his leadership, Steffel remained chairman of the CDU group in the State Parliament until 2003. Between 2005 and 2006, he chaired the Sub-Committee on Sports.
Steffel has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009. In parliament, he has since been serving on the Committee on Sports. From 2013 until 2017, he was a member of the Finance Committee, where he served as his parliamentary group's rapporteur on money laundering, tax treaties and land transfer taxes. Since 2018, he has also been a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In that capacity, he is his parliamentary group’s rapporteur on Ukraine, Southern Africa, Japan and the Iberian Peninsula.
In 2019, Steffel announced that he would not stand in the 2021 federal elections but instead resign from active politics by the end of the parliamentary term.

Other activities

In June 2017, Steffel voted against Germany’s introduction of same-sex marriage.

Personal life

Steffel has been married since 1994. The couple has two children and lives in Berlin’s Frohnau district.