Steffen Bilger appointed as Germany's Federal Minister of Transport

Steffen Bilger has taken office as Germany’s new Federal Minister of Transport, succeeding Patrick Schnieder. Bilger, a former Parliamentary State Secretary and CDU/CSU parliamentary manager, is expected to be officially sworn in at the Bundestag on September 9, 2026.

Since assuming his role on July 27, 2026, Bilger has faced immediate scrutiny regarding the state of the Deutsche Bahn. His tenure has been marked by discussions surrounding rail reliability and the management of infrastructure funds. Bilger has expressed a desire to link executive bonuses at Deutsche Bahn to the achievement of specific performance goals and expectations.